ONTARIO, Canada -&nbsp;Bryant Selebangue highly recruited guard at TRC Acadamy in Ontario, Canada has committed to Hutchinson Community College announced via twitter yesterday.&nbsp; Selebangue is ready physically, skillfully and mentally for the jump into college. At TRC Acadamy he finished with 11.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 1.3 apg.

He has committed to powerhouse Junior College program at Hutchinson who won the 2017 National Championship and have won 3 total in their history; while the most championships by any team is 4.

ONTARIO, Canada -&nbsp;Bryant Selebangue highly recruited guard at TRC Acadamy in Ontario, Canada has committed to Hutchinson Community College announced via twitter yesterday.&nbsp; Selebangue is ready physically, skillfully and mentally for the jump into college. At TRC Acadamy he finished with 11.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 1.3 apg.He has committed to powerhouse Junior College program at Hutchinson who won the 2017 National Championship and have won 3 total in their history; while the most championships by any team is 4.

HutchCC Basketball gets commitment from Canadian guard

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Tuesday

UNDATED (AP) — Tokyo Olympics organizers have rescheduled the Summer Games that were postponed last week by the coronavirus.

Organizers say the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021, almost one year to the day the games originally were due to begin. There had been talk of switching the Olympics to spring, a move that would coincide with the blooming of Japan's famous cherry blossoms. But it would have clashed with European soccer and North American sports leagues.

The new Olympic dates conflict with the scheduled world championships in track and swimming, but those events are now expected to also be pushed back. All sports federations involved in the Olympics signed off on the new dates.

The governing body of track and field says it supports the new dates for the Tokyo Olympics and is working with organizers in Eugene, Oregon, to move its world championships to 2022.

— Tokyo Olympic Committee CEO Toshiro Muto is promising transparency in calculating the costs of reschedule the Olympic Games. Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an emeritus professor of sports economics at Kansai University, puts the costs as high as $4 billion. That would cover the price of maintaining stadiums, refitting them, paying rentals, penalties and other expenses. Japan is officially spending $12.6 billion to organize the Olympics. However, an audit bureau of the Japanese government says the costs are twice that much. All of the spending is public money except $5.6 billion from a privately funded operating budget.

NCAA adds another year of eligibility for spring athletes

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will permit spring sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus outbreak to have an additional year of eligibility.

The NCAA Division I Council has voted to give college athletes who compete in spring sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse a way to get back the season they lost. However, the council did not guarantee financial aid. Winter sports were not included in the decision.

The amount of scholarship money available to each athlete will be determined by the athlete's school. Roster limits will be adjusted to fit returning athletes along with incoming freshman.

National Tennis Center aiding coronavirus battle

NEW YORK (AP) — The site of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York is going to be used for 350 temporary hospital beds and to prepare food packages during the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier says an area that houses indoor courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows will begin to be converted into a medical facility starting Tuesday.

New York state and city officials are trying to increase hospital capacity by up to 87,000 beds to handle the outbreak.

— USA Rugby has decided to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because its financial woes have been exacerbated by the coronavirus shutdown. USA Rugby has been in financial strife since 2018. A recent attempt to restructure was set back this month when it had to suspend all activities indefinitely in the face of the pandemic.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart says he has been cleared by medical officials after testing positive for the new coronavirus earlier this month.

Smart posted a message on Twitter saying he was informed of the news Friday by the Massachusetts Department of Health. He thanked everyone for their support.

Boston played the Utah Jazz on March 6. Five days later, Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, triggering rolling shutdowns of sports around the world.

Smart had been in isolation since testing positive on March 19 and was being monitored by Celtics medical staff. His teammates, coaches and staff members were also tested, but those tests have come back negative.

Reid promotes probe, re-vote over post-ballot changes to CBA

UNDATED (AP) — Free agent safety Eric Reid wants the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement invalidated over language added following ratification of the pact earlier this month.

He is calling for an investigation and a re-vote.

In a letter to the NFLPA on Monday, Reid's lawyers said language posted on the players association's website after passage of the agreement by a 1,019-959 vote on March 15 contains different language than the one players signed off on.

The letter highlights a difference in wording in the section about the league's disability plan that affects hundreds, and potentially thousands, of ex-players who applied for Social Security disability insurance payments before Jan. 1, 2015. In the version the players received and approved, those offsets applied only to players who applied after Jan. 1, 2015.

The new CBA is set to begin with the upcoming 2020 season and extend through 2030.

— Free-agent punter Sam Martin has signed a three-year, $7 million package with the Broncos. Martin has averaged 46 yards per punt with a 40.9-yard net average, 38 touchbacks and 175 punts inside the 20-yard line during his seven NFL seasons.

— The Steelers have signed three XFL players, giving one-year deals to defensive end Dewayne Hendrix, safety Tyree Kinnel and linebacker/long snapper Christian Kuntz. All three played in the startup league that suspended operations earlier this month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Receiver Darius Jennings has signed a contract with the Chargers after spending the last two seasons with the Titans. Jennings led the league in kick return average in 2018 and had a 94-yard return for a touchdown against Miami. Jennings appeared in eight games for Tennessee last year before becoming a restricted free agent.

UNDATED (AP) — Two more high-profile college basketball players are leaving campus early, while two are giving it strong consideration.

Mississippi State forward Reggie Perry has entered the NBA draft. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore was selected as The Associated Press co-Southeastern Conference player of the year after ranking in the top 10 of several conference categories. Perry led the SEC in rebounds last season with 10.1 per game, ranked sixth in scoring at 17.4 points and ninth in blocks with 1.2.

Arizona State junior point guard Remy Martin has declared for the draft, saying he's decided to take another step into making his dream a reality. Martin led the Sun Devils with 19.1 points. 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 2019-20, putting them on the cusp of a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance before the college basketball postseason was halted by the coronavirus. He was named first team all-Pac-12 by The Associated Press.

Minnesota's Marcus Carr has announced on Instagram that he will declare his early entry for the NBA draft. Carr says he intends to keep his name in the draft, but says he will not sign with an agent in order to maintain his college eligibility. Carr averaged 15.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 36.8 minutes for the Gophers.

Michigan forward Isaiah Livers is applying for early entry into the NBA draft. However, the school says Livers is not hiring an agent and will work with the Michigan coaching staff during the evaluation and pre-draft processes. Even if a player does use an agent during the evaluation process, he can return to school without losing eligibility if he ends the relationship with the agent. Livers has started 46 games in three seasons at Michigan.

He led the Wolverines in scoring this season at 12.9 points per game, although he was limited to 21 games because of injury problems.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MICHIGAN STATE-SEXUAL ASSAULT

Woman wants Michigan AG to investigate sexual assault accusation against MSU player

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a Michigan State basketball player is asking the Michigan attorney general's office to investigate, according to a published report.

Citing a police report and emails obtained through a public records request, ESPN is reporting that Michigan State University police told prosecutors they had probable cause that sophomore guard Brock Washington raped the woman on Jan. 19 while she was too intoxicated to consent. Police referred the case to county prosecutors, who declined to file charges this month.

An MSU police spokesman told ESPN on Monday that the attorney general's office requested the case file and the department was cooperating.

After a loss at Indiana on Jan. 23, coach Tom Izzo told reporters that Washington had been suspended. He did not elaborate.

Washington did not play again this season. He played a total of 19 minutes this season before the suspension.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox say starting pitcher Chris Sale has undergone successful Tommy John surgery.

Sale is expected to miss 14-15 months, which would bring him back in the middle of the 2021 season.

The Red Sox said during training camp that he had a flexor strain near the elbow, but the team hoped he would avoid ligament replacement surgery.

The seven-time All-Star is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons and entering the second season of a six-year, $160 million contract. He comes off his worst season as a full-time starter, going 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts.

British boxer has license suspended over video comments

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — British boxer Billy Joe Saunders had his boxing license suspended Monday after publishing a social media video in which he appeared to condone domestic violence amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The WBO super-middleweight champion filmed himself working out and offered men advice on how to hit their female partners during the lockdown.

The British Boxing Board of Control says it investigated Saunders' comments and decided to suspend his license under the regulations for misconduct.

