BUFFS HOOPS SIGN JUCO ALL-AMERICAN
The Colorado Buffaloes bolstered their backcourt Monday, signing junior college All-American Shane Gatling to a National Letter of Intent.
Gatling, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard, averaged 16.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Indian Hills Community College in Iowa last season, leading the Warriors to a 33-1 record.
“As I look at next year’s team, what we lost and what we need to add, Shane is a perfect fit,” Buffs coach Tad Boyle said in a news release. “He is the true combo guard we were looking for.”
Gatling tied Indian Hills’ record of 102 3-pointers made in a season — welcoming news for Colorado, which lost its top two 3-point shooters in graduating seniors George King and Dominique Collier. Gatling is also expected to help provide depth at point guard, behind freshman McKinley Wright IV.
“He’s got the ability to play the point,” Boyle said. “He’s got a very good assist-to-turnover ratio, he has great ball skills. He’s a guy that can shoot it and stretch the defense. Sideby-side, they (Gatling and Wright) can be really good together, but as we saw when McKinley went down with an ankle sprain in the Pac-12 Tournament, we fell off pretty dramatically at that point guard position.”
Gatling is the fourth member of CU’s 2018-19 signing class, joining Jakub Dombek (Czech Republic), Daylen Kountz (Denver East High School) and Elijah Parquet (West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas).
Euro teams oppose World Cup expansion.
GENEVA» Top European leagues are set to oppose FIFA plans for adding more teams and playing days at the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to study a 48-team tournament plan that would add 16 teams, 16 extra games and at least four days to the scheduled 28-day event kicking off in November 2022 in Qatar.
That schedule would likely take another round of weekend fixtures from the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and others which already must shut down in midseason.
“We are not prepared to make any changes on the calendar for expanding the 2022 World Cup.” Lars-Christer Olsson, CEO of the 32-member European Leagues group, said.
Miami getting transfers.
MIAMI» Guard Kameron McGusty is transferring to the University of Miami after two seasons at Oklahoma.
McGusty announced his decision Monday on Twitter. He averaged 8.0 points in 32 games last season, including eight starts, and averaged 10.9 as a freshman, when he started 17 games.
Last week, guard Anthony Mack said he was transferring from Wyoming to Miami after not playing as a freshman.
76ers HOF guard Greer dies.
Hal Greer, a Hall of Fame guard and the Philadelphia 76ers’ career leading scorer, has died.
The Sixers said Greer died Saturday night in Arizona after a brief illness. He was 81.
Greer spent 15 seasons with the Syracuse Nationals and Philadelphia 76ers and finished his career with a record 21,586 points. He’s also the 76ers’ career leader in field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played.
Greer was the first player to have his number retired (15) by the 76ers in 1976.
Footnotes.
Duke forward Wendell Carter Jr. is leaving for the NBA draft and plans to hire an agent after one season in college. … Former Duke basketball coach Vic Bubas, who led the Blue Devils to three Final Fours in 10 seasons, has died. School spokesman Jon Jackson says family members told him Bubas died at age 91. … Daedra Charles-Furlow, a women’s basketball Hall of Famer who played on Tennessee’s 1989 and 1991 national championship teams, has died. She was 49. — The Associated Press