Off the wire
Missouri adds 4- star signee
East St. Louis ( Ill.) High School center Jeremiah Tilmon, the No. 1 prospect in Illinois, has signed with the Missouri men’s basketball team, adding another prize to Coach Cuonzo Martin’s first recruiting class. Tilmon, a consensus four- star prospect, joins two former Washington signees who were released after Lorenzo Romar was dismissed — top 2017 prospect Michael Porter Jr. and Word of God Christian Academy guard Blake Harris from Raleigh, N. C. Tilmon, 6- 10, who averaged 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks last season for East St. Louis, signed with Illinois in November but was released from his national letter of intent April 11, a few weeks after former coach John Groce’s firing. The Tigers, coming off three consecutive 20- loss seasons and a 27- 68 record under the now departed Kim Anderson, also added Canisius transfer Kassius Robertson, a shooting guard, two weeks ago. They have one scholarship available after Mizzou announced later Monday that redshirt freshman forward Jakoby Kemp will transfer. Richland ( Texas) Hills guard C. J. Roberts signed with the Tigers in November and decided to stick with MU after the coaching change.
Ex- Jayhawk graduates
Former NBA player Drew Gooden has graduated from the University of Kansas, 14 years after leaving early to play professional basketball. The Kansas City Star reported that Gooden, 35, graduated Sunday after completing his bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Gooden left school as a junior in 2002 and was chosen fourth overall in that year’s draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He last played for the Washington Wizards in 2015- 2016. He averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game during his career.
Buckeyes lose another
Ohio State announced Monday that JaQuan Lyle, a junior and the team’s third leading scorer from last season, quit the team last month. That came to light after Lyle’s arrest early Saturday on misdemeanor charges of public intoxication, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct in his Evansville, Ind., hometown. He hasn’t commented publicly on the charges or his reasons for leaving Ohio State. Lyle, a 6- 5 guard who averaged 11.4 points per game in a season that saw the Buckeyes finish without even an NIT invitation, is the fifth and final member of a 2015 recruiting class to depart. The other four previously transferred out, each saying Ohio State wasn’t a good fit for them.
Derby winner energized
Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming gave trainer Todd Pletcher a brief scare Monday morning at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore when he tried to buck exercise rider Nick Bush off his back and stumbled before embarking on a routine gallop. “After that, it was a very smooth, energetic and good gallop,” said Pletcher, who noted that Always Dreaming, who arrived at Pimlico last Tuesday, has thrived in the relative tranquility, even when he had to gallop over a sloppy track Saturday. A field of 10 is expected for Saturday’s Preakness, including four of the horses Always Dreaming beat at Louisville: Looking At Lee ( second), Classic Empire ( fourth), Gunnevera ( seventh) and Hence ( 11th). Possible new shooters include Conquest Mo Money ( seconnd in Arkansas Derby); Lexington Stakes winner Senior Investment; Illinois Derby winner Multiplier; Wood Memorial third- place finisher Cloud Computing; and Southern California shipper Term of Art. The draw for the second jewel of horse racing’s triple crown is scheduled for Wednesday.
Alonso limited in practice
A rear suspension problem limited two- time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso to 20 laps in Monday’s opening Indianapolis 500 practice. The Spanish driver posted a fast lap of 223.205 mph and was 19th on the speed chart. He was well off the pace of 226.338 set by his teammate Marco Andretti. Andretti Autosport took two of the top five spots, and Honda drivers claimed four of the top five spots. Less than two weeks ago, Alonso made his oval debut at the historic 2.5- mile Brickyard in a solo test. On Monday, things changed. The overcast skies and cool temperatures were replaced by sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s, and this time Alonso had to contend with 32 other drivers on the track.
Lacy cashes in
The agents of Seattle Seahawks running back Eddie Lacy have reported via Twitter that Lacy weighed in at 253 pounds — 2 pounds under the 255 that his contract called for him to be in May to earn an additional $ 55,000. Lacy signed a one- year deal with Seattle that could be worth as much as $ 5.5 million if he meets all incentives, but he has $ 2.865 million guaranteed. Lacy will get $ 55,000 for each month that he achieves a specific weight — 255 in May, 250 in June, July and August, and 245 from September through December — or essentially, for the regular season. Lacy signed with Seattle after four seasons in Green Bay.
Mahomes robbed, OK
Rookie Kansas Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes escaped injury after being robbed outside a Texas home after attending a college baseball game, authorities said Monday in describing the holdup as random. Mahomes and three other people were stepping from a vehicle on a home’s driveway outside Tyler on Friday night when a suspect approached, gestured he had a handgun in his waistband and took unspecified items from the victims before speeding away, the Smith County ( Texas) sheriff’s office said. Mahomes, 21, played at Texas Tech and last month was selected by the Chiefs with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. Kansas City sent firstand third- round picks this year and their first- round pick next year to Buffalo, climbing from the 27th overall pick to acquire the heir apparent to veteran Alex Smith.
Kerber returns to No. 1
Angelique Kerber is back at No. 1, replacing Serena Williams atop the WTA rankings. Monday’s move up from No. 2 represents Kerber’s third stay at the top spot, for a total of 26 weeks. Because of a quirk in the rankings due to a slight shift in the tour calendar, Williams briefly returned to No. 1 last month, even though she has not played a match since winning the Australian Open in January. It was her 23rd Grand Slam title. Williams revealed last month that she is pregnant. She is due to give birth in the fall and is taking the rest of the year off, but she plans to return to competition in 2018.
Federer to skip French
Roger Federer, 35, is passing on the French Open and instead will prepare for the grass and hard courts later this season. Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, confirmed that Federer, an 18- time Grand Slam champ, will not compete at the year’s second Grand Slam tournament, which starts in Paris on May 28. He won the title at the clay- court major in 2009. It’s the second year in a row that Federer pulled out of the French Open. Federer has not played in a tournament since April 2, when he won his third title of 2017 at the Miami Open. He started this season winning the Australian Open in January to add to his record total of Grand Slam championships. The next major tournament is Wimbledon, which begins July 3. Federer has won a record- tying seven titles at the All England Club.