Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 PM EST on Wednesday, April 1

April 1 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Wednesday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE planning island draft party Marcus Mariota, like top-ranked quarterback Jameis Winston, is not planning to attend the NFL draft in Chicago on April 30. Rather than the stage at Auditorium Theater, the Oregon quarterback instead wants to be with family and friends in Hawaii who helped him get to this stage. (FBN-DRAFT/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - Cowboys adjust Romo deal, bring back LB McClain Tony Romo adjusts his contract to convert salary to a bonus, creating $12.8 million of cap room for 2015, some of which will go to linebacker Rolando McClain. (FBN-COWBOYS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - NFL obtains photos in Hardy investigation County prosecutors turn over seven photos the NFL will use in its investigation into Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's violation of the personal conduct policy. (FBN-COWBOYS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - Patriots RB Ridley visits Jets Former New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley, who visited the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, has a sitdown with the New York Jets. (FBN-PATRIOTS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 125 words) - - NFL roundup News and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Durant declares commitment to OKC Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant says he would love to spend his entire career with the franchise, but allows he is eager to see what's out there in free agency in 2016. (BKN-THUNDER-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - NBA Playoff Glance A look at the potential playoff matchups and contenders by conference at the conclusion of play Wednesday. (BKN-NEWS/PLAYOFFGLANCE, expect ASAP at the end of all games Wednesday, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - TSX covers all NBA games, highlighted matchup below - - Brooklyn at New York NEW YORK - The surging Brooklyn Nets (33-40), clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, look to extend their season-best winning streak to five games when they visit the lowly New York Knicks (14-60), who have dropped seven straight and have just eight games left before ending the worst season in franchise history. (BKN-NETS-KNICKS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after the 7:30 PM ET scheduled tip-off, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NBA schedule at a glance Detroit at Charlotte, 7 PM ET (PIX) San Antonio at Orlando, 7 PM ET (PIX) Philadelphia at Washington, 7 PM ET (PIX) Indiana at Boston, 7:30 PM ET (PIX) Brooklyn at New York, 7:30 PM ET (PIX) Sacramento at Houston, 8 PM ET (PIX) Chicago at Milwaukee, 8 PM ET (PIX) Toronto at Minnesota, 8 PM ET (PIX) Dallas at Oklahoma City, 8 PM ET (PIX) Denver at Utah, 9 PM ET (PIX) Los Angeles Clippers at Portland, 10 PM ET (PIX) New Orleans at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 PM ET (PIX) - - NBA Roundup Roundup of all of the day's action in the NBA. (BKN-ROUNDUP/, running copy beginning with the end of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - NBA Notebook The latest moves and news from the NBA. (BKN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2015 NCAA Tournament Undefeated Kentucky awaits, do Badgers measure up? Kentucky has size, and speed, and more size. Wisconsin's experience will be a factor, but how will the Badgers measure up against the Wildcats in the Final Four? (BKC-WISCONSIN-KENTUCKY-NEWS/, expect by 5:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 550 words) - - Kansas freshman Oubre to NBA Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre Jr. announces he will enter the 2015 NBA Draft. (BKN-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 150 words) - - Maryland's Trimble returning to Terrapins All-Big Ten guard Melo Trimble plans to return to Maryland for his sophomore season. (BKN-MARYLAND-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 150 words) - - - - GOLF Top-ranked Ko and former champion Park discuss their prospects at Mission Hills RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - We continue our build-up to this week's ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club where New Zealand's world No. 1 Lydia Ko and second-ranked South Korean Park In-bee, the 2013 champion, hold news conferences ahead of Thursday's opening round in the first women's major of the season. (GOLF-LPGA/ (PIX), expect first story by 6 PM ET, by Mark Lamport-Stokes, 400 words) - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Nationals 3B Rendon to DL