Update on the latest in sports:TOKYO OLYMPICSTokyo Olympics rescheduledUNDATED (AP) — Tokyo Olympics organizers have rescheduled the Summer Games that were postponed last week by the coronavirus.Organizers say the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021, almost one year to the day the games originally were due to begin. There had been talk of switching the Olympics to spring, a move that would coincide with the blooming of Japan's famous cherry blossoms. But it would have clashed with European soccer and North American sports leagues.The new Olympic dates conflict with the scheduled world championships in track and swimming, but those events are now expected to also be pushed back. All sports federations involved in the Olympics signed off on the new dates.The governing body of track and field says it supports the new dates for the Tokyo Olympics and is working with organizers in Eugene, Oregon, to move its world championships to 2022.In other Olympic news:— Tokyo Olympic Committee CEO Toshiro Muto is promising transparency in calculating the costs of reschedule the Olympic Games. Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an emeritus professor of sports economics at Kansai University, puts the costs as high as $4 billion. That would cover the price of maintaining stadiums, refitting them, paying rentals, penalties and other expenses. Japan is officially spending $12.6 billion to organize the Olympics. However, an audit bureau of the Japanese government says the costs are twice that much. All of the spending is public money except $5.6 billion from a privately funded operating budget.NCAA-SPRING ELIGIBILITYNCAA adds another year of eligibility for spring athletesUNDATED (AP) — The NCAA will permit spring sport athletes who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus outbreak to have an additional year of eligibility.The NCAA Division I Council has voted to give college athletes who compete in spring sports such as baseball, softball and lacrosse a way to get back the season they lost. However, the council did not guarantee financial aid. Winter sports were not included in the decision.The amount of scholarship money available to each athlete will be determined by the athlete's school. Roster limits will be adjusted to fit returning athletes along with incoming freshman.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NATIONAL TENNIS CENTERNational Tennis Center aiding coronavirus battleNEW YORK (AP) — The site of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York is going to be used for 350 temporary hospital beds and to prepare food packages during the coronavirus pandemic.U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier says an area that houses indoor courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows will begin to be converted into a medical facility starting Tuesday.New York state and city officials are trying to increase hospital capacity by up to 87,000 beds to handle the outbreak.In other news involving the pandemic:— USA Rugby has decided to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because its financial woes have been exacerbated by the coronavirus shutdown. USA Rugby has been in financial strife since 2018. A recent attempt to restructure was set back this month when it had to suspend all activities indefinitely in the face of the pandemic.NBA-CELTICS-SMARTSmart says he's been clearedBOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart says he has been cleared by medical officials after testing positive for the new coronavirus earlier this month.Smart posted a message on Twitter saying he was informed of the news Friday by the Massachusetts Department of Health. He thanked everyone for their support.Boston played the Utah Jazz on March 6. Five days later, Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, triggering rolling shutdowns of sports around the world.Smart had been in isolation since testing positive on March 19 and was being monitored by Celtics medical staff. His teammates, coaches and staff members were also tested, but those tests have come back negative.NFL-NEWSReid promotes probe, re-vote over post-ballot changes to CBAUNDATED (AP) — Free agent safety Eric Reid wants the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement invalidated over language added following ratification of the pact earlier this month.He is calling for an investigation and a re-vote.In a letter to the NFLPA on Monday, Reid's lawyers said language posted on the players association's website after passage of the agreement by a 1,019-959 vote on March 15 contains different language than the one players signed off on.The letter highlights a difference in wording in the section about the league's disability plan that affects hundreds, and potentially thousands, of ex-players who applied for Social Security disability insurance payments before Jan. 1, 2015. In the version the players received and approved, those offsets applied only to players who applied after Jan. 1, 2015.The new CBA is set to begin with the upcoming 2020 season and extend through 2030.Elsewhere in the NFL:— Free-agent punter Sam Martin has signed a three-year, $7 million package with the Broncos. Martin has averaged 46 yards per punt with a 40.9-yard net average, 38 touchbacks and 175 punts inside the 20-yard line during his seven NFL seasons.— The Steelers have signed three XFL players, giving one-year deals to defensive end Dewayne Hendrix, safety Tyree Kinnel and linebacker/long snapper Christian Kuntz. All three played in the startup league that suspended operations earlier this month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.— Receiver Darius Jennings has signed a contract with the Chargers after spending the last two seasons with the Titans. Jennings led the league in kick return average in 2018 and had a 94-yard return for a touchdown against Miami. Jennings appeared in eight games for Tennessee last year before becoming a restricted free agent.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NBAMore players eyeing NBA draftUNDATED (AP) — Two more high-profile college basketball players are leaving campus early, while two are giving it strong consideration.Mississippi State forward Reggie Perry has entered the NBA draft. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore was selected as The Associated Press co-Southeastern Conference player of the year after ranking in the top 10 of several conference categories. Perry led the SEC in rebounds last season with 10.1 per game, ranked sixth in scoring at 17.4 points and ninth in blocks with 1.2.Arizona State junior point guard Remy Martin has declared for the draft, saying he's decided to take another step into making his dream a reality. Martin led the Sun Devils with 19.1 points. 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 2019-20, putting them on the cusp of a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance before the college basketball postseason was halted by the coronavirus. He was named first team all-Pac-12 by The Associated Press.Minnesota's Marcus Carr has announced on Instagram that he will declare his early entry for the NBA draft. Carr says he intends to keep his name in the draft, but says he will not sign with an agent in order to maintain his college eligibility. Carr averaged 15.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 36.8 minutes for the Gophers.Michigan forward Isaiah Livers is applying for early entry into the NBA draft. However, the school says Livers is not hiring an agent and will work with the Michigan coaching staff during the evaluation and pre-draft processes. Even if a player does use an agent during the evaluation process, he can return to school without losing eligibility if he ends the relationship with the agent. Livers has started 46 games in three seasons at Michigan.He led the Wolverines in scoring this season at 12.9 points per game, although he was limited to 21 games because of injury problems.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MICHIGAN STATE-SEXUAL ASSAULTWoman wants Michigan AG to investigate sexual assault accusation against MSU playerEAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a Michigan State basketball player is asking the Michigan attorney general's office to investigate, according to a published report.Citing a police report and emails obtained through a public records request, ESPN is reporting that Michigan State University police told prosecutors they had probable cause that sophomore guard Brock Washington raped the woman on Jan. 19 while she was too intoxicated to consent. Police referred the case to county prosecutors, who declined to file charges this month.An MSU police spokesman told ESPN on Monday that the attorney general's office requested the case file and the department was cooperating.After a loss at Indiana on Jan. 23, coach Tom Izzo told reporters that Washington had been suspended. He did not elaborate.Washington did not play again this season. He played a total of 19 minutes this season before the suspension.MLB-RED SOX-SALESale has elbow surgeryBOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox say starting pitcher Chris Sale has undergone successful Tommy John surgery.Sale is expected to miss 14-15 months, which would bring him back in the middle of the 2021 season.The Red Sox said during training camp that he had a flexor strain near the elbow, but the team hoped he would avoid ligament replacement surgery.The seven-time All-Star is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons and entering the second season of a six-year, $160 million contract. He comes off his worst season as a full-time starter, going 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts.BOXING-SAUNDERS-LICENSE SUSPENDEDBritish boxer has license suspended over video commentsCARDIFF, Wales (AP) — British boxer Billy Joe Saunders had his boxing license suspended Monday after publishing a social media video in which he appeared to condone domestic violence amid the coronavirus outbreak.The WBO super-middleweight champion filmed himself working out and offered men advice on how to hit their female partners during the lockdown.The British Boxing Board of Control says it investigated Saunders' comments and decided to suspend his license under the regulations for misconduct.

Tuesday Sports Headlines

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A force inside on both ends of the floor, Kansas senior Udoka Azubuike has been named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Defensive Player of the Year, as the NABC announced its top Division I award winners Monday.

“I would like to thank God almighty,” Azubuike said. “My teammates and coaches have played a huge role in all the awards I receive. It is a humbling experience. The fans, everybody has played a huge role in me being where I am today. I want to thank the coaches for selecting me for this honor. There are a lot of great defensive players in basketball and to win this award is humbling.”

Azubuike, a senior from Delta, Nigeria, led Division I in field goal percentage at 74.8%, which helped his career percentage of 74.4% break the all-time Division I field goal percentage record of UCF’s Tacko Fall (74.0%). Azubuike led the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and double-doubles (15) and was second in the conference for blocked shots at 2.6 per game.

A unanimous 2020 All-Big 12 First Team selection who was named 2020 Big 12 Player of the Year, Azubuike was the only player in the conference to average a double-double (13.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg).

A Consensus All-America Second Team selection, Azubuike came on strong toward the end of the season recording 12 of his 15 double-doubles in the final 17 games. He also averaged 5.8 blocked shots in his final 17 contests of 2019-20.

Kansas finished the season 28-3 and won its 19th Big 12 and NCAA record 62nd conference regular-season title winning an all-time high 17 league games going 17-1. The Jayhawks finished 2019-20 ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls.

Historically, NABC Defensive Player of the Year started in 1986-87 and Azubuike becomes the second Jayhawk to win the honor joining 2013 recipient Jeff Withey, who was a co-winner along with Victor Oladipo of Indiana.

Dayton’s Anthony Grant was the 2019-20 NABC Coach of the Year and Dayton’s Obi Topping the NABC Player of the Year. NABC Freshman of the Year went to Vernon Carey Jr. of Duke, and NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Luka Garza of Iowa.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A force inside on both ends of the floor, Kansas senior Udoka Azubuike has been named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Defensive Player of the Year, as the NABC announced its top Division I award winners Monday.“I would like to thank God almighty,” Azubuike said. “My teammates and coaches have played a huge role in all the awards I receive. It is a humbling experience. The fans, everybody has played a huge role in me being where I am today. I want to thank the coaches for selecting me for this honor. There are a lot of great defensive players in basketball and to win this award is humbling.”Azubuike, a senior from Delta, Nigeria, led Division I in field goal percentage at 74.8%, which helped his career percentage of 74.4% break the all-time Division I field goal percentage record of UCF’s Tacko Fall (74.0%). Azubuike led the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and double-doubles (15) and was second in the conference for blocked shots at 2.6 per game.A unanimous 2020 All-Big 12 First Team selection who was named 2020 Big 12 Player of the Year, Azubuike was the only player in the conference to average a double-double (13.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg).A Consensus All-America Second Team selection, Azubuike came on strong toward the end of the season recording 12 of his 15 double-doubles in the final 17 games. He also averaged 5.8 blocked shots in his final 17 contests of 2019-20.Kansas finished the season 28-3 and won its 19th Big 12 and NCAA record 62nd conference regular-season title winning an all-time high 17 league games going 17-1. The Jayhawks finished 2019-20 ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls.Historically, NABC Defensive Player of the Year started in 1986-87 and Azubuike becomes the second Jayhawk to win the honor joining 2013 recipient Jeff Withey, who was a co-winner along with Victor Oladipo of Indiana.Dayton’s Anthony Grant was the 2019-20 NABC Coach of the Year and Dayton’s Obi Topping the NABC Player of the Year. NABC Freshman of the Year went to Vernon Carey Jr. of Duke, and NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Luka Garza of Iowa.

