Forward Chukwuka to stay at Pitt
Forward Kene Chukwuka announced Thursday he will return to the Pitt basketball program, the sixth to remain with the Panthers of the nine who requested their release when former coach Kevin Stallings was fired.
Forward Ryan Luther (transfer to Arizona), point guard Marcus Carr (Minnesota) and guard Parker Stewart (Tennessee-Martin, where his father, Anthony, is the head coach) — opted to go elsewhere.
As a sophomore last season, his first season in Division I following a transfer from New Mexico Junior College, the 6-foot-9 Chukwuka averaged 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game.
More colleges
Graduate transfer Gardner Minshew, who threw for 2,140 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for East Carolina, signed with Washington State and will compete for the job to replace departed the recording-setting Luke Falk, a sixth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans. The Cougars also signed defensive lineman Lamonte McDougle, who played extensively as a freshman at West Virginia last season. He must sit out the 2018 season.
• The NCAA is opening a door for states with legalized sports gambling to host NCAA championship events. The governing body for college sports announced a “temporary” lifting of a ban that prevented events like college basketball’s NCAA tournament from being hosted in states that accept wagers on single games. The move comes three days after the Supreme Court overturned a federal law that barred most states from allowing gambling on professional and college sporting events.
• ACC commissioner John Swofford said the league will propose legislation to expand the NCAA tournament from 68 to 72 teams, creating a second set of First Four games in the western half of the country to go with the tournament-opening ones in Dayton, Ohio.
• Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., is moving 17 of its 20 athletic programs from the Big South to the Atlantic Sun Conference. Football will compete as a Bowl Subdivision independent, field hockey will remain in the Big East, and women’s swimming and diving will stay in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association. The Atlantic Sun has members in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and New Jersey.
Women’s basketball
The WNBA, whose season starts Friday, will donate $5 for each ticket purchased to select games this season to one of six women’s organizations as part of the “Take a Seat, Take a Stand” campaign. All 12 teams will participate. The six organizations are Bright Pink, GLSEN, It’s On Us, MENTOR, Planned Parenthood and The United State of Women.
Pro football
Coming off a 0-16 season, the Cleveland Browns have been chosen to appear on HBO’s popular “Hard Knocks” series that gives NFL fans a behind-the-scenes look at training camp. Cleveland is the 13th franchise to participate in “Hard Knocks,” which began in 2001.