Hillgrove receives broadcasting award

The National Sports Media Association voted longtime Pitt broadcaster Bill Hillgrove as the winner of the second annual Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award, the organization announced Tuesday.

Hillgrove, 78, will be presented with the award in June at the NSMA awards banquet in Winston-Salem, N.C. Durham was the legendary play-by-play man for North Carolina Tar Heels basketball, and the University of North Carolina sponsors his namesake honor in partnership with Learfield IMG College.

Last year, the inaugural winner was Don Fischer, voice of Indiana Hoosiers basketball. Hillgrove, who also calls Steelers games, is the second-longest tenured play-by-play broadcaster (51 seasons) in Division I basketball, one year behind Duquesne’s Ray Goss.

N.C. State

Coach Kevin Keatts remains unsure when injured point guard Markell Johnson will return to the 21st-ranked Wolfpack. Keatts said Johnson “could play on Thursday or could play three or four weeks from now.” Johnson has missed two games with soreness in his left hip and back after taking a hard fall two weeks ago against Pitt.

Former Baylor guard Alexis Morris is transferring to the No. 14 Rutgers women. Scarlet Knights coach C. Vivian Stringer announced the transfer. The 5-foot-6 guard will have three years of eligibility remaining when she starts playing next January.

Elsewhere

Former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson became the latest person to plead guilty in a federal prosecution that has exposed corruption in college recruiting. He accepted $20,000 in 2017 to steer athletes to a business manager.