Alabama losing a second running back, McClellan, to NFL

Alabama running back Jase McClellan is entering the NFL draft, leaving the Crimson Tide without their two leading rushers going into next season.

McClellan announced his decision on social media. No. 2 rusher Roydell Williams had already entered the transfer portal.

McClellan had the most productive of his four seasons with Alabama in 2023, rushing for a team-best 890 yards and eight touchdowns.

MLB Rays' Franco sees charges reduced

Wander Franco is facing a lesser charge after a judge in the Dominican Republic analyzed evidence that alleges the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paid her mother thousands of dollars for her consent.

Originally accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering — charges that carry up to 30 years, 10 years and 20 years of prison respectively — Franco now stands accused instead of sexual and psychological abuse, according to a judge's resolution that The AP obtained.

Franco has not been formally accused, but if found guilty on the new charge, he could face between two to five years in prison.

In his decision, Judge Romaldy Marcelino observed that prosecutors gave the case against Franco a different and more serious treatment because “the accused is a professional MLB player,” he said.

The judge also determined that the money Franco is accused of giving the teen's mother cannot be considered payment for the girl's alleged services since the mother requested money after finding out about their relationship, which lasted four months, according to evidence collected by prosecutors.

The girl's 35-year-old mother also is charged in the case and remains under house arrest. The original charges of money laundering still stand against her.

The AP is not naming the woman in order to preserve her daughter's privacy.

Franco was conditionally released Monday from a jail in the northern province of Puerto Plata after being detained for a week. He was ordered to pay 2 million Dominican pesos ($34,000) as a type of deposit and is required to meet with authorities once a month in the Dominican Republic as the investigation continues.

• The Chicago Cubs bolstered their rotation, agreeing to a contract with Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga. The agreement was pending a physical. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Imanaga, 30, who got the win for Japan in last year's World Baseball Classic final against the United States, had until 2 p.m. on Thursday to reach an agreement with a major league team.

Imanaga gives Chicago a replacement for Marcus Stroman, who became a free agent after opting out of his contract.

Imanaga was 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 22 starts this year for the Yokohama BayStars of Japan's Central League. He struck out 174 and walked 24 in 148 innings.

Imanaga was regarded as the second prominent Japanese pitcher on the free agent market after righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who finalized a $325million, 12-year contract with the Dodgers last month.

Imanaga was 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA in eight seasons with Yokohama, striking out 1,021 and walking 280 in 1,002 2/3 innings.

His fastball averaged 93.5 mph in the WBC final, when he allowed one run and four hits in two innings, giving up a home run to Trea Turner.

TENNIS Vondrousova pulls out of tuneup tournament

Second-seeded Jessica Pegula had a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over fellow American Bernarda Pera today to advance to the quarterfinals of the Adelaide (Australia) International.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the tourney, citing a right hip injury, five days before the Australian Open starts in Melbourne.

The No. 7-ranked Vondrousova pulled out of the tournament hours before her scheduled first-round match against Russian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova upset former No. 1-ranked Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1.

• In the Hobart International, Sloane Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, was broken while serving for the match and then lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) to No. 73-ranked Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Nos. 1-2 Purdue, Houston both go down

Keisei Tominaga scored 19 points to lead Nebraska, which opened up an 11-point halftime lead then held off two second-half surges to upset No. 1 Purdue 88-72 in Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) last defeated a No. 1 team 41 years ago, when it beat Missouri 67-51. The Huskers last win over a No. 1 in Lincoln was a 74-73 victory over Michigan in 1962.

Purdue (14-2, 3-2 Big Ten) hit its first four 3-pointers of the second half as it sliced Nebraska's 41-30 halftime lead to 51-50 on Braden

Smith's free throws with 13:51 left. But the Huskers countered with a 14-2 run to go up by 13.

IOWA STATE 57, NO. 2 HOUSTON 53 >> Tamin Lipsey scored 14 points, freshman Milan Momcilovic made a baseline jumper with 30.2 seconds left and the Cyclones (12-3, 1-1 Big 12) beat the Cougars (14-1, 1-1) to knock off the nation's final unbeaten team in Ames, Iowa.

NO. 6 KENTUCKY 90, MISSOURI 77 >> Rob Dillingham scored 23 points off the bench, Tre Mitchell had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the Wildcats (12-2, 2-0 Southeastern) beat the visiting Tigers (8-7, 0-2) for their sixth consecutive win.

BOISE STATE 65, NO. 17 COLORADO STATE 58 >> O'Mar Stanley scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Tyson Degenhart and Chibuzo Agbo added 13 points each to lead the host Broncos (114, 2-0 Mountain West) over the Rams (13-3, 1-2).

NO. 14 BAYLOR 81, NO. 18 BYU 72 >> Jalen Bridges scored 17 of his 25 points after halftime as the Bears (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) rallied from a nine-point deficit to beat the Cougars (12-3, 0-2), in Waco, Texas.