SPORTS digest

YSU’s Hain named Player of the Week

YOUNGSTOWN

Penguins senior mens basketball forward Bobby Hain was name the Horizon League’s Player of the Week, the school announced on Monday.

Hain averaged 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 blocks a game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor as the Penguins (3-4) won three straight to push coach Jerry Slocum to more than 700 career wins. Hain had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in the 700th win, a 79-69 victory against North Dakota. After going 13-and-eight against Thiel, Hain nearly became the first Penguin to post a triple double in program history with 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists against Niagara/

Hain is currently the fourth highest scorer in the Horizon League with 16.4 point-per-game.

APR decides which 5-7 teams go bowling

Teams with 5-7 records will become eligible for at least two bowl bids, and as many as five, based on their Academic Progress Rates.

The NCAA Division I council approved a recommendation made by the football oversight committee on Monday to fill the record 40 bowls with five-win teams because not enough will meet the standard bowl-eligibility requirements.

There are 75 teams with at least six victories and a .500 record going into the final weekend of the regular season. Only three more can get to six wins.

Based on 2013-14, Nebraska has the best APR among 5-7 teams at 985.

Missouri is next on the list with an APR of 976, but moments after the NCAA announced that the Tigers would have a chance to play in the postseason athletic director Mack Rhoades released a statement saying the team will not participate.

“After careful consideration, we have decided it is not in the best interest of our football program to seek permission from the NCAA to participate in a bowl game,” Rhoades said. “Our focus remains on identifying the right leader for our program and moving forward with the transition process.”

Missouri is in the process of trying to find a replacement for retiring coach Gary Pinkel, who announced two weeks ago that he was stepping down at the end of the season because he has lymphoma.

Kansas State can become bowl eligible Saturday at West Virginia, but with a 976 APR, the Wildcats should get in either way.

The next four teams are Minnesota (975), San Jose State (975), Illinois (973) and Rice (973).

Helton named USC head coach

Southern California hired Clay Helton as its permanent coach on Monday, removing the interim tag after he guided the team to a division title since taking over for Steve Sarkisian.

Athletic director Pat Haden announced Helton had signed a multiyear deal.

“After weeks of searching the collegiate and pro ranks, interviewing candidates, and speaking with head coaches, athletic directors, NFL executives, and very knowledgeable football people, and after observing Clay in action the past seven weeks, it became abundantly clear that what we were searching for in a coach was right here in front of us,” Haden said in a statement.

He was offensive coordinator when Sarkisian was fired on Oct. 12. Sarkisian admitted he was struggling with alcohol after he went on an obscenity-laced rant at a booster function before the season and the coach and team continued to struggle for the first five games. The Trojans have gone 5-2 since Helton took over and beat UCLA on Saturday to clinch the Pac-12 South and a spot in the conference championship game. The Trojans (8-4) will face Stanford on Saturday.

“He was not hired because many current and former players voiced their support for him. And he was not hired because he is a Trojan. He is our choice because we believe he can win Pac-12 and national championships here. Clay Helton is the right man at the right time for the USC football program,” Haden said.

Staff/wire reports