USC’S Mobley, Peterson leave for the NBA draft
Two of USC’s top three scorers have declared for the NBA draft amid another offseason of upheaval for Andy Enfield and the Trojans.
Drew Peterson became the latest to announce his plans to leave USC, declaring his intent to enter the NBA draft, while still retaining his eligibility to return to USC this summer if he so chooses.
Isaiah Mobley took a similar route last spring before ultimately deciding to return to USC. The expectation is Peterson will follow that same path, working out for NBA teams and soliciting feedback from scouts before playing one final season at USC.
Mobley, a junior, who led USC in scoring (14.2) and rebounds (8.3) last season, posted on social media Saturday that he planned to enter the draft and hire an agent, bringing his three-year tenure to an official close.
Former Louisiana State guard and SEC all-freshman team pick Brandon Murray is transferring to Georgetown over Tennessee and Illinois. ... Louisville coach Kenny Payne named former Duke staffer Nolan Smith as assistant coach. ... Florida big man Colin Castleton is returning for a fifth season. ... Former Syracuse star Sue Ludwig will be an assistant for the Orange women’s team, which is headed by former teammate Felisha Legette-Jack. ... Carly Thibault-DuDonis was hired as women’s coach at Fairfield.
The Sacramento Kings fired interim coach Alvin Gentry a day after the franchise missed the playoffs for a 16th straight season. Sacramento won 116-109 at NBA-leading Phoenix on Sunday to finish at 30-52. The 67year-old Gentry was promoted from associate head coach to interim coach when the Kings fired Luke Walton in November following a 6-11 start. ... Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch signed a multiyear contract extension after guiding the team to seventh place in the Western Conference and a play-in game berth. ... WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke before the draft in New York about the league’s commitment to help bring Brittney Griner back to the U.S. Griner, one of the league’s biggest stars, has been detained in Russia since arriving at a Moscow airport in mid-February.
Alexander Bublik cut short Stan Wawrinka’s return to the tour, defeating the Swiss 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters in his first singles match in 13 months. Marin Cilic of Croatia overwhelmed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-2, turning the Frenchman’s opening match in Monaco into his final clay-court appearance in a Masters event. Tsonga is retiring after the French Open.
Gary Brown, who rushed for 4,300 yards while playing on three NFL teams in the 1990s before going on to coach running backs in the pro and college ranks, has died. He was 52. No cause of death was disclosed. Brown had battled cancer on multiple occasions. ... The Washington Commanders re-signed kicker Joey Slye. A person with knowledge of the move said it’s a two-year deal that could be worth up to $5 million with $2 million guaranteed. ... The Jacksonville Jaguars waived linebacker Dylan Moses as players reported for the team’s voluntary offseason workout program.
The IOC said Tunisian sailor and Olympian Eya Guezguez died in a training incident. She was 17. Guezguez was training with her twin sister Sarra alongside their national team on Sunday when their boat capsized because of strong winds. The two competed together at the Tokyo Olympics.