Hill to become USA basketball managing director
Grant Hill helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 1996. He would have been on the team again in 2000 if not for injury. And he was among the college kids who famously beat the first “Dream Team” in a scrimmage before the 1992 Olympics.
Now, USA Basketball is bringing him back.
Hill will become the U.S. men’s national basketball team managing director following the Tokyo Olympics, USA Basketball said Saturday. He’ll replace the retiring Jerry Colangelo, in a move where one Basketball Hall of Famer takes over for another in the critical role of assembling teams that will compete for gold.
“It’s just an incredible opportunity, also an incredible challenge,” Hill said Saturday. “I had the good fortune of participating in international play — the Pan American Games, of course the Olympic team — and I have been a fan of Team USA going back to the 1984 Olympic team when I first started to fall in love with basketball. The more I thought about it, the more intrigued, excited and the more willing I was to roll up my sleeves and move forward with this awesome responsibility.”
No. 1-ranked Ash Barty won her second successive Miami Open championship by beating No. 8seeded Bianca Andreescu, who was injured when she fell and retired trailing in the second set.
Andreescu, crying and shaking her head, conceded while behind 6-3, 4-0.
She stumbled and went sprawling two games earlier when she turned her foot awkwardly while hitting a forehand. During the ensuing changeover, a trainer taped her foot, but she played only five more points before retiring.
On Sunday, 19-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner will try to become the youngest men’s champion in tournament history when he plays No. 26seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland. Each is seeking the biggest title of his career.
Health officials in Indiana said they are investigating whether anyone was exposed to COVID-19 by Alabama residents following Friday night’s death of a Crimson Tide fan who was in Indianapolis for the NCAA tournament last weekend.
Luke Ratliff, a 23-year-old Alabama student, died after a brief illness, his father, Bryan Ratliff, told The Tuscaloosa News. The newspaper, citing multiple sources it did not identify, reported Ratliff died of complications related to COVID-19.
Oklahoma hired Loyola Chicago’s Porter Moser as its basketball coach following Lon Kruger’s retirement . ... The University of Cincinnati put basketball coach John Brannen on paid leave pending an investigation after six Bearcats players decided to transfer last month . ... Auburn has hired longtime Southeastern Conference assistant Johnnie
Harris as its women’s basketball coach.
The No. 9-ranked UCLA baseball team hit a season-high six home runs to record a 13-2 victory over Washington at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The six homers were the most for UCLA since May 19, 2019 (also against Washington).
Barty wins after Andreescu retires
Kings defenseman Matt Roy entered COVID-19 protocol before the team’s game against Vegas . ... The Vancouver Canucks have 14 players on the COVID-19 protocol list after seven were added Saturday. The Canucks have had four games postponed by the NHL, through Tuesday.
Former boxing champion Carl Frampton announced his retirement after losing to Jamel Herring, the World Boxing Organization junior lightweight champion, by sixthround technical knockout in Dubai. The 34-year-old Frampton (28-3) won world titles at junior featherweight and featherweight. Herring improved to 23-2.