BASKETBALL
Clingan to enter draft
Donovan Clingan is leaving UConn after two seasons and entering the NBA dDraft, the 7-2 center announced Friday, four days after he helped lead the Huskies to a second straight national title. Clingan, a sophomore from Bristol, Conn., posted his decision on social media, saying that playing in the NBA has been a "lifelong dream." His decision did not come as a surprise. Huskies Coach Dan Hurley has consistently referred to both Clingan and freshman guard Stephon Castle as NBA lottery picks. Castle has yet to announce his future plans.
Duke's top scorers leaving
Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain, Duke's top two scorers, are both off to the NBA. The two announced their decisions on social media Friday. Filipowski, a 7-foot sophomore from Westtown, N.Y., was named a second-team AP All-American after averaging a team-high 16.4 points. He also led the Blue Devils in rebounds (8.3 per game) and in blocked shots with 54. McCain, a 6-3 freshman from Sacramento, Calif., averaged 14.3 points.
FOOTBALL
Odom signs 5-year deal
UNLV signed second-year Coach Barry Odom to a five-year contract on Friday after he led the Rebels to one of the most successful seasons in program history. Odom, a former University of Arkansas assistant, led the Rebels to a 9-5 record last season, the most victories in the program since 1984. UNLV played in the Mountain West championship for the first time and competed in its first bowl in 10 years, losing 49-36 to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix. The Mountain West named Odom its Coach of the Year, the first time a UNLV coach has received that honor since John Robinson, in 2000, led the Rebels to the Las Vegas Bowl. The 47-year-old Odom receives a base salary of $400,000 each year.
Titans trade for lineman
The Tennessee Titans have traded a seventh-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Leroy Watson IV. The Titans announced the deal Friday, pending Watson passing a physical. Tennessee will send the No. 227 pick overall to Cleveland to add depth to the offensive line. The 6-5, 311-pound Watson played seven games with Cleveland last season. He spent the 2022 season on the San Francisco practice squad after signing as an undrafted college free agent out of Texas-San Antonio. He played tight end with 25 catches for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns.
QB Mond joins Saints
The New Orleans Saints have agreed to contract terms with free agent quarterback Kellen Mond, who'll compete for a back-up role behind Derek Carr. Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis did not disclose financial details when he announced Mond's contract agreement on Friday. The 6-3 Mond joins a Saints roster that also includes two other reserve quarterbacks: recent free-agent acquisition Nathan Peterman and 2023 fourth-round draft choice Jake Haener. Mond began his NFL career in 2021, when the Vikings made him a third-round draft pick, 66th overall. He was a backup with Minnesota as a rookie and a backup in Cleveland in 2022. The Texas A&M star spent much of last season on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad.
Seahawks add veteran guard
The Seattle Seahawks are expected to sign veteran guard Laken Tomlinson to a one-year deal, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The move adds some needed depth to the Seahawks' offensive line, instantly providing them with an experienced option on the interior of the offensive line. That was viewed as a need for Seattle heading into the NFL Draft later this month. Tomlinson was a first-round pick of Detroit in 2015 out of Duke and has started 114 consecutive games dating to the 2017 season. Seattle had a close-up look at Tomlinson during the five seasons he spent as a starter in San Francisco.
TENNIS
Djokovic returns to semis
Novak Djokovic is back in the semifinals at the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time since 2015. Nine years after he won the last of his two titles at the clay-court tournament, the top-ranked Serb secured a spot in the last four with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Alex De Minaur on Friday. Djokovic struggled with consistency at the Country Club against his Australian rival and dropped his serve three times. But De Minaur, who made Djokovic work and run a lot with his solid baseline game, had even more trouble with his serve. Djokovic broke De Minaur five times to move into a record-breaking 77th Masters 1000 semifinal. At 36, Djokovic is the oldest semifinalist in the tournament's Open era, which began in 1968.
BASEBALL
Verlander set for rehab start
Houston ace Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his second and likely final rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi tonight. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He allowed six earned runs and struck out six pitching into the fourth inning of his first rehabilitation start Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land. After Verlander threw 65 pitches in that start, Houston Manager Joe Espada said the team expects the 41-year-old to throw 75-80 pitches on Saturday. Espada has previously said that the Astros don't expect that Verlander will need more than two minor league starts before making his season debut for the Astros.
Rays' Lowe heads to IL
The Tampa Bay Rays put oft-injued second baseman Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain and recalled infielder Niko Goodrum from Triple-A Durham on Friday. Lowe was hurt on Tuesday swinging a bat in preparation to enter as a pinch hitter. Injuries limited Lowe to 68 games in 2022 and 109 last year. He hit 39 home runs and drove in 99 runs during the 2021 season. Amed Rosario and Curtis Mead will get most of the playing time at second base with Lowe's absence.
Surgery for Rockies' pitcher
Colorado right-hander Daniel Bard needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season, Rockies Manager Bud Black said Friday. Bard is in the final season of a $19 million, two-year deal. He has not pitched in 2024 after surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Black said Bard was bothered by elbow soreness last season, when he went 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA and one save in 50 games.