Azubuike Named 2019-20 NABC Defensive Player of the Year

As Major League Baseball and the players’ union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/845e6de92efde972d37817f44219415a">contemplate various ways to create a schedule</a>&nbsp;for whenever the coronavirus pandemic subsides, Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart raised a concern that is surely shared by others around the sport: Could trying to cram in games, and maybe extend the season into late November or December, lead to injuries?

“The player safety piece is a big thing,” Barnhart, a union representative, said Monday on a conference call with reporters.

That involves how many off-days are salvaged in 2020, how many times teams are told to play in any given week and how 2021 could be affected if there is a shorter-than-usual offseason.

“Moving forward, I don’t think you can do things that are going to compromise the integrity of next season, as well. What I mean by that is forcing the issue of getting so many games in that you risk injury, and you risk major injury to players, because you are trying to get in as many games as you can,” Barnhart said.

“This is all assumptions and thoughts from me specifically -- it’s not from the union -- but you’re going to have to protect us as players,” he continued. “And if you can’t do that, I think that would be where I personally would kind of draw the line.”

That’s also top of mind for Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon, who already has been ruled out for 2020 while recovering from a second reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He’s brought up the idea of trying to return if the season goes into November, but said that’s been “shut down pretty quickly.”

Speaking more generally about the effect an altered season could have on guys around the majors, Taillon said: “This is a unique situation. We’re going to have to be careful health-wise.”

No one knows when baseball and other suspended sports will resume, because no one knows when life might return to normal in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak. Three-quarters of a million people around the world have become infected and over 35,000 have died, according to a running count kept by Johns Hopkins University, counts that include more than 140,000 infections and more than 2,500 deaths in the U.S.

Spring training was halted on March 12; opening day was supposed to be last week and won’t happen any earlier than mid-May.

“At this point, it’s hard to say what can or should be done. MLB is exhausting all of their brainpower and manpower, along with the 30 clubs, to come up with some ideas and what’s the best way to play a regular season in as many games as possible and get to a playoff scenario,” said Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, whose team has turned over the grounds of its spring facility to public testing for the coronavirus.

“As the commissioner said, we’re going to need to get creative,” Rizzo added. “But beyond that, we’re just speculating on all of these things.”

MLB and its players are hoping to complete initial discussions on scheduling by April 10, and among the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f07430f9ab8172861372a0549168f121">proposals under consideration</a>: pushing back the end of the season, even if it involves using neutral sites and domes to avoid colder weather in many cities; increasing doubleheaders to get more games in per week than usual; playing games without spectators; changing the postseason format.

“We’ve been told,” said Taillon, a union rep, “there’s no such thing as a bad idea right now. ”

Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, also a union rep, described a recent call about scheduling options with other players this way: “We were basically talking about potential scenarios and how crazy this season will be, how challenging it will be.”

Barnhart, for one, is realistic about what is going to drive the ultimate decisions about what a season might look like.

“It goes without saying that, as players, we want to play as many games (as possible, not only because we love playing, but also we want to make as much money as possible. That’s the God’s honest truth about it,” he said. “And the same goes with ownership and all of that. So everybody wants to make money.”

As Major League Baseball and the players’ union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/845e6de92efde972d37817f44219415a">contemplate various ways to create a schedule</a>&nbsp;for whenever the coronavirus pandemic subsides, Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart raised a concern that is surely shared by others around the sport: Could trying to cram in games, and maybe extend the season into late November or December, lead to injuries?“The player safety piece is a big thing,” Barnhart, a union representative, said Monday on a conference call with reporters.That involves how many off-days are salvaged in 2020, how many times teams are told to play in any given week and how 2021 could be affected if there is a shorter-than-usual offseason.“Moving forward, I don’t think you can do things that are going to compromise the integrity of next season, as well. What I mean by that is forcing the issue of getting so many games in that you risk injury, and you risk major injury to players, because you are trying to get in as many games as you can,” Barnhart said.“This is all assumptions and thoughts from me specifically -- it’s not from the union -- but you’re going to have to protect us as players,” he continued. “And if you can’t do that, I think that would be where I personally would kind of draw the line.”That’s also top of mind for Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon, who already has been ruled out for 2020 while recovering from a second reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He’s brought up the idea of trying to return if the season goes into November, but said that’s been “shut down pretty quickly.”Speaking more generally about the effect an altered season could have on guys around the majors, Taillon said: “This is a unique situation. We’re going to have to be careful health-wise.”No one knows when baseball and other suspended sports will resume, because no one knows when life might return to normal in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak. Three-quarters of a million people around the world have become infected and over 35,000 have died, according to a running count kept by Johns Hopkins University, counts that include more than 140,000 infections and more than 2,500 deaths in the U.S.Spring training was halted on March 12; opening day was supposed to be last week and won’t happen any earlier than mid-May.“At this point, it’s hard to say what can or should be done. MLB is exhausting all of their brainpower and manpower, along with the 30 clubs, to come up with some ideas and what’s the best way to play a regular season in as many games as possible and get to a playoff scenario,” said Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, whose team has turned over the grounds of its spring facility to public testing for the coronavirus.“As the commissioner said, we’re going to need to get creative,” Rizzo added. “But beyond that, we’re just speculating on all of these things.”MLB and its players are hoping to complete initial discussions on scheduling by April 10, and among the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f07430f9ab8172861372a0549168f121">proposals under consideration</a>: pushing back the end of the season, even if it involves using neutral sites and domes to avoid colder weather in many cities; increasing doubleheaders to get more games in per week than usual; playing games without spectators; changing the postseason format.“We’ve been told,” said Taillon, a union rep, “there’s no such thing as a bad idea right now. ”Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, also a union rep, described a recent call about scheduling options with other players this way: “We were basically talking about potential scenarios and how crazy this season will be, how challenging it will be.”Barnhart, for one, is realistic about what is going to drive the ultimate decisions about what a season might look like.“It goes without saying that, as players, we want to play as many games (as possible, not only because we love playing, but also we want to make as much money as possible. That’s the God’s honest truth about it,” he said. “And the same goes with ownership and all of that. So everybody wants to make money.”

As MLB ponders post-virus season, players worry about health

The NCAA will permit Division I spring-sport athletes — such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players — who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility.

<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-i-council-extends-eligibility-student-athletes-impacted-covid-19" target="_blank">The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday</a>&nbsp;to give spring-sport athletes regardless of their year in school a way to get back the season they lost, but it did not guarantee financial aid to the current crop of seniors if they return to play next year.

Winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, were not included in the decision because many athletes in those sports had completed all or most of their regular seasons, the council decided.

The council is made up of college sports administrators representing all 32 D-I conferences, plus two members of the student-athlete advisory committee. Earlier in the day,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1244697632053886977" target="_blank">60 SAAC members released a letter&nbsp;</a>calling for the council to provide the extra eligibility to all athletes whose seasons were impacted by the COVID-19 related shutdown.

Voting is weighted to give the Power Five conferences more say. Chairwoman Grace Calhoun, who is Penn’s athletic director, declined to reveal the final vote.

“At the end we really did coalesce around all of the decisions that we made today,” Calhoun said. “They were strongly supported.”

How much scholarship money will be made available to each athlete whose college career would have ended this spring will be determined by the athlete’s school. The amount could range from nothing to as much the athlete received had been receiving.

The added scholarships could cost a school hundreds of thousands of dollars more than it would usually spend on spring-sport athletes. The extra expenses come at a time when athletic departments could be facing cutbacks. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which cut the association’s distribution to members by $375 million this year.

“We had long discussions around the fact that this does not avoid substantially difficult circumstances, but what we felt was important was to localize that decision-making and to ensure that we were as permissive as possible,” Calhoun said. “At the end of the day, each institution is going to have to figure out what it can do.”

Schools will be able to use the NCAA’s Student Assistance Fund to pay for scholarships for students who take advantage of the additional eligibility in 2020-21.

Roster and scholarship limits for teams will be adjusted next season to fit returning seniors and incoming freshman. Similar changes have already been approved in Division II.

Katie Hoeg, an All-American lacrosse player from North Carolina, said she has a teaching and coaching job lined up after she graduates this spring, but now plans to return for another season as a graduate student.

“I’m choosing my passion,” she said. “I can’t imagine ending my lacrosse career the way this season is going. I was pretty hopeful this would be a possibility. I’m really excited this decision has been made.”

Nebraska-Omaha softball player Hailey Bartz was planning to graduate in December and move on from school. Now she’s not so sure.

“I’ve been speaking with my family about it and trying to figure out pros and cons. Do I want to take advantage of that year? Do I not?” Bartz said. “Some of my teammates have their schooling set up, full-time jobs. You have your life planned out and then this kind of pushes everything back another year. At the same time it’s really hard to pass up because it’s a game of love.”

NCAA Division I rules allow athletes to have four seasons of competition in a five-year period. Schools will be allowed to apply for waivers to restore one of those seasons for any athlete who competed while eligible in the spring season shortened by COVID-19 in 2020. After the 2021 spring season, scholarship and roster limits will apply to athletes granted the waiver.

“This has a four- or five-year effect depending on how you want to count it,” said Marquette athletic director Bill Scholl, whose school fields track, lacrosse, tennis and golf teams in the spring. “So the roster management piece is just something our coaches, we’re going to have to figure out and work our way through.”

