De Sousa opts out of Kansas season
Kansas forward Silvio de Sousa is opting out of the upcoming college basketball season, potentially ending what has been one of the most controversial tenures of any player to have joined coach Bill Self’s blueblood program.
Self said in a statement that de Sousa was opting out to “focus on matters in his personal life.” Self added that it became clear in recent workouts that de Sousa was distracted, and after the two of them talked recently, “it was clear this was the best decision for him and Kansas basketball.”
De Sousa joined the Jayhawks midway through the 2017- 18 season and helped them to reach the Final Four. But he was forced to sit out the next season amid eligibility questions after his name surfaced in the FBI probe into college basketball corruption, then served a 12game suspension last year for his role in a brawl against Kansas State.
Pro football
NFL leading rusher Dalvin Cook will sit out Minnesota’s game Sunday against Atlanta because of a groin injury, giving Alexander Mattison the opportunity for his first career start at running back.
Hockey
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed 41- year- old forward Joe Thornton to a one- year, $ 700,000 contract. Thornton, a six- time all star and the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2006 as the NHL’s MVP, has played 1,636 regular- season games with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks.
College football
Defensive end Samdup Miller, safety Travis Whillock, quarterback Aidan Smith and tight end Jason Whittaker have opted out of Northwestern’s pandemic- shortened season.
• The Southeastern Conference postponed next week’s game between Missouri and No. 10 Florida, the third league contest moved this week because of COVID- 19 outbreaks.
Tennis
Wimbledon iis planning its comeback in 2021. Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam tournament canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the All England Club announced plans for its return next year with or without fans.
• Andrey Rublev eased into the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Open after defeating Britain’s Cameron Norrie, 6- 2, 6- 1. The third- seeded Russian will play Denis Shapovalov for a place in Sunday’s final.
Auto racing
NASCAR is in the process of reviewing a request by Cup driver Kyle Larson to return to competition after he was suspended indefinitely from the sport in April for using a racial slur in an iRacing event.
• Bret Holmes took second at the ARCA Series finale at Kansas Speedway to win the series championship.