SPORTS DIGEST || YSU softball picked to finish fourth in HL

YSU softball picked to finish fourth in HL

Youngstown

The Youngstown State softball team was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League in a preseason poll conducted by the league’s head coaches, the league announced. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Penguins, who are coming off a 30-24 record in 2014, earned 31 total points and recorded two first-place votes. Wright State was picked to win the Horizon League with 40 points. The Penguins open the 2015 campaign against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Friday at 9 a.m.

Steelers sign long snapper Warren

PITTSBURGH

The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing back long snapper Greg Warren.

The team and Warren agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday for his 11th season with the team. Warren has played in 149 regular- season games and 10 postseason games since making the team as a free agent in 2005.

Syracuse imposes ban on basketball team

SYRACUSE, N.Y.

Syracuse University announced Wednesday that it has instituted a self-imposed postseason ban for the current men’s basketball season as part of its case pending before the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

The school initiated the case, which includes academics, when it self-reported potential athletic department violations to the NCAA in 2007. School officials said Wednesday none of the conduct occurred after 2012 and no current student-athlete is involved.

The ban also includes the ACC tournament.

Coach Jim Boeheim says he’s disappointed, especially for senior Rakeem Christmas, but supports the decision.

In 2012, Syracuse declared former center Fab Melo ineligible for the NCAA tournament days before it started. Melo also missed three Big East games during the season because of an academic issue. Early in the 2012-13 season, former forward James Southerland sat out six games for an academic issue but helped lead the Orange to the Final Four.

Chancellor played SB with MCL tear

RENTON, Wash.

Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor played in the Super Bowl with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, according to the team’s website.

In a story on Seahawks.com posted Wednesday, Chancellor said two days before the loss to New England he was told he wasn’t going to play. Chancellor collided knees with a teammate in practice the Friday before the game and suffered a deep bone bruise. During the examination, the torn MCL was revealed, Chancellor said in the story.

Chancellor was briefly in the Seahawks locker room on Tuesday during locker cleanout, but a team employee said he would not be speaking to the media.

Chancellor had 10 tackles and was in for every defensive play of the game despite the injury.

All Atlanta starters named POM for Jan.

ATLANTA

The Atlanta Hawks were rewarded for the first 17-0 month in NBA history when all five members of the starting lineup were selected Eastern Conference players of the month for January.

All-Stars Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Al Horford were honored by the league on Wednesday, as well as the other starters, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll. They all averaged in double figures for the month but none were at 20 points per game, showing the balance that has marked the team’s surprising rise.

The Hawks won a franchise-record 19 in a row until a loss at New Orleans on Monday night. Still, they have a comfortable lead in the East and went into their game against Washington just percentage points behind Golden State for the best overall record.

Staff/wire reports