In the news
U of M women open AAC tournament play: The University of Memphis women’s basketball team opens play in the American Athletic Conference tournament at 3 p.m. CST Friday against Tulsa at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Tulsa beat Memphis, 57-52, earlier this season, but is 1-7 since the start of February. If the eighthseeded Tigers, who finished in a tie for fifth with Cincinnati, Tulane and SMU, beat ninth-seeded Tulsa, they’ll move into the quarterfinals against UConn, the tournament’s top seed and the nation’s top-ranked program. UConn, 29-0 this season, has won an NCAA record 104 straight games and received a first-round bye.
Memphis (14-15, 7-9 AAC) will be led by two AAC third-team members, junior forward Cheyenne Creighton and junior guard Brea Elmore. Creighton leads the team with a 14.7 scoring average and shoots 52.3 percent, while Elmore is averaging 12.7 points. Tulsa is 9-20 overall and finished 5-11 in AAC play.
Briles says he didn’t cover up sexual assaults at Baylor: Former Baylor coach Art Briles says he didn’t cover up sexual violence by his players or try to obstruct any investigations in the scandal at the nation’s largest Baptist university.
Briles, who was fired in May 2016, released a one-page letter Thursday defending himself against allegations that he ignored incidents of assault and operated a program that considered itself above the rules.
Briles insists that when alerted to incidents his response was that victims should report details to the police.
Baylor faces several federal lawsuits from women who say their assault claims were ignored or mishandled.
Warriors sign veteran Barnes to replace injured Durant: The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Matt Barnes, adding the edgy veteran after losing Kevin Durant to a knee injury.
The Warriors announced the signing on Thursday.
Barnes spent two years with the Warriors earlier in his career, helping them to a stunning upset over top-seeded Dallas in the 2007 playoffs. He played in 54 games with the Sacramento Kings this season before being waived.
The 36-year-old Barnes will add some toughness and defense to the Warriors, who are priming for a run to their third straight NBA Finals. He was expected to be in uniform for Golden State’s game in Chicago on Thursday night.
Durant is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL in his left knee.
NBA will hire more referees: The NBA says it’s time to hire more referees and change the way they are scheduled and evaluated.
The NBA will launch an Officiating Advisory Council, among a number of initiatives announced Thursday following a six-month review of the officiating program conducted by Byron Spruell, the president of league operations.
The current staff of 64 will grow to at least 70 next season and the league plans to increase it by 25 percent over the next three years. Spruell said the league will consider promotions from the NBA Development League and NCAA referees, former players and referees working internationally.
A larger staff would allow the league to have what Spruell called “game administrators,” who would sit courtside and communicate between the game officials and the Replay Center. And it would have more refs in place if the league ever decides to have more than the current three-person crew calling games. It has experimented with four- and five-man crews in the D-League, which will continue.
Ex-NBA star Stoudemire sorry about gay teammate comments: Former NBA player Amare Stoudemire has apologized for telling an Israeli website that he would avoid a gay teammate.
Stoudemire told Walla Sport when asked about the possibility of having a gay teammate: “I’m going to shower across the street, make sure my change of clothes are around the corner.” When asked if he was joking, he said “there’s always a truth within a joke.”
In a statement released Thursday by his current team, Israel’s Hapoel Jerusalem, Stoudemire says the questions were “hypothetical” and all his answers had “a comedic undertone.” He says he’s “deeply sorry for offending anyone” and he’s “open to creating a dialogue to assist the fight the LGBT community encounters daily.”
Stoudemire’s comments drew criticism from gay former NBA players Jason Collins and John Amaechi.
When Stoudemire played for the New York Knicks in 2012, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA after tweeting a gay slur at a fan.
Redskins’ GM not at NFL combine: Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is not attending the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Team spokesman Tony Wyllie confirmed McCloughan’s absence in an email to The Associated Press Thursday, saying McCloughan “is taking care of some family matters.”