Briefs
Georgia hires Crean
Georgia hired former Indiana coach Tom Crean as its coach on Thursday, capping a fast-paced search only five days after firing Mark Fox.
Crean was hired by athletic director Greg McGarity one day after former Ohio State coach Thad Matta withdrew from consideration.
McGarity described Crean as “one of the most successful coaches in college basketball over the past two decades.”
Crean was 356-231 in 18 seasons at Marquette and Indiana from 1999-2017. He led teams to nine NCAA appearances, four Sweet 16s and the 2003 Final Four with a Marquette team led by Dwyane Wade.
“His teams have consistently been participants in postseason play, and his players have been extremely successful in the classroom,” McGarity said. “He’s going to be a great fit for the University of Georgia.”
Crean was 166-135 as Indiana’s coach from 2008-17. He took over a program facing NCAA probation and scholarship restrictions. After a 28-66 record in his first three seasons, Indiana was 138-69 in his final six years, including Big Ten Championships in 2013 and 2016.
Fox was fired Saturday after earning two NCAA Tournament bids in nine seasons.
Crean, who will turn 52 on March 25, said Georgia, best known for its football tradition, also can challenge for national titles in basketball.
“Make no mistake, this is a basketball program inside of a great university that can compete for championships doing it the right way,” Crean said in a statement released by Georgia. “We will work diligently and with great energy to make everyone associated with the University of Georgia very proud of our efforts.”
Classic change
Roman Bravo-Young will not be able to participate in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic because of injury. Bravo-Young is a senior at Sunnyside High School in Tucson and has a 182-0 record with four state titles.
He will be replaced on the United States Team by Quinn Kinner of Mullica, N.J., who has a 168-6 record and two state titles.
The Wrestling Classic is Sunday, March 25 at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House.
The WPIAL wrestles Iowa in the 4 p.m. preliminary and the United States takes on Pennsylvania at 6 p.m.
Foyt attacked by killer bees
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt was briefly hospitalized after an attack of Africanized killer bees he encountered while working on his ranch.
Wednesday’s attack was the second time the 83-year-old has disturbed beehives while working on his bulldozer. He sustained over 200 stings to his head alone in a 2005 bee attack.
A.J. Foyt Racing said in a statement that Foyt was released from a Texas hospital once he was stabilized. The team said this second bee attack was more serious than the first because the first encounter made Foyt more sensitive to bee stings.
Foyt will miss this weekend’s Twelve Hours of Sebring. He was scheduled to be inducted into Sebring’s Hall of Fame on Friday night and was the scheduled grand marshal for Saturday’s race.
Said Foyt: “I look like I had a fight with Mike Tyson and lost. Right now I’m on so much medication that I’m not feeling that great, so I’ll take the doctors’ advice to rest for the next couple days.”
In college lacrosse
The Waynesburg University women’s lacrosse team opened the 2018 schedule with a home match against NCAA Division II program West Virginia Wesleyan on a chilly Thursday evening. The Yellow Jackets fell 23-0 to the Bobcats.
Waynesburg sophomore keeper Christina Bauer stopped 12 West Virginia Wesleyan (3-2-1) shots over 60 minutes in net.