Sports briefs
In college basketball
Arizona point guard Nico Mannion has joined fellow freshman teammate Zeke Nnaji in declaring for the NBA draft.
Mannion arrived in Tucson as the highest-rated recruit in a class that included Nnaji and Josh Green. Mannion averaged 14 points and was second in the Pac-12 with 5.3 assists per game during his lone season at Arizona. The 6-3 guard from Phoenix earned second-team all-Pac-12 honors.
Mannion was born in Italy, where his father, Pace, played professionally after being an NBA draft pick in 1983.
- Duke freshman Cassius Stanley is entering the NBA draft. Stanley announced his decision after averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Blue Devils, highlighted by his high-flying athleticism.
- Maryland forward Jalen Smith intends to enter the NBA Draft and forgo his remaining two years of eligibility. Smith averaged 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds as a sophomore, helping the Terrapins to a 24-7 finish and a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. He ranked first in the conference and third nationally with 21 double-doubles.
Oilers’ Cave in coma after brain bleed
Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave has been placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a brain bleed.
The Oilers said Tuesday that the brain bleed happened overnight and that Cave was in the critical care unit at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital.
A 25-year-old, Cave scored once in 11 appearances with Edmonton this season. He had 11 goals and 23 points in 44 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
The Oilers posted Cave’s goal – an impressive rush down the right wing that saw him beat a Pittsburgh defenseman and stuff the puck past Penguins goalie Matt Murray – on Twitter.
“Colby is an awesome person who scored an awesome goal for us this season,” the team said. “The entire Oilers family is sending you all our love and strength right now.”
Earnhardt Jr. finalist for Hall of Fame
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards were among the new nominees for NASCAR’s next Hall of Fame class announced Tuesday under a revamped voting protocol.
The new process starting this year splits the nominees into three ballots; Modern candidates, Pioneer candidates and Landmark candidates. Two entries from the 10 Modern candidates will be elected, along with one entry apiece from the five-candidate Pioneer and Landmark categories.
Burton, Earnhardt, Edwards, Jake Elder and Banjo Matthews are all first-time nominees for the Hall of Fame. Burton and Earnhardt both moved to the NBC Sports broadcasting booth after successful careers with big race wins but never the elusive Cup Series championship.
Earnhardt won 26 career Cup races, including a pair of Daytona 500s, and is a 15-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award. Burton counts wins in the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 among his 21 career Cup victories. Edwards won 28 Cup races and twice failed to win the Cup title in the season finale. He tied Tony Stewart in final points in 2008 but Stewart won the race to earn the tie-breaker in the championship battle.
Others on the Modern ballot include crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine, Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Larry Phillips, Ricky Rudd, Kirk Shelmerdine and Mike Stefanik.
Series officials are targeting the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 for the return of racing, but NASCAR had no announcement on when Hall of Fame voting will be conducted.