BC-Sports Showcase Digest,ADVISORY

A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

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As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

All times are Eastern.

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TUESDAY, March 27

BKN-RAPTORS RISING

The Toronto Raptors did what many other teams haven't: They stayed the course and kept their core and leadership intact even after some disappointing playoff flameouts. It's paying off. Closing in on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors are pointing to their continuity as a big reason why this postseason could be Toronto's time to shine. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 900 words, Photos.

WEDNESDAY, March 28

SOC--JOHN LEICESTER-POLITICAL FOOTBALLS

PARIS - It was late 1945. Winston Churchill would soon deliver his famous ''iron curtain'' speech heralding the Cold War's onset and British military planners had just hatched secret plans, codenamed ''Unthinkable,'' to attack the Soviet Union. Yet, amid these tensions, the former wartime allies still agreed that the time was right to play football. On a ground-breaking 1945 tour of Britain, Dynamo Moscow beat Arsenal and Cardiff City, and tied Chelsea and the Rangers. They also delivered enduring lessons- about the political power of sport and its power to sometimes rise above the murk of geopolitics - that seem fresher than ever amid renewed hostility between Britain and the Kremlin ahead of the World Cup in Russia. By Sports Columnist John Leicester. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, online video.

BKC--NCAA-TOP PLAYER VS. TOP PICK

The question of who is the best NBA prospect differs from who is considered college basketball's best player. Freshmen like Duke's Marvin Bagley III and Arizona's Deandre Ayton are considered candidates to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft with their size and athleticism. Villanova's Jalen Brunson is a leading candidate for who will be anointed the national college player of the year. For years, those two things seemed intertwined, but recently that has not been the case. By Basketball Writer Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 4 a.m.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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AP Sports