Sooners’ Anderson won’t be charged
An Oklahoma prosecutor decided against charging Sooners running back Rodney Anderson with sexual assault, clearing a major cloud hanging over the team ahead of its College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia in the Rose Bowl.
“Definitely, charges are not warranted under these circumstances,” Cleveland County Dist. Atty. Greg Mashburn said during a news conference.
The accusation stemmed from a petition for a protective order in which a woman said Anderson assaulted her in her apartment last month and that she feared for her safety. Anderson had gone to her home after the two met during a night of drinking.
Anderson has been one of Oklahoma’s breakout stars after season-ending injuries the last two years.
He leads the Sooners with 960 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has 283 yards and five touchdowns receiving.
A marijuana possession charge against Georgia starting inside linebacker Natrez Patrick was dismissed. Coach Kirby Smart did not comment on Patrick’s status for the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 . ... Oregon senior running back Royce Freeman, the school’s all-time leading rusher, won’t play in the Las Vegas Bowl against Boise State on Saturday, new Ducks coach Mario Cristobal said. Freeman, who could be taken in the early rounds of the 2018 NFL draft, set the Pac-12 record with 60 career rushing touchdowns . ... West Virginia quarterback Will Grier said he would return for his senior season in 2018 . ... West Virginia running back Justin Crawford will skip the Mountaineers’ Heart of Dallas Bowl game against Utah on Dec. 26 to focus on preparing for the draft. ... Pittsburgh sophomore quarterback Ben DiNucci, who started six games this season, said he is transferring.
Nineteen-year-old Christian Pulisic became the youngest winner of the U.S. Soccer Federation's male player of the year award. The USSF said that Pulisic received 94% of the votes. Landon Donovan had been the youngest winner, earning the honor at 21 in 2003. A midfielder from Hershey, Pa., Pulisic had six goals and four assists in nine games for the national team this year and was involved in 13 of the 17 American goals in games he played.
Shaun White fell during the qualifying round of the Dew Tour and did not reach the final of the second Olympic qualifying event. The two-time Olympic champion finished 14th in Breckenridge, Colo. He will have two events in January — in Snowmass, Colo., and Mammoth Mountain — to secure his spot in the Pyeongchang Olympics. Three men will make the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team based on their two best results from the four qualifying events. White finished third last week in Copper Mountain, Colo. Team coaches also have discretionary picks, making it unlikely White would be left out.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic will be out indefinitely because of a blockage in his lungs. The team said that pulmonary embolisms were discovered in Teletovic’s lungs. The 32-year-old consulted with Bucks team physicians after experiencing unusual fatigue this week. Following a 10day rest period, Teletovic will begin a supervised rehabilitation program.
Charlotte fired men’s basketball coach Mark Price, the former NBA All-Star who was 30-42 in his third season with the 49ers.