Nash, Kidd, Hill pegged for Hall of Fame class

Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill are among the 13-member class that will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

The Hall of Fame made the announcement Saturday before the NCAA Final Four semifinals.

The inductees also include Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Tina Thompson, coach Lefty Driesell, Charlie Scott, longtime executive Rick Welts, NBA executive Rod Thorn, Katie Smith, the late Ora Mae Washington and Croatian star Dino Radja.

Nash and Kidd were two of the greatest point guards of their generation. Nash is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and eight-time All-Sta. Kidd earned 10 All-Star selections.

Hill won two NCAA titles at Duke and seven NBA All-Star selections. Allen is the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history and a two-time league champion.

Tennis

STEPHENS CLAIMS MIAMI OPEN » U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens won her hometown tournament, beating Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6 (5), 6-1, in Saturday’s final at the Miami Open.

Stephens, a South Florida native who lives in Fort Lauderdale, won the last women’s final on Key Biscayne. The tournament will move next year to the Miami Dolphins’ stadium.

Seeded 13th, Stephens won with defense, repeatedly extending rallies until Ostapenko would make a mistake. Ostapenko had a 25-6 advantage in winners but committed 48 unforced errors to 21 by Stephens.

College basketball

STEELE PROMOTED TO XAVIER COACH » Xavier has hired assistant Travis Steele as its coach, keeping with its custom of promoting from within and maintaining continuity.

Steele has been an assistant at Xavier for 10 seasons, including the last nine on the staff of Chris Mack, who left for Louisville earlier in the week. The 36-year-old Steele becomes the school’s 18th coach.

Steele has been an integral part of the program’s development in the Big East.

The Musketeers won their first Big East regular-season title last season and were ranked as high as No. 3 in the AP poll, a school record. They also received the first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in school history, but lost to Florida State in the second round.