Morgan St. great Webster inducted into Hall of Fame

Former Morgan State great Marvin Webster was inducted posthumously into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Kansas City along with five other players and two coaches. Dubbed “The Human Eraser,” the Edmondson alumnus was one of the most dominant big men in college basketball history. From 1971 to 1975, Webster had 2,267 rebounds, the second most in NCAA history. Webster was a three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and he holds Bears program records in rebounding, blocks, field goals made and free throws made. He averaged 21 points, 22.4 rebounds and eight blocked shots in 1973-74, leading Morgan State to the Division II national title. Webster was selected in the first round of both the NBA and ABA drafts in 1975 and played 10 professional seasons. He died in 2009. WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Maryland forward Shakira Austin was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. The 6-foot-5 Austin averaged 9.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in two road wins for No. 7 Maryland (4-0). BASEBALL: The Washington Nationals continued their aggressive start to the offseason Monday, addressing their glaring need for a proven catcher by agreeing to a two-year deal with 35year-old Kurt Suzuki, a person familiar with the situation told The Washington Post. The deal, pending a physical, is worth $10 million and will pay Suzuki $4 million in 2019 and $6 million in 2020, and it would bring Suzuki back to the team for which he played in 2012 and 2013. The veteran hit .271 with 12 homers in 105 games with the Atlanta Braves last season. MORE BASEBALL: Toronto outfielder Griffin Conine, a son of former Orioles outfielder Jeff Conine, has been suspended for the first 50 games of next season under the minor league drug program for a positive test for the banned stimulant ritalinic acid. Griffin Conine, 21, was selected by the Blue Jays in the second round of last June’s amateur draft with the 52nd overall pick and signed for a bonus of $1.35 million. —