Zags’ star off to NBA
Nigel Williams-Goss, who led Gonzaga to its first appearance in the Final Four, said yesterday he will skip his senior season and declare for the NBA draft. He will hire an agent, precluding his return to Gonzaga.
The second-team All-American led Gonzaga in scoring last year (16.8 points per game) as the top-seeded Zags advanced to the NCAA title game, where they lost to North Carolina.
The decision by Williams-Goss means that three of Gonzaga’s five starters and a key contributor from last year are gone. The Zags are losing center Przemek Karnowski and guard Jordan Mathews to graduation, and backup center Zach Collins last week declared for the NBA, becoming Gonzaga’s first one-and-done player. . . .
Oregon junior forward Jordan Bell has become the latest Ducks player to declare for the NBA draft.
Bell made his announcement on the website riselongbeach.com. The Long Beach, Calif., native says he plans to hire an agent, which would end his eligibility.
Bell joins teammates Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey, who both have also declared for the draft since the end of the season. . . .
Grayson Allen is returning to Duke for his senior season.
Allen averaged a team-best 3.5 assists during his junior season, but his scoring average was down more than seven points per game from his sophomore year.
Pugh leaves UCLA to turn pro
U.S. women’s national team forward Mallory Pugh has decided to leave UCLA for a professional soccer career.
Pugh, 18, enrolled at UCLA this winter and played in three spring games. She was expected to embark on her freshman season in the fall.
Pugh could join the domestic National Women’s Soccer League or perhaps play overseas. She has not announced a destination.
Pugh has played in 22 matches with the U.S. national team since she scored in her international debut in January 2016.
Ronaldo trick powers Madrid
With a hat trick that made him the first player to score 100 Champions League goals, Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid to a 4-2 win over 10-man Bayern Munich after extra time and put the defending champions back in the semifinals.
Ronaldo scored once in regulation and twice in extra time, while Marco Asensio also netted late for Madrid, which advanced 6-3 on aggregate after a 2-1 first leg win in Germany.
Ronaldo had scored both goals for Madrid in the first leg, when he became the first player to reach 100 goals in European club competition. . . .
Atletico Madrid reached the Champions League semifinals for the third time in four seasons by ending Leicester’s fairytale European journey, drawing 1-1 at the King Power Stadium to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
Once Atletico grabbed an away goal through Saul Niguez’ first-half header, any hopes of the English champions extending their debut in Europe’s elite competition were all but extinguished.