UK, UM must learn from last week’s losses
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: An MRI taken late Saturday night revealed no major damage to Minnesota G Nate Mason’s left ankle, though the Golden Gophers called his status “day to day” because of a sprain. Mason, named to the All-Big Ten first team last season, was hurt early in the second half of a 95-60 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday. After a visit from the trainer, Mason was helped off the court but didn’t put any weight on the ankle.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Arizona State on Sunday hired San Diego State’s Danny Gonzales as defensive coordinator. Gonzales spent the last seven seasons with the Aztecs, becoming their defensive coordinator this season, when they were 11th nationally in total defense and ninth against the run. He replaces Phil Bennett, who opted not to join new coach Herm Edwards’ staff because of personal and health reasons . ... According to an ESPN report, UCLA QB Josh Rosen said he would be hesitant to enter the 2018 NFL draft knowing the Browns had the No. 1 pick, which became reality after their 20-3 loss to the Bears. Rosen, who remains in concussion protocol and has not yet been cleared to play in Tuesday’s Cactus Bowl against Kansas State, reportedly would prefer to play professionally for the Giants. ... Former Baylor assistant Jeff Lebby was hired as an offensive assistant at Central Florida, one of four new assistant coaches the school announced. Lebby, who spent last season at NAIA Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., is the son-in-law of Art Briles, Baylor’s head coach for eight seasons before being terminated in 2016 in the wake of a wide-ranging sexual-assault scandal at the school. Joining Lebby on new UCF coach Josh Heupel’s staff are defensive line coach Shane Burnham, running backs coach Anthony Tucker and receivers coach Darrell Wyatt.
SOCCER: Southampton F Charlie Austin will miss three games after accepting a Football Association charge for violent conduct. The FA announced Austin had argued that the suspension — for kicking Huddersfield G Jonas Lossl — was excessive, but that his case had been rejected. The Danish goalkeeper was left with a bloodied face and suspected broken nose following the incident in Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at St Mary’s Stadium . ... Following the successful example of the English Premier League, the Italian league will play Serie A and Italian Cup matches on four days during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
TENNIS: Serena Williams is returning to competition with an exhibition match Saturday in Abu Dhabi against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Williams has not played since winning the Australian Open last January while she was pregnant . ... Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka notified organizers of the ASB Classic in Auckland that she will be unable to play in the tournament at the start of January for what she called “personal reasons.” The former world No. 1 has not played since July at Wimbledon because she cannot leave California until a dispute with her former partner over the custody of their son is resolved. Azarenka has been given a wild card into the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 15.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Fifthranked North Carolina made use of its few days off to sort out what went wrong during an upset home loss to Wofford. Now sixth-ranked Miami and No. 7 Kentucky have to do the same.
The Tar Heels lost to Wofford on Wednesday — snapping a 23-game home winning streak — before regrouping with a win against Ohio State in Saturday’s CBS Sports Classic in New Orleans. The Wildcats (9-2) lost to unranked UCLA in that same event in the marquee game of the week for a light AP Top 25 schedule.
“Hopefully we bounce back from this,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “I told them, “The next four games we play, we can lose every one.”
Then, late Saturday, the Hurricanes followed with a loss to New Mexico State in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.
The Tar Heels (11-2) were coming off last weekend’s win at No. 21 Tennessee when they turned in a clunker of a performance against the Terriers, from being sloppy with the ball to struggling for consistent defensive stops and offensive flow. It was a performance that left coach Roy Williams criticizing “bad movement, bad defense, bad coaching” for a team he described as “fat and happy.”
’CANES STUMBLE: As for Miami, the Hurricanes (10-1) beat Hawaii in Friday’s Diamond Head first round in Honolulu but lost to New Mexico State in the semifinal. A win would’ve sent the Hurricanes into a Christmas Day title game against USC, which was ranked earlier this season.
Instead, Miami will play Middle Tennessee for third place.
ZAGS, TOO: No. 12 Gonzaga (10-3) lost to San Diego State 72-70 on Thursday in a game the Bulldogs never led.
STILL UNBEATEN: Miami’s loss left three unbeaten teams in the poll: top-ranked Villanova (12-0), No. 3 Arizona State (12-0) and No. 15 TCU (12-0).