NBA
From 12.1 to 17.4 points, George is Most Improved
INDIANAPOLIS – Pacers forward Paul George won the league’s Most Improved Player Award in a landslide.
The Pacers’ 6-9 swingman received 52 of 120 first-place votes and 311 points, more than double the total of New Orleans’ Greivis Vasquez, who had 13 first-place votes and 146 points. Milwaukee’s Larry Sanders was third with 141 points and was one of three players to receive 10 first-place votes.
George averaged 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds this season, both career highs, and was the only player in the league with at least 140 steals and 50 blocks.
In 2011-12, George averaged 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Dunlap is one and done with the Charlotte Bobcats
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mike Dunlap is one and done with the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Bobcats fired Dunlap, the former head coach at Metro State in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, as coach Tuesday after a single season.
The Bobcats went 21-61 under Dunlap, finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA ahead of only the Orlando Magic. Charlotte won just seven games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, but tripling last year’s victory total and a three-game winning streak to close the season weren’t enough to save Dunlap’s job.
College Football
College Football Playoff replaces the BCS
PASADENA, Calif. – The Bowl Championship Series will be replaced by the College Football Playoff.
The BCS conference commissioners announced the name of the new postseason system that starts in 2014 on Tuesday, the first of three days of meetings at a resort hotel in the Rose Bowl’s backyard.
They also will choose the remaining three sites for the six-bowl semifinal rotation in the new system and the site of the first championship game to be held Jan. 12, 2015, this week.
The website www.collegefootballplayoff.com already is up and running and allowing fans to vote on a new logo. It also has a handle of “cfbplayoff” on Twitter.
Davie’s 6-year deal grows by 2 more years at UNM
ALBUQUERQUE – The University of New Mexico and head football coach Bob Davie agreed on a two-year contract extension.
The school announced Tuesday that the new seven-year agreement will run through the 2019 season. New Mexico said the financial terms from Davie’s original contract remain unchanged.
Davie signed a six-year, $4.5-million contract in late 2011 to become the Lobos’ head football coach, then led the Lobos to a 4-9 record during his first season in 2012, producing more victories than the 2009 to 2011 seasons combined.
Cycling
Froome wins the prologue at the Tour of Romandie
BRUSON, Switzerland – Christopher Froome of Britain won the opening prologue at the Tour of Romandie.
The Sky leader covered the 4.63 miles of rising terrain in 13 minutes, 15 seconds. He was 6 seconds faster than Andrew Talansky of the United States.
Tennis
Wimbledon’s prize money gets a 40-percent hike
LONDON – This year’s singles champions at Wimbledon each will receive $2.4 million after the All England Club increased overall prize money by a record 40 percent for the biggest total payout in tennis history.
Wimbledon also announced Tuesday that it plans to build a retractable roof on Court No. 1 in the latest move to combat the rain delays that affected the tournament over the years.
Prize money will total $34.4 million, an increase of $9.9 million from last year.
The club called it the largest single increase and biggest total prize fund in the history of professional tennis.
Associated Press