Washington Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon will open the season on the disabled list with a sprained MCL. (BBO-NATIONALS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - Boston Red Sox season preview An in-depth advanced look at the 2015 Boston Red Sox. (BBO-REDSOX-NEWS/, expect by 8:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Mike Shalin, 800 words) - - N.Y. Yankees season preview An in-depth advanced look at the 2015 New York Yankees. (BBO-YANKEES-NEWS/, expect by 8:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Larry Fleischer, 800 words) - - Toronto Blue Jays season preview An in-depth advanced look at the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays. (BBO-BLUEJAYS-NEWS/, expect by 8:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, Larry Millson, 800 words) - - Tampa Bay Rays season preview An in-depth advanced look at the 2015 Tampa Bay Rays. (BBO-RAYS-NEWS/, expect by 8:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 800 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE NHL Playoff Glance A look at the potential playoff matchups and contenders by conference at the conclusion of play Wednesday. (HKN-NEWS/PLAYOFFGLANCE, expect ASAP at the end of all games Wednesday, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - TSX covers all NHL games, highlighted matchup below - - Edmonton at Anaheim ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Anaheim Ducks, sitting atop the Western Conference and sporting a 25-10-3 record at home, look to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the 13th place Edmonton Oilers, who are seeking to win their fourth consecutive game for the first time since October. (HKN-DUCKS-OILERS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after 10 PM ET scheduled start, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NHL schedule at a glance Toronto at Buffalo, 7:30 PM ET (PIX) Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 8 PM ET (PIX) Edmonton at Anaheim, 10 PM ET (PIX) Colorado at San Jose, 10:30 PM ET - - NHL roundup Running capsule recaps of all the games on the NHL schedule. (HKN-ROUNDUP/, expect first version ASAP after conclusion of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - NHL Notebook The latest moves and news from the NHL. (HKN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 6 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 350 words) - - - - SOCCER U.S. senators urge FIFA not to let Russia host World Cup 2018 WASHINGTON - A group of U.S. senators writes to the international soccer association FIFA, urging it to consider removing Russia as host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup because of its role in the Ukraine crisis and occupation of Crimea. (SOCCER-FIFA/CONGRESS, moved, 206 words) - - Brazil World Cup grounds up for sale following cash flow problems SAO PAULO - Brazil's World Cup stadium in Natal is up for sale as the company that owns it is suffering from cash flow problems following a corruption scandal. (SOCCER-BRAZIL/STADIUMS, moved, by Andrew Downie, 260 words) - - - - JURISPRUDENCE Ex-NFL star handled gun that may have been murder weapon, former friend says BOSTON - A former friend of Aaron Hernandez testifies that he saw the ex-New England Patriots tight end handle a gun similar to the one prosecutors contend he used to murder an acquaintance, and that Hernandez had a distrustful nature. (USA-PATRIOTS/HERNANDEZ (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved; will be led, by Elizabeth Barber, 420 words) - - - - TENNIS ATP/WTA: Miami Open (to April 5) Murray seeks berth in semi-finals MIAMI - Third-seed Andy Murray faces Austria's Dominic Thiem and Czech Tomas Berdych battles Argentine Juan Monaco in quarter-final action at Key Biscayne. In the women's event, world No. 1 Serena Williams faces Germany's Sabine Lisicki for a spot in the semis. (TENNIS-MIAMI/ (PIX), expect first copy 7PM ET, by Simon Evans, 400 words) - - - - OLYMPICS Rio residents protest Olympic eviction with road block RIO DE JANEIRO - Residents of a squatter settlement in Brazil marked for demolition to make way for the Olympic Park protest against eviction, blocking a main road into Rio de Janeiro during morning rush-hour traffic. (BRAZIL-OLYMPICS/PROTESTS (PIX), moved, by Stephen Eisenhammer, 299 words) - - - - SAILING NZ loses pre-America's Cup regatta, to challenge decision New Zealand's America's Cup challenge suffers another blow with organizers of the next event in Bermuda cancelling a pre-America's Cup challenger regatta in Auckland that had been seen as crucial to funding of the team. (SAILING-AMERICASCUP/ZEALAND, moved, 389 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (Expect by 8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)