COLLEGE BASKETBALL
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Third-ranked Kansas and Kansas State ended their bitter showdown Tuesday night with a wild melee in the disabled seating behind the Wildcats' basket that included punches, shoving and at least one player threatening to swing a stool.
The Jayhawks were dribbling out the time on their 81-60 victory when Silvio De Sousa was stripped by DaJuan Gordon near mid-court. Gordon tried to go for a layup and De Sousa recovered to block his shot and send the freshman sprawling, then stood over the freshman and barked at him — triggering both benches to empty into what amounted to a rugby scrum.
At one point, De Sousa picked up a stool and held it over his head before Kansas assistant Jerrance Howard grabbed it from him from behind. The Jayhawks' Marcus Garrett and David McCormick were also in the thick of the scrum along with the Wildcats' James Love and David Sloan, who was the first player to come to Gordon's defense.
It took both coaching staffs, the officials and Allen Fieldhouse security to separate the teams.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Walter McCarty has been fired as Evansville's coach after an investigation revealed additional allegations of off-court misconduct, the university announced Tuesday.
McCarty was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 26 so university officials could investigate allegations of sexual misconduct and violations of the school's Title IX policy.
In a statement announcing the decision, which is effective immediately, the school said it had received new reports of misconduct with members of the “campus community” during McCarty's tenure of less than two seasons. It also noted that McCarty had previously participated in a training program about unacceptable behavior.
Interim coach Bernie Seltzer will continue to lead the team.
MLB
NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter came within one vote of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame while Larry Walker also earned baseball's highest honor on Tuesday.
The longtime New York Yankees captain appeared on 396 of 397 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, falling just shy of the standard set when longtime Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection last year.
It was not immediately known which voter didn't choose Jeter.
Walker made it by six votes in his 10th and final appearance on the BBWAA ballot, up from 54.6% last year.
ATLANTA (AP) — Free agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves reached an $18 million, one-year deal Tuesday that puts him on the team he helped beat in the playoffs last October.
Ozuna hit .429 with two home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals in their five-game win over the Braves in the NL Division Series.
The 29-year-old Ozuna hit .241 with 29 home runs and 89 RBIs last season. His low batting average was something on an oddity because he ranked among the major league leaders in the highest percentage of hard-hit balls, according to Statcast.
Ozuna is a two-time All-Star who spent his first five seasons with the Marlins, then was traded and played two years in St. Louis.
BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia had what the team called a "significant setback” while rehabbing his left knee, the latest blow to the four-time All-Star's attempt to return to the field.
Boston spokesman Kevin Gregg confirmed the development Tuesday, which was first reported by The Boston Globe. It has left Pedroia's status for spring training uncertain. The Globe reported that he was meeting with his family, team and agents to decide his future.
The 2008 American League MVP, the 36-year-old has been struggling since Baltimore's Manny Machado slid into the surgically repaired knee at second base on April 21, 2017. Pedroia had surgery that Oct. 25, followed by a procedure to remove scar tissue the following July 20. He had another operation last Aug. 6 to remove bone spurs and preserve the knee joint.
A four-time All-Star, Pedroia has been limited to nine games over the past two seasons, three in May 2018 and six last April.
NBA
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas center Dwight Powell sustained what the Mavericks fear is a “severe” injury to his right Achilles tendon in a 110-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Coach Rick Carlisle said the club would wait on an MRI exam to determine the extent of the injury, but said the injury was “feared to be severe.”
Powell went down with a non-contact injury with 2:57 left in the first quarter. He was helped to the locker room while putting no weight on his right leg. Teammate J.J. Barea — who tore his right Achilles tendon last season — was distraught as Powell was taken off the court.
NFL
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A person familiar with the search says former Washington coach Jay Gruden is close to finalizing a deal to become Jacksonville's offensive coordinator.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the sides have not agreed to terms. The person said work remains, but a deal is expected Wednesday.
The Redskins fired Gruden in early October following an 0-5 start. Gruden, who previously served as Cincinnati's offensive coordinator (2011-13), was 35-49-1 in five-plus seasons in Washington and reached the playoffs once.
Gruden was one of four former head coaches who interviewed with Jaguars coach Doug Marrone, following former New York Giants coach Ben McAdoo, former Detroit coach Scott Linehan and former Arizona and Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt.
—By AP Sports Writer Mark Long.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii hired former Arizona State coach Todd Graham on Tuesday to lead the Rainbow Warriors.
Graham replaces Nick Rolovich, who left Hawaii after four seasons to become Washington State head coach. The Warriors are coming off a 10-5 season in which they appeared in the Mountain West championship game for the first time.
This will be Graham's fifth head coaching job, including stints at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State over the past 14 seasons. With the Sun Devils, Graham was 46-32 and 31-23 in the Pac-12 with five bowl appearances in six seasons. Overall, the 55-year-old Texas native is 95-61 in 12 seasons as a head coach.
Graham has no ties to the University of Hawaii or the state unlike most of the school's recent head coaches such as Rolovich and Norm Chow.
SOCCER
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The biggest star in Mexican soccer is coming to the LA Galaxy.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández announced his move to the five-time MLS champions on Tuesday, bringing the veteran striker back to North America after a lengthy career in Europe.
Hernández will participate in his first training session Thursday. His new team is already thrilled about the boost he will provide to a team in transition after the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Hernández is a designated player for the Galaxy and the effective replacement for Ibrahimovic, who signed with AC Milan this winter after two outstanding seasons stateside. Chicharito will also be a compelling — albeit friendly — rival to fellow Mexican star Carlos Vela, who won the MLS MVP award last season during a record-setting performance for Los Angeles FC, the Galaxy's upstart crosstown foes.
The 31-year-old Hernández is the top goal-scorer in the history of the Mexican national team, which has a fervent following among Los Angeles' expansive Latino population.
