MORNING ROUNDUP

Trae Young added to NBA All-Star roster

Atlanta Hawks guard and former OU star Trae Young was named as an Eastern Conference injury replacement for the All-Star game on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Young and Toronto’s Scottie Barnes were announced Tuesday as the replacements for New York’s Julius Randle (shoulder) and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (knee). This marks Young’s third career All-Star selection.

Young, a former Norman North star, is averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game this season. The sixth-year guard has also kept Atlanta (22-28) in the hunt for a play-in spot.

Air Force’s Taylor honored at Thorpe Award banquet

Air Force safety Trey Taylor was honored Tuesday night at the annual Paycom Jim Thorpe Award banquet at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

He claimed the honor as college football’s top defensive back in 2023 over other finalists Cooper DeJean of Iowa and Malaki Starks of Georgia. Taylor had 71 tackles with three interceptions and four passes defended, playing a key role on a defense that ranks fifth nationally in total defense at 277.2 yards per game and 15th in scoring defense at 18.0 points per game.

Howard’s Kenny Gallop Jr. was honored with the second annual Aeneas Williams Award as the top HBCU defensive back.

McGuinness announces Hall of Fame class

Bishop McGuinness High School will induct four former athletes and a coach into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 9, the school announced.

The class includes Jonathan Bluitt, Elyse Hight, Kenny Young, Heather Bowie Young and Ryan Lindquist. Bluitt helped the Irish win four basketball state titles and two track state championships.

Hight, an athlete who played four sports, won a girls basketball state title and was a dynamic goalkeeper in soccer who was named the Female ScholarAthlete of the Year by the Jim Thorpe Association.

Kenny Young was the Irish’s football coach from 2001-2010, leading the way to two state titles in three appearances. McGuinness also made the state semifinals four times under Young, who finished 97-27 overall in his tenure. Heather Bowie Young won three golf state championships and became a three-time All-American at Arizona State before a long PGA Tour career. Lundquist was a three-sport athlete who ultimately played baseball at Arkansas, where he was an All-American.

Chiefs are Super Bowl underdogs against the 49ers

The Chiefs are underdogs heading into the Super Bowl against San Francisco, a situation they have rarely experienced in the six years that Patrick Mahomes has been their starting quarterback. But it turns out they kind of like it. They no longer have to manufacture a chip on their shoulder, instead relishing the opportunity to prove naysayers wrong. That was the case when they beat Buffalo in the divisional round, and again when they beat Baltimore in the AFC title game. On Sunday in Las Vegas, they will try to become the sixth team since 2000 to win the Super Bowl as underdogs in their last three games.

Extra points

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Former Spiro star Tylor Perry scored eight of his 26 points in overtime and Kansas State beat No. 4 Kansas 75-70 in the 300th matchup of their heated rivalry. Perry’s 3-pointer with 1:54 left gave the Wildcats a 70-66 lead. The win ended Kansas State’s four-game losing streak. NBA: Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will be evaluated in four weeks after he underwent surgery Tuesday to address an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee. The 76ers did not release any kind of timetable on Embiid’s return. Embiid, the winner of the past two NBA scoring titles, hurt his left knee last Tuesday night in a loss at Golden State.

MLB: Clayton Kershaw, the future Hall of Famer, agreed to a one-year, incentive-laden contract to return to the Dodgers pending a physical later this week, a high-ranking team official told USA TODAY Sports. Kershaw, who underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder in November, isn’t expected to pitch until the second half of the season. Yet, while the temptation was always there to pitch for his hometown team, the Texas Rangers, he officially decided to return to the Dodgers for his 17th season.

NFL: Liam Coen says leaving Kentucky to become offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and potentially work with Baker Mayfield again was a “no-brainer.” Coen was formally introduced as the newest member of the Bucs coaching staff on Tuesday, a move that could enhance the team’s chances of re-signing Mayfield. Playing with his fourth team in less than two years, Mayfield revived his career by leading the Bucs to the NFC South title and a wild-card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles this season. The quarterback will be a free agent in March and has expressed an interest in staying with Tampa Bay. Coen was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2022, when Mayfield played five games with Los Angeles.