It’s probation for Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina’s men’s basketball program was placed on probation for two years by the NCAA on Thursday for former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepting from $3,300 to $5,800 in bribes from a sports agent. It put an end to South Carolina’s role in the college basketball corruption case that began in 2017. The Gamecocks largely avoided more serious penalties, such as a postseason ban, for what the NCAA deemed a Level I infractions case. South Carolina coach Frank Martin, who was not named in any NCAA allegations, had said from the start he had no knowledge of Evans’ actions. Evans, who worked at South Carolina for four years before leaving for Oklahoma State after the 201516 season, has pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy for taking some $22,000 to steer basketball prospects to the Gamecocks and the Cowboys. The NCAA said the case was resolved by using a cooperative summary disposition, a process in which involved parties collectively submit the case to the committee in written form. All participating parties must agree to the facts of the case for this process to be used instead of a formal hearing. Along with issuing probation, the NCAA accepted South Carolina’s self-imposed sanctions, including a reduction in unofficial visits from prospects for this season and next, a six-week ban on telephone recruiting and a $5,000 fine. The NCAA imposed a 10-year show cause order for Evans, meaning any school that tries to hire him must restrict him from any duties related to athletics unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.

FOOTBALL

› NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have waived wide receiver Adam Humphries after he played a total of 19 games the past two seasons. The Titans announced Thursday they also waived defensive backs Breon Borders and Chris Milton and signed defensive lineman Jullian Taylor. Humphries signed a fouryear contract worth up to $36 million with Tennessee in 2019. Injuries limited the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer to 12 games his first season with the Titans, and he played only seven games in 2020, when he missed four games before clearing concussion protocol, then was put on injured reserve two days after playing for the first time in a month. Titans coach Mike Vrabel said in January that Humphries remained in the concussion protocol. Humphries still ranked fifth on the team with 23 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns this past season; he made 60 catches for 602 yards in two seasons.

GOLF

› BRADENTON, Fla. — Webb Simpson ran off three straight late birdies for a share of the first-round lead Thursday in the Workday Championship. Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau ran up some big numbers. Simpson birdied the par-4 15th and 16th as well as the par-5 17th to match Matthew Fitzpatrick’s bogeyfree day with a 6-under-par 66 at The Concession Golf Club in a World Golf Championships event moved from Mexico to Florida because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simpson, a 35-year-old from North Carolina, has the 2012 U.S. Open title among his seven PGA Tour victories, two of which came last season. Fitzpatrick, a 26-year-old Englishman, is a six-time winner on the European Tour. They were a stroke ahead of veteran Spanish star Sergio Garcia

and a trio of Americans: Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner and Brooks Koepka. Johnson — he’s No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, with Simpson ninth — had two double bogeys in a 77, a score matched by 10th-ranked DeChambeau (who had a triple bogey on No. 16); they were in the group tied for 64th in the 71-player field. Baylor School graduate Harris English

opened with a 78.

› RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Tommy Gainey birdied five of the last seven holes at breezy Grand Reserve Golf Club for a 7-under-par 65 and the firstround lead Thursday in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open. Gainey, the 45-year-old from South Carolina who won his lone PGA Tour title in 2012, had a one-stroke lead over local favorite Rafael Campos

as well as Greg Chalmers, Robert Garrigus, Fabian Gomez, Lee Hodges, Taylor Pendrith and Brandon Wu. Former Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout Stephan Jaeger

(71) was tied for 52nd. Athens, Tennessee, native Eric Axley (73) was tied for 81st.