College Basketball
Marshall, McDermott take home AP yearly awards
ARLINGTON, Texas – Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall was the runaway winner of the AP coach of the year award.
Creighton star Doug McDermott was a near-unanimous pick as the AP player of the year after a senior season that left him the fifth-leading scorer in Division I history.
McDermott received all but one vote from the 65-member panel that votes for the Top 25. Russ Smith of Louisville received the only dissenting vote.
Younger Pitino leads Minnesota to NIT championship over SMU
NEW YORK – Austin Hollins hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 46.1 seconds left and Minnesota won the NIT championship Thursday night, beating Southern Methodist 65-63 to give the Pitino family its latest postseason tournament title.
He scored 19 points and Andre Hollins had 14 for the Golden Gophers (25-13), who took home the trophy for the third time. They also won the National Invitation Tournament in 1993 and ‘98, though the second one was vacated because of an NCAA rules violation involving player eligibility.
North Carolina’s McAdoo to enter draft after junior year
North Carolina junior James Michael McAdoo felt he had put off going to the NBA long enough.
The 6-foot-9 forward had flirted with entering the draft after each of his first two seasons before announcing Thursday that he would make the jump this time around.
In a statement from the school, McAdoo said he planned to complete coursework to earn his history degree.
He averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who fell to Iowa State in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
College Football
FSU under investigation for handling of Winston case
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Florida State University into whether its handling of the Jameis Winston rape allegations violated Title IX laws, according to a letter confirming the decision.
An FSU student said she was raped by Winston on Dec. 7, 2012. Deadspin reported Thursday that school officials met with Winston in late January to discuss the alleged assault. But as it attempts to comply with Title IX, the school might have further violated the law. Both a lengthy delay in conducting the investigation and a meeting only with Winston contradict guidance given to schools in 2011 by OCR.
Sexual harassment and violence are considered forms of sex discrimination under the 1972 federal law, which requires colleges and universities that receive federal funds to investigate claims of sexual assault and provide a timely and impartial grievance procedure to resolve those claims.
Golf
Haas and Hoffman out in front at the Houston Open
HUMBLE, Texas – Phil Mickelson is among the leaders after shooting a bogey-free 4-under par 68 in his opening round of the Houston Open, showing no effects of the muscle pull that forced him to withdraw from last week’s Texas Open.
The five-time major winner, who practiced at Augusta National for two days this week in advance of the Masters, is three shots back of leaders Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman – both who shot 7-under 65.
Shanshan Feng takes early lead in the year’s first major
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Shanshan Feng shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday to take the early lead in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major tournament of the year.
The 24-year-old Chinese player had seven birdies and a bogey in her morning round in perfect conditions at Mission Hills.
Feng won the 2012 LPGA Championship to become the tour’s first Chinese winner. Last year, she won the Reignwood LPGA in China and the season-ending CME Group Titleholders.
Associated Press