Calhoun said the council did not consider the possibility of the fall sports season, including football, being interrupted. Football generates billions of dollars, especially for Power Five conferences. Losing that would be potentially devastating to schools that play major college football.

“There was an acknowledgment that we don’t know the future and if other seasons are canceled other things happen in the future we’ll have to take that up with the individual merits of the case at time,” Calhoun said.

The NCAA will permit Division I spring-sport athletes — such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players — who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility.<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-i-council-extends-eligibility-student-athletes-impacted-covid-19" target="_blank">The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday</a>&nbsp;to give spring-sport athletes regardless of their year in school a way to get back the season they lost, but it did not guarantee financial aid to the current crop of seniors if they return to play next year.Winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, were not included in the decision because many athletes in those sports had completed all or most of their regular seasons, the council decided.The council is made up of college sports administrators representing all 32 D-I conferences, plus two members of the student-athlete advisory committee. Earlier in the day,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1244697632053886977" target="_blank">60 SAAC members released a letter&nbsp;</a>calling for the council to provide the extra eligibility to all athletes whose seasons were impacted by the COVID-19 related shutdown.Voting is weighted to give the Power Five conferences more say. Chairwoman Grace Calhoun, who is Penn’s athletic director, declined to reveal the final vote.“At the end we really did coalesce around all of the decisions that we made today,” Calhoun said. “They were strongly supported.”How much scholarship money will be made available to each athlete whose college career would have ended this spring will be determined by the athlete’s school. The amount could range from nothing to as much the athlete received had been receiving.The added scholarships could cost a school hundreds of thousands of dollars more than it would usually spend on spring-sport athletes. The extra expenses come at a time when athletic departments could be facing cutbacks. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which cut the association’s distribution to members by $375 million this year.“We had long discussions around the fact that this does not avoid substantially difficult circumstances, but what we felt was important was to localize that decision-making and to ensure that we were as permissive as possible,” Calhoun said. “At the end of the day, each institution is going to have to figure out what it can do.”Schools will be able to use the NCAA’s Student Assistance Fund to pay for scholarships for students who take advantage of the additional eligibility in 2020-21.Roster and scholarship limits for teams will be adjusted next season to fit returning seniors and incoming freshman. Similar changes have already been approved in Division II.Katie Hoeg, an All-American lacrosse player from North Carolina, said she has a teaching and coaching job lined up after she graduates this spring, but now plans to return for another season as a graduate student.“I’m choosing my passion,” she said. “I can’t imagine ending my lacrosse career the way this season is going. I was pretty hopeful this would be a possibility. I’m really excited this decision has been made.”Nebraska-Omaha softball player Hailey Bartz was planning to graduate in December and move on from school. Now she’s not so sure.“I’ve been speaking with my family about it and trying to figure out pros and cons. Do I want to take advantage of that year? Do I not?” Bartz said. “Some of my teammates have their schooling set up, full-time jobs. You have your life planned out and then this kind of pushes everything back another year. At the same time it’s really hard to pass up because it’s a game of love.”NCAA Division I rules allow athletes to have four seasons of competition in a five-year period. Schools will be allowed to apply for waivers to restore one of those seasons for any athlete who competed while eligible in the spring season shortened by COVID-19 in 2020. After the 2021 spring season, scholarship and roster limits will apply to athletes granted the waiver.“This has a four- or five-year effect depending on how you want to count it,” said Marquette athletic director Bill Scholl, whose school fields track, lacrosse, tennis and golf teams in the spring. “So the roster management piece is just something our coaches, we’re going to have to figure out and work our way through.”Calhoun said the council did not consider the possibility of the fall sports season, including football, being interrupted. Football generates billions of dollars, especially for Power Five conferences. Losing that would be potentially devastating to schools that play major college football.“There was an acknowledgment that we don’t know the future and if other seasons are canceled other things happen in the future we’ll have to take that up with the individual merits of the case at time,” Calhoun said.

NCAA to give spring sport athletes extra year of eligibility

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Billy Gillispie has been named head coach at Tarleton State, a program making the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. The new job comes two years after a successful kidney transplant, and eight years after his last Division I job. The former Texas A&amp;M, Kentucky and Texas Tech coach had been at a Ranger junior college the past five years.

As reported in Hutchpost Sports yesterday, that Billy Gillispie was in the running at Tarleton State, Gillispie to his Ranger team to the finals of NJCAA in 2019 and was runner up to Vinncinnes University.



Four-time NCAA Tournament and 12-time Coach of the Year head coach Billy Gillispie has been selected as the head men’s basketball coach at Tarleton State University announced Monday by University President Dr. James Hurley and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman.

Gillispie has agreed to a four-year contract with the Texans through the 2024 season. Terms of the contract are pending approval by The Texas A&amp;M System Board of Regents.

“Wow, what a blessing,” said Gillisipie. “I’ve always believed I have been the luckiest man alive and today continues to illustrate that thought.

“I would like to thank Dr. Hurley, Lonn Reisman, Tarleton State University, and The Texas A&amp;M System led by Chancellor [John] Sharp for making this day possible,” Gillispie continued. “I promise to make the most of this opportunity and honor everyone involved. I’m looking forward to helping make great things happen as we move to the NCAA Division I level.”

A virtual press conference to formally introduce Gillispie is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at 11 a.m. on TarletonSports.com. Due to government social distancing regulations, the event will be closed to the public. Media can email questions for&nbsp;Gillispie to Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Ryan Cox at&nbsp;rcox@tarleton.edu.

“Coach Gillispie has shown to truly be genuine in the way he cares about helping student-athletes achieve great success both on and off the court,” said Dr. Hurley. “After a national search and an extensive interview process, we are confident that Coach Gillispie’s experience and commitment to Tarleton and our community make him the right person to build on the storied success of Texan basketball.”

“I would like to welcome Billy Gillispie to Tarleton and back to The Texas A&amp;M System family,” said Chancellor Sharp. “Coach Gillispie had tremendous success at Texas A&amp;M and I am confident we will see that same level of success at Tarleton.”

Gillispie becomes Tarleton’s 15th&nbsp;head coach as the Texans transition to NCAA Division I to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Gillisipie has served in the same capacity at Kentucky, Texas A&amp;M, Texas Tech and Texas-El Paso (UTEP). The veteran head coach has 13 years of experience as a collegiate head coach with eight of the years coming at the NCAA Division I level. Gillispie has a career Division I record of 148-108 while taking three different teams to the NCAA Tournament (Kentucky, Texas A&amp;M, UTEP). Gillispie is a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, co-SEC Coach of the Year (2008, WAC Coach of the Year (2004, a finalist for the NABC National Coach of the Year (2004, and the National JUCO Coach of the Year (2019). He’s also a three-time NTJCAC and five-time TABC Coach of the Year.

Known as an elite recruiter, Gillispie once managed to put together four straight national top-25 recruiting classes from 2005-09. He also had the sixth-ranked recruiting class at Baylor as an assistant in 1996. In Gillispie’s career, he has helped recruit over 30 players that advanced to the NBA and NFL and 102 players that played professionally.

With 20 years of experience as a high school head coach in Texas and a Division I assistant, including under legendary head coach Bill Self at Tulsa and Illinois, Gillispie got his first collegiate head coaching job at UTEP from 2002-04. In just his second year leading the Miners, Gillispie lifted the team to an 18-win improvement – the best in the NCAA – and claimed the WAC regular season title, the WAC Coach of the Year award, and advanced to his first NCAA Tournament. It was UTEP’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1992.

After two seasons at UTEP, Gillispie was hired by Texas A&amp;M where he once again had one of the biggest turnarounds in the country. In his first season with the Aggies, Gillispie led his new team to a 21-10 record – a 14-win increase from the season before – and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. The turnaround garnered his first career Big 12 Coach of the Year award. In year two (2005-06, Texas A&amp;M finished 22-9 and fourth in the Big 12 while claiming a No. 12 seed in the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Aggies since 1987. Gillispie picked up his first tournament win in an opening-round upset over Jim Boeheim’s No. 5-seed Syracuse Orangemen.

Gillispie’s best season came in 2006-07 when he won a career-high 27 games with the Aggies, finished second in the Big 12, and won his second Big 12 Coach of the Year award in three seasons. Gillispie led the Aggies into storied Allen Fieldhouse to take on the defending Big 12 Champion No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks and became the first visiting team from the Big 12 South Division to leave with a victory. Less than 48 hours later, Gillispie topped the Kevin Durant-led No. 25 Texas Longhorns for his second straight ranked victory. The Aggies finished the season ranked No. 6 by ESPN/USA Today, which was a then-Texas A&amp;M record.

Texas A&amp;M advanced to its second straight NCAA Tournament, this time as a No. 3 seed. The Aggies topped Penn in the opening round and followed with a second-round win over Rick Pitino’s No. 6-seed Louisville Cardinals to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1980.

In his three seasons at Texas A&amp;M, Gillispie coached three future NBA players, including a pair of first-round picks in Acie Law IV (11th&nbsp;pick) and Antoine Wright (15th&nbsp;pick). He also coached a future NFL second-round draft pick in dual-sport athlete Martellus Bennett.

After three seasons at Texas A&amp;M, Gillispie was hired to lead the Kentucky Wildcats where he racked up a 40-27 record over two seasons and reached his fourth NCAA Tournament, including his third straight appearance. In his first season, Gillispie led the Wildcats to a 12-4 mark in the SEC and was named the Co-SEC Coach of the Year. Gillispie coached six future NBA draft picks, including first-round selection and current Los Angeles Clipper Patrick Patterson (14th&nbsp;pick).

