Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Covelli Centre to host basketball games
YOUNGSTOWN
The Covelli Centre will be the site for the 5th annual Lariccia’s See Them Rise high school basketball showcase on Jan. 23-24.
Six varsity basketball games and a Special Olympics contest are scheduled.
On Jan. 23, the schedule has: Special Olympics, 3:15 p.m.; South Range girls vs. Shenango, 5 p.m.; Western Reserve boys vs. Crestview, 6:45 p.m.; and Warren JFK boys vs. West Middlesex, 8:30 p.m.
The boys games on Jan. 24 are: East vs. Struthers, 4 p.m.; Tallmadge vs. Erie Strong Vincent, 5:45 p.m.; and LaBrae vs. Neshannock, 7:30 p.m.
Advance tickets cost $4 for students and $7 for adults. Gate price will be $8. Parking both days will be free.
Ohio Blast sponsors Jan. 16 tournament
CANFIELD
The Ohio Blast Fast Pitch Organization is holding a Corn Hole Tournament on Jan. 16 at St. Michael’s in Canfield.
Tickets cost $50 per team. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and play will start at 11 a.m. For more information, call 330-718-1252 or 330-423-2320.
NCAA places Hawaii on probation
HONOLULU
The NCAA is putting the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team on three years of probation after an investigation found former coach Gib Arnold violated ethical conduct rules and provided false or misleading information to investigators.
The NCAA said Tuesday that Hawaii will lose two scholarships during the next two seasons, leaving it with 11. The team also cannot play in postseason games during the 2016-2017 academic year.
The NCAA approved a $10,000 fine that the university previously imposed on itself. Hawaii also must also pay a penalty equaling 1 percent of the basketball program’s budget over the previous three years.
The university says it’ll address the media later Tuesday.
Arnold’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The school sued Arnold in June over the violations.
Stanford’s McCaffery wins Player of the Year
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is The Associated Press college football player of the year, becoming the first non-Heisman Trophy winner to earn the honor in six years.
McCaffrey was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Derrick Henry, but received 29 of 60 votes from the AP Top 25 media panel to edge the Alabama running back.
Henry received 16 votes and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was third with 11. Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield each received two votes.
The last time the AP player of the year was not the Heisman winner was 2009. That season Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh was the AP voter’s choice while the Heisman went to Alabama’s Mark Ingram.
McCaffrey is the first Stanford player to win the award.
Ball State coach leaves for Maryland
Ball State coach Pete Lembo is leaving the Cardinals to join Maryland as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
The move was announced Tuesday by both schools.
Lembo is the third recent head coach to join Maryland as an assistant since 37-year-old D.J. Durkin took over the Terrapins earlier this month. The former Michigan defensive coordinator has also added former Virginia coach Mike London and former Syracuse coach Scott Shafer to his staff. Durkin is a Boardman native.
Lembo had been the Cardinals’ coach since 2011 and is coming off a 3-9 season, his worst at Ball State. The Cardinals went 25-13 in Lembo’s first three seasons, including 10-3 in 2013.
Staff/wire report