Santa Clara’s Podziemski to test NBA draft waters
Brandin Podziemski’s outstanding first season at Santa Clara very well might be his last. The sophomore guard announced Wednesday that he has declared for the NBA draft though he is retaining his college eligibility.
Podziemski, who played sparingly as a freshman at Illinois, blossomed with the Broncos. The 6-foot-5 lefthander averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme were the WCC’s Co-Players of the Year. Podziemski also was named the Newcomer of the Year.
A glance at some mock drafts Wednesday had Podziemski getting selected anywhere from the middle of the first round to late in the second. If Podziemski is taken in the first round, he’d give Santa Clara a first-round pick in consecutive drafts; the Thunder took guard Jalen Williams 12th overall last year.
Williams had been the first Santa Clara player taken in the draft since Phoenix chose point guard Steve Nash in the first round in 1996.
In other college basketball news, Notre Dame is finalizing a deal to make Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry its new coach, replacing the retiring Mike Brey, and Wichita State hired Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts to turn around its languishing program.
Browns acquire WR Moore from Jets
Cleveland added another offensive playmaker and target for quarterback Deshaun Watson, acquiring wide receiver Elijah Moore in a trade with the Jets.
The Browns agreed to send the No. 42 pick in this year’s draft to the Jets for Moore and the No. 74 selection. The deal came shortly after the Jets agreed to terms with former Kansas City wide receiver Mecole Hardman on a one-year deal.
In other NFL news, the Las Vegas Raiders might have found their replacement for Darren Waller, signing tight end Austin Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowl selection with Atlanta. The Raiders lost a former Pro Bowler as the Houston Texans signed linebacker Denzel Perryman to a one-year deal. Another former Raider, tight end Foster Moreau, said he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, found during a physical in the freeagent process. The 25-year-old will step away from football to undergo treatment. … Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has joined the bidding for the Washington Commanders.
Baseball: Houston star Jose Altuve had surgery on his broken right thumb, suffered when hit by a pitch in the World Baseball Classic. He will not resume baseball activities for at least two months, according to the Astros.
Golf: No. 2 seed Jon Rahm was the only player from the top four seeds to lose as Rickie Fowler prevailed 2-and-1 in the opening round of the Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin, Texas.
Tennis: Top-ranked Iga Swiatek withdrew from defense of her Miami Open title because of a rib injury that she is hoping will heal during a break from competition.