After Kentucky, Gillispie signed on at Texas Tech but resigned after one season due to health reasons. In 2018, Gillispie underwent a successful kidney transplant.

A rejuvenated Gillispie made a triumphant return to the sidelines at his alma mater Ranger Junior College. Over the last four seasons at Ranger College, Gillipsie went 103-24 and took the Rangers to the NJCAA national title game in 2019, where he was named the JUCO National Coach of the Year.

“I cannot wait to get started,” Gillispie said. “At Tarleton, we will be inheriting an ultra-successful program that Lonn and&nbsp;<a href="https://tarletonsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=526">Chris Reisman</a>&nbsp;established as well as countless others that have poured their hearts and souls into Texan Basketball for more than 30 years. No program has been more successful during that time. We will try our hardest every day to honor the efforts that have been made as we move into a new era of Division I basketball and make every one of the Tarleton faithful proud.”

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Billy Gillispie has been named head coach at Tarleton State, a program making the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. The new job comes two years after a successful kidney transplant, and eight years after his last Division I job. The former Texas A&amp;M, Kentucky and Texas Tech coach had been at a Ranger junior college the past five years.As reported in Hutchpost Sports yesterday, that Billy Gillispie was in the running at Tarleton State, Gillispie to his Ranger team to the finals of NJCAA in 2019 and was runner up to Vinncinnes University.

Four-time NCAA Tournament and 12-time Coach of the Year head coach Billy Gillispie has been selected as the head men’s basketball coach at Tarleton State University announced Monday by University President Dr. James Hurley and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lonn Reisman.Gillispie has agreed to a four-year contract with the Texans through the 2024 season. Terms of the contract are pending approval by The Texas A&amp;M System Board of Regents.“Wow, what a blessing,” said Gillisipie. “I’ve always believed I have been the luckiest man alive and today continues to illustrate that thought.“I would like to thank Dr. Hurley, Lonn Reisman, Tarleton State University, and The Texas A&amp;M System led by Chancellor [John] Sharp for making this day possible,” Gillispie continued. “I promise to make the most of this opportunity and honor everyone involved. I’m looking forward to helping make great things happen as we move to the NCAA Division I level.”A virtual press conference to formally introduce Gillispie is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 at 11 a.m. on TarletonSports.com. Due to government social distancing regulations, the event will be closed to the public. Media can email questions for&nbsp;Gillispie to Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Ryan Cox at&nbsp;rcox@tarleton.edu.“Coach Gillispie has shown to truly be genuine in the way he cares about helping student-athletes achieve great success both on and off the court,” said Dr. Hurley. “After a national search and an extensive interview process, we are confident that Coach Gillispie’s experience and commitment to Tarleton and our community make him the right person to build on the storied success of Texan basketball.”“I would like to welcome Billy Gillispie to Tarleton and back to The Texas A&amp;M System family,” said Chancellor Sharp. “Coach Gillispie had tremendous success at Texas A&amp;M and I am confident we will see that same level of success at Tarleton.”Gillispie becomes Tarleton’s 15th&nbsp;head coach as the Texans transition to NCAA Division I to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Gillisipie has served in the same capacity at Kentucky, Texas A&amp;M, Texas Tech and Texas-El Paso (UTEP). The veteran head coach has 13 years of experience as a collegiate head coach with eight of the years coming at the NCAA Division I level. Gillispie has a career Division I record of 148-108 while taking three different teams to the NCAA Tournament (Kentucky, Texas A&amp;M, UTEP). Gillispie is a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, co-SEC Coach of the Year (2008, WAC Coach of the Year (2004, a finalist for the NABC National Coach of the Year (2004, and the National JUCO Coach of the Year (2019). He’s also a three-time NTJCAC and five-time TABC Coach of the Year.Known as an elite recruiter, Gillispie once managed to put together four straight national top-25 recruiting classes from 2005-09. He also had the sixth-ranked recruiting class at Baylor as an assistant in 1996. In Gillispie’s career, he has helped recruit over 30 players that advanced to the NBA and NFL and 102 players that played professionally.With 20 years of experience as a high school head coach in Texas and a Division I assistant, including under legendary head coach Bill Self at Tulsa and Illinois, Gillispie got his first collegiate head coaching job at UTEP from 2002-04. In just his second year leading the Miners, Gillispie lifted the team to an 18-win improvement – the best in the NCAA – and claimed the WAC regular season title, the WAC Coach of the Year award, and advanced to his first NCAA Tournament. It was UTEP’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1992.After two seasons at UTEP, Gillispie was hired by Texas A&amp;M where he once again had one of the biggest turnarounds in the country. In his first season with the Aggies, Gillispie led his new team to a 21-10 record – a 14-win increase from the season before – and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. The turnaround garnered his first career Big 12 Coach of the Year award. In year two (2005-06, Texas A&amp;M finished 22-9 and fourth in the Big 12 while claiming a No. 12 seed in the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Aggies since 1987. Gillispie picked up his first tournament win in an opening-round upset over Jim Boeheim’s No. 5-seed Syracuse Orangemen.Gillispie’s best season came in 2006-07 when he won a career-high 27 games with the Aggies, finished second in the Big 12, and won his second Big 12 Coach of the Year award in three seasons. Gillispie led the Aggies into storied Allen Fieldhouse to take on the defending Big 12 Champion No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks and became the first visiting team from the Big 12 South Division to leave with a victory. Less than 48 hours later, Gillispie topped the Kevin Durant-led No. 25 Texas Longhorns for his second straight ranked victory. The Aggies finished the season ranked No. 6 by ESPN/USA Today, which was a then-Texas A&amp;M record.Texas A&amp;M advanced to its second straight NCAA Tournament, this time as a No. 3 seed. The Aggies topped Penn in the opening round and followed with a second-round win over Rick Pitino’s No. 6-seed Louisville Cardinals to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1980.In his three seasons at Texas A&amp;M, Gillispie coached three future NBA players, including a pair of first-round picks in Acie Law IV (11th&nbsp;pick) and Antoine Wright (15th&nbsp;pick). He also coached a future NFL second-round draft pick in dual-sport athlete Martellus Bennett.After three seasons at Texas A&amp;M, Gillispie was hired to lead the Kentucky Wildcats where he racked up a 40-27 record over two seasons and reached his fourth NCAA Tournament, including his third straight appearance. In his first season, Gillispie led the Wildcats to a 12-4 mark in the SEC and was named the Co-SEC Coach of the Year. Gillispie coached six future NBA draft picks, including first-round selection and current Los Angeles Clipper Patrick Patterson (14th&nbsp;pick).After Kentucky, Gillispie signed on at Texas Tech but resigned after one season due to health reasons. In 2018, Gillispie underwent a successful kidney transplant.A rejuvenated Gillispie made a triumphant return to the sidelines at his alma mater Ranger Junior College. Over the last four seasons at Ranger College, Gillipsie went 103-24 and took the Rangers to the NJCAA national title game in 2019, where he was named the JUCO National Coach of the Year.“I cannot wait to get started,” Gillispie said. “At Tarleton, we will be inheriting an ultra-successful program that Lonn and&nbsp;<a href="https://tarletonsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=526">Chris Reisman</a>&nbsp;established as well as countless others that have poured their hearts and souls into Texan Basketball for more than 30 years. No program has been more successful during that time. We will try our hardest every day to honor the efforts that have been made as we move into a new era of Division I basketball and make every one of the Tarleton faithful proud.”

Billy Gillispie named Tarleton head men’s basketball coach

Formula One team Mercedes has helped to develop a breathing aid that could keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care and ease some pressure on Britain’s strained health service.

As part of a combined effort involving seven Britain-based teams, Mercedes worked with engineers at the University College London and clinicians at University College London Hospital to adapt and improve a device that bridges the gap between an oxygen mask and the need for full ventilation.

The device, known as continuous positive airway pressure, has been used extensively in hospitals in Italy and China to deliver oxygen to the lungs of coronavirus patients during the pandemic.

UCL said the adapted devices have been recommended for use in Britain and that 100 of them are being sent to its hospital for clinical trials. There is the potential for quick roll-out by Mercedes to hospitals across the country.

Tim Baker, a professor from UCL’s department of mechanical engineering, said clinicians called on the “capability of Formula One” to reduce a process “that could take years down to a matter of days,” with the adapted device taking less than 100 hours to develop from an initial meeting.

“We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL,” said Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes, “to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible time frame.”

The technology arms of six other teams — Red Bull, Haas, McLaren, Renault, Williams and Racing Point — has contributed to the developing of the medical devices in the fight against the virus, as part of what F1 has labeled “Project Pitlane.”

McLaren, for example, told The Associated Press it has been focused on component manufacturing for ventilators, and is “additionally deploying planning, project management and purchasing teams to procure all parts to help ramp-up production.”

F1 said the teams will continue to pool their resources and “support in other areas requiring rapid, innovative technology responses to the unique challenges posed” by the pandemic.

The CPAP machines work by pushing a mix of oxygen and air into the mouth and nose at a continuous rate, helping to increase the amount of oxygen entering the lungs. They are used routinely by Britain’s National Health Service but are in short supply currently.

There have been almost 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain, with more than 1,200 deaths.

For most people, the new virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

The F1 season has yet to start, with the first eight races of the schedule having been postponed or canceled. It means there will be no racing until the middle of June at the earliest.

Mercedes is the leading team in F1, with defending champion Lewis Hamilton as its top driver.

