Stanford ranked 7th in preseason football poll
Westbrook agrees to three-year extension to remain with Thunder
USA Today has tabbed Stanford seventh in its preseason football coaches poll released Thursday.
It is the highest preseason ranking for the Cardinal since being projected fourth in 2013. Stanford, picked by the media to win the 2016 Pac-12 title, was 21st in last year’s preseason poll.
The reigning Pac-12 champions were third in USA Today’s final poll of the 2015 season after defeating No. 6 Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama and Clemson held down the top two spots in the preseason poll. Oklahoma, the defending Big 12 champion and a playoff semifinalist a year ago, opens at No. 3.
Stanford will face five opponents ranked in the preseason poll: No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 17 USC, No. 18 Washington, No. 22 Oregon and No. 24 UCLA.
Stanford opens its season Sept. 2 at home against Kansas State.
Basketball
A month after Kevin Durant bolted for Golden State, star guard Russell Westbrook signed a contract extension to stay in Oklahoma City. A person with direct knowledge of the terms said the two sides agreed on a three-year deal worth $85.7 million. The five-time All-Star averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.4 assists last season.
The New York Knicks have signed former Stanford guard Chasson Randle. The 6-foot-2 Randle played for CEZ Nymburk in the Czech Republic last season. He appeared in three games for New York’s entry in the Orlando summer league.
Golf
Jerry Kelly shot a 6under 64 for a share of the first-round lead with Vaughn Taylor and Andrew Loupe in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. Ninety-three players shot par or better, including U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson (67), Matt Kuchar (69), and Patrick Reed (70).
NFL
The Arizona Cardinals signed nine-year NFL cornerback Alan Ball and released safety Tyrequek Zimmerman. The 31-yearold Bell has six interceptions in 108 career games with Dallas (2007-11), Houston (2012), Jacksonville (2013-14) and Chicago (2015). With the Bears last season, he had 18 tackles in 15 games.
Tennis
Second-seeded Nick Kyrgios of Australia advanced to the BB&T Atlanta Open quarterfinals, beating American Jared Donaldson 7-6 (4), 6-3 in a raininterrupted match. He will face fifth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over France’s Julien Benneteau. In the other quarterfinal, seventhseeded Donald Young will play fellow American Reilly Opelka.
Motor Sports
Martin Truex Jr. has signed a two-year contract extension with Furniture Row Racing, keeping him with his NASCAR team through the 2018 season.
Baseball
The Stockton Ports scored four runs in the 11th and held on for an 8-4 win over the San Jose Giants.