Formula One team Mercedes has helped to develop a breathing aid that could keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care and ease some pressure on Britain’s strained health service.As part of a combined effort involving seven Britain-based teams, Mercedes worked with engineers at the University College London and clinicians at University College London Hospital to adapt and improve a device that bridges the gap between an oxygen mask and the need for full ventilation.The device, known as continuous positive airway pressure, has been used extensively in hospitals in Italy and China to deliver oxygen to the lungs of coronavirus patients during the pandemic.UCL said the adapted devices have been recommended for use in Britain and that 100 of them are being sent to its hospital for clinical trials. There is the potential for quick roll-out by Mercedes to hospitals across the country.Tim Baker, a professor from UCL’s department of mechanical engineering, said clinicians called on the “capability of Formula One” to reduce a process “that could take years down to a matter of days,” with the adapted device taking less than 100 hours to develop from an initial meeting.“We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL,” said Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes, “to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible time frame.”The technology arms of six other teams — Red Bull, Haas, McLaren, Renault, Williams and Racing Point — has contributed to the developing of the medical devices in the fight against the virus, as part of what F1 has labeled “Project Pitlane.”McLaren, for example, told The Associated Press it has been focused on component manufacturing for ventilators, and is “additionally deploying planning, project management and purchasing teams to procure all parts to help ramp-up production.”F1 said the teams will continue to pool their resources and “support in other areas requiring rapid, innovative technology responses to the unique challenges posed” by the pandemic.The CPAP machines work by pushing a mix of oxygen and air into the mouth and nose at a continuous rate, helping to increase the amount of oxygen entering the lungs. They are used routinely by Britain’s National Health Service but are in short supply currently.There have been almost 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain, with more than 1,200 deaths.For most people, the new virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.The F1 season has yet to start, with the first eight races of the schedule having been postponed or canceled. It means there will be no racing until the middle of June at the earliest.Mercedes is the leading team in F1, with defending champion Lewis Hamilton as its top driver.

Mercedes F1 team helps to develop breathing aid in pandemic

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU's Dennis Shaver was named the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Indoor National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track &amp; Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Friday morning.

Shaver was the Head Track and Field Coach at Hutchinson Community College from 1981-1985.&nbsp; He then went on the coach at Barton County for 6 years then on to Auburn University before landing at LSU.

"It's such an honor to receive this award, and I accept it on behalf of the amazing staff I have working alongside me here in Baton Rouge," Shaver said. "We all work so hard and put so much time and effort into our profession. We want the best for our student-athletes. We want them to succeed in the classroom, on the track, and in the real world. I'm so proud of what our student-athletes were able to accomplish this season."

Shaver had the LSU women ranked No. 1 in the nation for four straight weeks as they headed into the NCAA meet as the favorite to win it all. Just a day before competition was slated to begin at the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., all remaining NCAA events for the 2019-20 academic year were cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shaver had LSU in prime position to capture its 26th women's national title in program history as the LSU women had an NCAA leading 13 scoring opportunities. Tonea Marshall (60 meter hurdles) and Abby O'Donoghue (high jump) were legitimate contenders to win individual national titles as well; Marshall had not lost a race in the 60 hurdles all season long, and O'Donoghue's only defeat of the year was to the NCAA leader by less than an inch.

Shaver had seven other individuals and a relay that were ranked inside the top eight of the NCAA rankings and projected to score points for the Tigers at the national meet. All in all, LSU women set 13 top-10 marks in program history during the indoor season that included school records by Marshall in the 60 meter hurdles (7.86) and O'Donoghue in the high jump (6' 2.25"/1.89 meters).

This marks the third time in Shaver's career that he has been named the national coach of the year. He received the award on the women's in 2008 and 2012 following the outdoor season in both of those years. Shaver was also one of three finalists for the Men's National Coach of the Year award as the LSU men's track and field squad was ranked No. 1 headed into the NCAA Championships. Todd Lane (Men's Assistant Coach of the Year) and Tonea Marshall (Women's Track Athlete of the Year) were LSU's other finalists for national awards.

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU's Dennis Shaver was named the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Indoor National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track &amp; Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Friday morning.Shaver was the Head Track and Field Coach at Hutchinson Community College from 1981-1985.&nbsp; He then went on the coach at Barton County for 6 years then on to Auburn University before landing at LSU."It's such an honor to receive this award, and I accept it on behalf of the amazing staff I have working alongside me here in Baton Rouge," Shaver said. "We all work so hard and put so much time and effort into our profession. We want the best for our student-athletes. We want them to succeed in the classroom, on the track, and in the real world. I'm so proud of what our student-athletes were able to accomplish this season."Shaver had the LSU women ranked No. 1 in the nation for four straight weeks as they headed into the NCAA meet as the favorite to win it all. Just a day before competition was slated to begin at the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., all remaining NCAA events for the 2019-20 academic year were cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Shaver had LSU in prime position to capture its 26th women's national title in program history as the LSU women had an NCAA leading 13 scoring opportunities. Tonea Marshall (60 meter hurdles) and Abby O'Donoghue (high jump) were legitimate contenders to win individual national titles as well; Marshall had not lost a race in the 60 hurdles all season long, and O'Donoghue's only defeat of the year was to the NCAA leader by less than an inch.Shaver had seven other individuals and a relay that were ranked inside the top eight of the NCAA rankings and projected to score points for the Tigers at the national meet. All in all, LSU women set 13 top-10 marks in program history during the indoor season that included school records by Marshall in the 60 meter hurdles (7.86) and O'Donoghue in the high jump (6' 2.25"/1.89 meters).This marks the third time in Shaver's career that he has been named the national coach of the year. He received the award on the women's in 2008 and 2012 following the outdoor season in both of those years. Shaver was also one of three finalists for the Men's National Coach of the Year award as the LSU men's track and field squad was ranked No. 1 headed into the NCAA Championships. Todd Lane (Men's Assistant Coach of the Year) and Tonea Marshall (Women's Track Athlete of the Year) were LSU's other finalists for national awards.

Former HutchCC Blue Dragon Track coach named 2020 NCAA D1 Women's Indoor Coach of the Year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The final deadline to nominate horses for the Triple Crown series is being extended indefinitely because of the coronavirus.

The extension was agreed upon by officials at Churchill Downs, Maryland Jockey Club and New York Racing Association.

The Kentucky Derby has been pushed back from May 2 to Sept. 5.

Maryland and New York racing officials are continuing discussions to decide when the Preakness and Belmont stakes will be run. The Preakness is scheduled for May 16 and the Belmont for June 6.

When the Triple Crown dates are settled, a deadline for late nominations will be announced.

Any 3-year-olds not made eligible at a cost of $600 during the early nomination phase will be able to be nominated for $6,000.

A total of 347 horses were nominated during the early phase that closed Jan. 25.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The final deadline to nominate horses for the Triple Crown series is being extended indefinitely because of the coronavirus.It was scheduled to be Monday.The extension was agreed upon by officials at Churchill Downs, Maryland Jockey Club and New York Racing Association.The Kentucky Derby has been pushed back from May 2 to Sept. 5.Maryland and New York racing officials are continuing discussions to decide when the Preakness and Belmont stakes will be run. The Preakness is scheduled for May 16 and the Belmont for June 6.When the Triple Crown dates are settled, a deadline for late nominations will be announced.Any 3-year-olds not made eligible at a cost of $600 during the early nomination phase will be able to be nominated for $6,000.A total of 347 horses were nominated during the early phase that closed Jan. 25.

Deadline extended indefinitely for Triple Crown nominations

Billy Gillispie hasn’t coached Division I basketball since 2012, but that could be changing.

According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, the former coach of Texas A&amp;M and Kentucky is reportedly a candidate to take over as basketball coach at Tarleton State. The Texas-based school will begin playing in the Western Athletic Conference in 2020-21.

Through various Twitter sources as well as the Fort Worth Star Telegram: Billy Gillispie has emerged as a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Tarleton State. Gillispie is the current head coach at Ranger College (JUCO) and the former head coach at Texas Tech, UTEP, and Kentucky.Texans will join the WAC and Division 1 on July 1st.

Tarleton State won’t be eligible for postseason play until 2024-25, but seeing Gillispie’s name back in the news is interesting. At one point, he was one of the hottest coaches in the country. Then came a failed stint at Kentucky, followed by a Texas Tech tenure&nbsp;<a href="https://larrybrownsports.com/college-basketball/billy-gillispie-made-player-cry-in-pain/152915" target="_blank">marred by allegations of player abuse</a>. Since then, he’s found success coaching Ranger College, a junior college. Now he may be tapped to help a school transition into Division I play.

Billy Gillispie hasn’t coached Division I basketball since 2012, but that could be changing.According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, the former coach of Texas A&amp;M and Kentucky is reportedly a candidate to take over as basketball coach at Tarleton State. The Texas-based school will begin playing in the Western Athletic Conference in 2020-21.Through various Twitter sources as well as the Fort Worth Star Telegram: Billy Gillispie has emerged as a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Tarleton State. Gillispie is the current head coach at Ranger College (JUCO) and the former head coach at Texas Tech, UTEP, and Kentucky.Texans will join the WAC and Division 1 on July 1st.Tarleton State won’t be eligible for postseason play until 2024-25, but seeing Gillispie’s name back in the news is interesting. At one point, he was one of the hottest coaches in the country. Then came a failed stint at Kentucky, followed by a Texas Tech tenure&nbsp;<a href="https://larrybrownsports.com/college-basketball/billy-gillispie-made-player-cry-in-pain/152915" target="_blank">marred by allegations of player abuse</a>. Since then, he’s found success coaching Ranger College, a junior college. Now he may be tapped to help a school transition into Division I play.

Report: Billy Gillispie could return to Division I coaching with Tarleton State

UNDATED (AP) — Austin Carr played at Notre Dame in an era when prolific scorers dominated the college game. He scored an NCAA Tournament-record 61 points against Ohio in the first round in 1970. Carr was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers the next year. He averaged almost 35 points over his college career and he scored 45 points or more in five of his seven NCAA Tournament games. Carr says he's surprised his record in the tournament continues to stand 50 years later.

DENVER (AP) — A second Colorado Avalanche player has tested positive for COVID-19. The team says it was informed Friday night, and the unidentified player is in self-isolation. A statement from the Avalanche on Saturday says those who came in close contact with the player have been informed and remain isolated. There are now four NHL players known to have tested positive, with the others coming from the Ottawa Senators.

UNDATED (AP) — A deal negotiated by Major League Baseball and the players doesn’t include details of what a reconfigured schedule would look like. The agreement calls for play to resume “as soon as is practicable” with a goal of completing “the fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is economically feasible.” It also says there must be no legal restrictions on mass gathering and travel. The two sides agreed to consider playing past the usual end of the postseason in late October, even if it involves using neutral sites and domes.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte has confirmed that basketball coach Shaka Smart will be back for a sixth season with the team, telling the Austin American-Statesman, “Shaka's our coach.” The Longhorns have reached the NCAA Tournament twice in four tries under Smart. Texas went 19-12 this past season without any seniors in the lineup. But the team is just 40-50 in the Big 12 under Smart, who is 90-78 overall with the Longhorns.

NEW YORK (AP) — St. John's wing LJ Figueroa has declared for the NBA draft. School officials say he hasn't hired an agent and still has the option to return to school. Figueroa can return to school for his final season of eligibility if he withdraws from the draft pool by June 3. Figueroa started 32 games in each of his two seasons with the Red Storm, averaging 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds.

MIAMI (AP) — Tiz the Law ran away in the stretch to easily win the Florida Derby and wrap up a spot in the Kentucky Derby field. The win at Gulfstream Park was worth 100 points, far more than what will be needed for a chance to run at Churchill Downs if the rescheduled Kentucky Derby goes off as planned in early September. Shivaree was second after going off at 80-1. Shivaree picked up 50 points to likely clinch a spot in the Derby field.

UNDATED (AP) — Austin Carr played at Notre Dame in an era when prolific scorers dominated the college game. He scored an NCAA Tournament-record 61 points against Ohio in the first round in 1970. Carr was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers the next year. He averaged almost 35 points over his college career and he scored 45 points or more in five of his seven NCAA Tournament games. Carr says he's surprised his record in the tournament continues to stand 50 years later.DENVER (AP) — A second Colorado Avalanche player has tested positive for COVID-19. The team says it was informed Friday night, and the unidentified player is in self-isolation. A statement from the Avalanche on Saturday says those who came in close contact with the player have been informed and remain isolated. There are now four NHL players known to have tested positive, with the others coming from the Ottawa Senators.UNDATED (AP) — A deal negotiated by Major League Baseball and the players doesn’t include details of what a reconfigured schedule would look like. The agreement calls for play to resume “as soon as is practicable” with a goal of completing “the fullest 2020 championship season and postseason that is economically feasible.” It also says there must be no legal restrictions on mass gathering and travel. The two sides agreed to consider playing past the usual end of the postseason in late October, even if it involves using neutral sites and domes.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte has confirmed that basketball coach Shaka Smart will be back for a sixth season with the team, telling the Austin American-Statesman, “Shaka's our coach.” The Longhorns have reached the NCAA Tournament twice in four tries under Smart. Texas went 19-12 this past season without any seniors in the lineup. But the team is just 40-50 in the Big 12 under Smart, who is 90-78 overall with the Longhorns.NEW YORK (AP) — St. John's wing LJ Figueroa has declared for the NBA draft. School officials say he hasn't hired an agent and still has the option to return to school. Figueroa can return to school for his final season of eligibility if he withdraws from the draft pool by June 3. Figueroa started 32 games in each of his two seasons with the Red Storm, averaging 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds.MIAMI (AP) — Tiz the Law ran away in the stretch to easily win the Florida Derby and wrap up a spot in the Kentucky Derby field. The win at Gulfstream Park was worth 100 points, far more than what will be needed for a chance to run at Churchill Downs if the rescheduled Kentucky Derby goes off as planned in early September. Shivaree was second after going off at 80-1. Shivaree picked up 50 points to likely clinch a spot in the Derby field.

Sunday Sports Headlines

LARAMIE, Wyoming - University of Wyoming head basketball coach Jeff Linder announced Wednesday the addition of Wyoming native Sundance Wicks to the Cowboy coaching staff.&nbsp; He joins former HutchCC Blue Dragon and Quarterback Club Hall of Famer, Shaun Vandiver on Jeff Linder's Staff. He has spent the last two seasons as head coach at Missouri Western.

“To have the opportunity to bring someone who dreamed of being a Cowboy and embodies all the characteristics of what it means to be a Cowboy back to his home state like Coach Wicks is a special deal,” Linder said. “His passion and JUICE for the game of basketball will be felt the day he steps foot on campus. He has experienced every level of basketball and has thrived at every stop along the way. He’s a proven winner who finalizes an assistant coaching staff that will work tirelessly for our players, the state of Wyoming, and the University of Wyoming. I want to give a big Cowboy welcome to Coach Wicks and his family!”&nbsp;

A native of Gillette, Wyo., Wicks led the Griffons to 18 wins in 2019-20, as it was the most by the program in 10 years. In his first season at the helm of the program his team doubled their win total from the prior campaign. In his two seasons, Wick helped mentor six All-MIAA players and an NABC All-District selection.

“There is a dream job for everyone and for me being at the University of Wyoming with a coach like Jeff Linder is mine,” Wicks said. “Coach Linder is regarded to be one of the smartest coaches in college basketball and his vision as a coach has made himself and his teams very successful everywhere he has been. I’m honored to be a part of his staff here in my home state.”

Prior to his time at Missouri Western, Wick spent time at his alma mater Northern State University, where he was associate head coach during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. In 2017-18, Wicks helped lead Northern State&nbsp;to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason championships. Northern State also claimed the central region championship en route to the program’s first-ever appearance in the national championship game.

Wicks has been an assistant coach at the Division II and Division I levels.&nbsp;After lettering four years as a student-athlete at Northern State from 1999-2003, Wicks held assistant coaching positions at Northern State, Colorado (2006-07, Northern Illinois (2007-11) and San Francisco (2015-16).

He also built the Arizona Power Basketball Academy, serving as a skill instructor and director from 2011-15. Prior to launching the APBA, he spent five months training NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. Wicks’ draft class trainees included Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Isaiah Thomas.

Wicks began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the legendary Don Meyer.

As a student-athlete, Wicks was twice named first team All-NSIC, scoring 1,174 points and pulling down 665 rebounds in his career. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles at Northern State. After graduation, Wicks played for the Sodertalje Kings in Sweden. He led the team in points and rebounding.

Wicks graduated from Campbell County High School in 1999, where he lettered in football, basketball and track and field. In 1999, he was named the Millward Simpson Athlete of the Year. Wicks was a part of two high school basketball championships (1996-97 and 1998-99, and in his senior season, won a trio of state championships in football, basketball and track and field, where he captured the individual state title in the 300-meter hurdles, and was the state runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles.

“To be able to go back to your home state, where you were raised in a place where the whole state gets behind you is special,” Wicks said. Wyoming is a place that is dear to my heart and my family’s heart. This truly is a dream come true.

Wicks received a bachelor’s degree in international business from Northern State in 2003 and a master’s degree in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State in 2006.



LARAMIE, Wyoming - University of Wyoming head basketball coach Jeff Linder announced Wednesday the addition of Wyoming native Sundance Wicks to the Cowboy coaching staff.&nbsp; He joins former HutchCC Blue Dragon and Quarterback Club Hall of Famer, Shaun Vandiver on Jeff Linder's Staff. He has spent the last two seasons as head coach at Missouri Western.“To have the opportunity to bring someone who dreamed of being a Cowboy and embodies all the characteristics of what it means to be a Cowboy back to his home state like Coach Wicks is a special deal,” Linder said. “His passion and JUICE for the game of basketball will be felt the day he steps foot on campus. He has experienced every level of basketball and has thrived at every stop along the way. He’s a proven winner who finalizes an assistant coaching staff that will work tirelessly for our players, the state of Wyoming, and the University of Wyoming. I want to give a big Cowboy welcome to Coach Wicks and his family!”&nbsp;A native of Gillette, Wyo., Wicks led the Griffons to 18 wins in 2019-20, as it was the most by the program in 10 years. In his first season at the helm of the program his team doubled their win total from the prior campaign. In his two seasons, Wick helped mentor six All-MIAA players and an NABC All-District selection.“There is a dream job for everyone and for me being at the University of Wyoming with a coach like Jeff Linder is mine,” Wicks said. “Coach Linder is regarded to be one of the smartest coaches in college basketball and his vision as a coach has made himself and his teams very successful everywhere he has been. I’m honored to be a part of his staff here in my home state.”Prior to his time at Missouri Western, Wick spent time at his alma mater Northern State University, where he was associate head coach during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. In 2017-18, Wicks helped lead Northern State&nbsp;to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason championships. Northern State also claimed the central region championship en route to the program’s first-ever appearance in the national championship game.Wicks has been an assistant coach at the Division II and Division I levels.&nbsp;After lettering four years as a student-athlete at Northern State from 1999-2003, Wicks held assistant coaching positions at Northern State, Colorado (2006-07, Northern Illinois (2007-11) and San Francisco (2015-16).He also built the Arizona Power Basketball Academy, serving as a skill instructor and director from 2011-15. Prior to launching the APBA, he spent five months training NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. Wicks’ draft class trainees included Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Isaiah Thomas.Wicks began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the legendary Don Meyer.As a student-athlete, Wicks was twice named first team All-NSIC, scoring 1,174 points and pulling down 665 rebounds in his career. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles at Northern State. After graduation, Wicks played for the Sodertalje Kings in Sweden. He led the team in points and rebounding.Wicks graduated from Campbell County High School in 1999, where he lettered in football, basketball and track and field. In 1999, he was named the Millward Simpson Athlete of the Year. Wicks was a part of two high school basketball championships (1996-97 and 1998-99, and in his senior season, won a trio of state championships in football, basketball and track and field, where he captured the individual state title in the 300-meter hurdles, and was the state runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles.“To be able to go back to your home state, where you were raised in a place where the whole state gets behind you is special,” Wicks said. Wyoming is a place that is dear to my heart and my family’s heart. This truly is a dream come true.Wicks received a bachelor’s degree in international business from Northern State in 2003 and a master’s degree in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State in 2006.

Sundance Wicks named Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Wyoming

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -It’s been a very strange month for Iowa Western Community College Athletics and their men’s basketball team…

Hoopdirt.com, a national Junior College information source reported the following.&nbsp; 

At the end of February, head men’s basketball coach Michael Johnette (former HutchCC assistant coach)&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopdirt.com/juco-dirt-johnette-resigns-at-iowa-western/">resigned</a>&nbsp;after four years on the job (90-36). IWCC (Iowa Western Community College) then began a very aggressive search which led to this final group:

Former Iona assistant Tra Arnold,Troy assistant Mike Worley, Southwest Mississippi CC head coach Bryan Bender, Des Moines Area CC head coach Josh Sash, Iowa Western assistant Chad Van Riessen, and former USC Salk (and new Dodge City head coach) Jake Williams. This group was narrowed to three at the beginning of this week, and that’s when things started to get interesting.

On Monday, hoopdirt.com got word that Director of Athletics Jeremy Capo had resigned after nearly four years at IWCC.&nbsp; Hoopdirt.com then heard that the three final candidates (who were supposed to interview late this week) were all contacted by the outgoing President, and told that the search was being “canceled.” At that point, either suspending athletics, or dropping to NJCAA D2 were both on the table according to multiple sources.

It now sounds like the decision has been made to drop down to D2, which is not an easy decision for a school that has won National Championships in football (2012, baseball (2010, 2012, 2014, women’s soccer (2013, men’s soccer (2013, and women’s volleyball (2006). It is not clear if this will be a permanent move, or one that may be reversed after a new president is hired.

On the basketball side, hoopdirt.com heard from multiple people that current assistant coach Chad Van Riessen will be elevated to head coach. He had been on Johnette’s staff for the past four seasons, and previously worked at Missouri State University-West Plains and Northwest Missouri State. I have heard that the official announcement here will be made shortly.

HoopDirt.com&nbsp;will continue to provide updates on this situation as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585400851274.jpeg" alt="Information provided via hoopdirt.com web page and twitter" />
 <figcaption>Information provided via hoopdirt.com web page and twitter</figcaption>
 </figure>COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -It’s been a very strange month for Iowa Western Community College Athletics and their men’s basketball team…Hoopdirt.com, a national Junior College information source reported the following.&nbsp; At the end of February, head men’s basketball coach Michael Johnette (former HutchCC assistant coach)&nbsp;<a href="https://hoopdirt.com/juco-dirt-johnette-resigns-at-iowa-western/">resigned</a>&nbsp;after four years on the job (90-36). IWCC (Iowa Western Community College) then began a very aggressive search which led to this final group:Former Iona assistant Tra Arnold,Troy assistant Mike Worley, Southwest Mississippi CC head coach Bryan Bender, Des Moines Area CC head coach Josh Sash, Iowa Western assistant Chad Van Riessen, and former USC Salk (and new Dodge City head coach) Jake Williams. This group was narrowed to three at the beginning of this week, and that’s when things started to get interesting.On Monday, hoopdirt.com got word that Director of Athletics Jeremy Capo had resigned after nearly four years at IWCC.&nbsp; Hoopdirt.com then heard that the three final candidates (who were supposed to interview late this week) were all contacted by the outgoing President, and told that the search was being “canceled.” At that point, either suspending athletics, or dropping to NJCAA D2 were both on the table according to multiple sources.It now sounds like the decision has been made to drop down to D2, which is not an easy decision for a school that has won National Championships in football (2012, baseball (2010, 2012, 2014, women’s soccer (2013, men’s soccer (2013, and women’s volleyball (2006). It is not clear if this will be a permanent move, or one that may be reversed after a new president is hired.On the basketball side, hoopdirt.com heard from multiple people that current assistant coach Chad Van Riessen will be elevated to head coach. He had been on Johnette’s staff for the past four seasons, and previously worked at Missouri State University-West Plains and Northwest Missouri State. I have heard that the official announcement here will be made shortly.HoopDirt.com&nbsp;will continue to provide updates on this situation as they become available.

Athletics up in the air at Iowa Western

GARDEN CITY, Kan-Cole Dewey had already laid footprints in Garden City nearly eight years ago. And in just one season as an assistant with the Broncbusters, he left an indelible mark on the entire community.

Less than a decade later, he's back, only this time, he's the man in charge.

GARDEN CITY, Kan-Cole Dewey had already laid footprints in Garden City nearly eight years ago. And in just one season as an assistant with the Broncbusters, he left an indelible mark on the entire community.Less than a decade later, he's back, only this time, he's the man in charge.On Monday, following a nationwide search, Dewey was named the next men's basketball coach at Garden City Community College. He replaces Interim Coach Silas Mills who took over following Patrick Nee's departure at the end of Feb."We had some great candidates for this position," Director of Athletics Greg McVey said. "But the one thing about Cole is he checked all the boxes. He immediately rose to the top because he had the right balance of basketball knowledge, student success and being a community pillar."College President, Dr. Ryan Ruda, feels the committee hit a home run."I am extremely excited to be bringing Cole Dewey back to Buster nation," he said. "I was very pleased with the quality of candidates that we had, which is truly representative of the respect that Garden City Community College has as an institution. We were looking for a candidate who exhibits high character and will demonstrate and present a team that excels in the classroom, community and on the court. I am excited to welcome Cole back and excited for the future of men's basketball under his leadership."Dewey, 31, brings a wealth of experience back to Garden City. He spent the past two years revitalizing the program at Otero, winning 45 games including a 25-7 campaign in 2019-2020. The Rattlers were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation and finished second in the region standings."When the job opened, it immediately sparked my interest because I coached there before," Dewey said. "I know people in the community. It's a place my wife and I plan to start a family. And they have the resources that will enable us to compete for a National Championship."Before landing the job at Otero, Dewey spent three seasons working as an assistant under Hank Plona at powerhouse Indian Hills. There, the Warriors made three straight trips to the National Tournament and won 91 games. They were 33-0 entering the 2018 NJCAA Tournament before being upset by a Cinderella-Barton squad.&nbsp;"Cole is a winner," McVey added. "He's won everywhere he's been. And his teams have been solid in the classroom. Being a basketball coach at this level is more than x's and o's, and Cole fully understands that. He's been a part of some really great programs."Prior to his run at Indian Hills, Dewey coached the 2014-2015 season at South Plains, where the Texans made it all the way to the National Championship Game as the No. 8 seed before dropping a heartbreaker in overtime to Northwest Florida State. The year before that, he was an assistant under Brady Trenkle in Garden City-propelling the Broncbusters to a 22-9 record and a third-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Campbell University."I've been very fortunate to work under some really great people," Dewey explained. "Working for Steve Green at South Plains and playing in the National Championship Game was an unbelievable moment. Hank was a tremendous leader at Indian Hills. These guys are all respected in the Junior College world. I learned so much from them, and I've built some really great relationships along the way."In all, Dewey has been a part of four conference championships while coaching 31 All-Conference players and three league players' of the year. 51 of his student-athletes have signed to play at Division-I schools and his players have a 100-percent graduation rate."I've been recruiting for the last two weeks," Dewey admitted. "Now I get to tell all of those guys that they're going to Garden City. We want to make a run at the National Championship."Dewey grew up in Willow Spring, N.C. where he played for his father, David at South Johnston High School. There, he was a three-time all-conference performer, averaging 16 points, four rebounds and eight assists as a senior. He finished his prep career with 1,196 points and a school-record 520 assists. After graduation, he signed at Campbell University where he played for four years. He has a Master's Degree in Business Administration.He comes to Garden City with his wife, Kristina, who's a registered nurse.The Dewey FileOtero (Head Coach)2019-2020: 25-72018-2019: 20-10Indian Hills (Assistant Coach)2017-2018: 33-12016-2017: 29-52015-2016: 29-5South Plains Junior College (Assistant Coach)2014-2015: 29-7 (National Runner-up)Garden City Community College (Assistant Coach)2013-2014: 22-9)Campbell University (Graduate Assistant)2011-2012: 17-152012-2013: 13-20