BASKETBALL
League bans Evans
The NBA has banned Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans for at least two years for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. The league announced that Evans had been dismissed and disqualified on Friday. He can apply for reinstatement in 2021. Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard declined comment at the NBA draft combine in Chicago. The team said it in a statement it would reach out to Evans to offer support. A 10-year veteran who will be a free agent after the season, Evans averaged 10.2 points in 69 games after signing with the Pacers in July. He scored 19.4 points per game for Memphis in 2017-18 and previously played for Sacramento and New Orleans. Evans sat out one game early in the season for violating team rules and issued an apology then for being late to practice. He also missed three games late in the year due to personal reasons and a respiratory infection.
Awards finalists named
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George have a chance to be both the NBA’s MVP and its Defensive Player of the Year. Reigning MVP James Harden is the other finalist for the league’s top award. The NBA announced three finalists for six individual award categories Friday, based on voting results from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to the best record in the league and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals. Oklahoma City was eliminated in the first round as George struggled with a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery. The other finalist for the league’s top defensive award was Utah’s Rudy Gobert, who won the award last year. The winners will be announced June 24 during the NBA Awards, when LeBron James will finish outside the top three of the MVP voting for just the second time in the past 11 years. The other award finalists are Rookie of the Year: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix; Luka Doncic, Dallas; Trae Young, Atlanta. Sixth Man Award: Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, Clippers; Domantas Sabonis, Indiana. Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee; Michael Malone, Denver; Doc Rivers, Clippers. Most Improved Player: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento; D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn; Pascal Siakam, Toronto.
Williams to stay in draft
Grant Williams, the two-time SEC player of the year, said he’s staying in the NBA draft rather than returning for his senior season at Tennessee. Williams shared his decision Friday with the Stadium sports network at the NBA combine, saying he feels confident in himself and his game after receiving feedback from teams and he is excited to take the next step in his journey. The consensus All-American announced in April that he would test his draft status before making a final decision. The 6-foot-7 junior graduated from Tennessee last week after averaging 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
MOTOR SPORTS
Bowyer takes pole
Clint Bowyer captured the pole Friday for the NASCAR All-Star race today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, putting him in a great position to take home the $1 million first-place prize. Bowyer completed three qualifying laps and one four-tire pit stop in 1 minute, 58.794 seconds to edge out Kyle Busch, who was seeking his fourth career pole for the non-points race. Defending champion Kevin Harvick qualified third in his pink No. 4 Ford, Austin Dillion fourth and Martin Truex Jr. fifth. Bowyer, 39, has never won the All-Star race in nine previous attempts. He ran a fast first lap in his No. 14 Ford and combined that with a flawless pit stop and strong closing lap to knock Busch off the pole. This year’s All-Star race will feature a four-stage format — 30 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps followed by a 15-lap shootout.
Junior to pace 500
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. Earnhardt will drive the Corvette Grand Sport Official at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag May 26. The NBC Sports analyst will be part of the broadcast team. It will be Earnhardt’s first trip to the Indy 500. Earnhardt also drove the pace car at Indy last year for the NASCAR race. He opened this year’s NASCAR season driving the pace car for the Daytona 500. This is the 16th year Corvette has served as the Indy 500 pace car and the 30th time a Chevrolet has led the field dating back to 1948, when a Fleetmaster Six convertible paced the race.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Report: Team doctor sexually abused 177
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A now-dead Ohio State team doctor sexually abused at least 177 male students from the 1970s through the 1990s, and numerous university officials got wind of what was going on over the years but did little or nothing to stop him, according to a report released by the school Friday.
Dr. Richard Strauss groped or ogled young men while treating athletes from at least 16 sports and working at the student health center and his off-campus clinic, investigators from a law firm hired by the university found.
Ohio State President Michael Drake said at a news conference Friday that there was a “consistent institutional failure” at Ohio State, the nation’s third-largest university, with nearly 65,000 students and a half-million living alumni. The school, Drake said, “fell short of its responsibility to its students, and that’s regrettable and inexcusable.”
The report on Strauss, who killed himself at age 67 in 2005 nearly a decade after he was allowed to retire with honors, could cost Ohio State dearly by corroborating lawsuits brought
against it by a multitude of victims.
The abuse at Ohio State went on from 1979 to 1997 and took place at various locations across campus, including examining rooms, locker rooms, showers and saunas, according to investigators. Strauss, among other things, contrived to get young men to strip naked and groped them sexually.
The report concluded that scores of Ohio State personnel knew of complaints and concerns about Strauss’ conduct as early as 1979 but failed for years to investigate or take meaningful action.
In the wake of the findings, some of Strauss’ victims called on the university to take responsibility for its inaction and the harm inflicted by the doctor.
Steve Estey, an attorney for some of the former students who are suing, said: “If OSU refuses to take responsibility, we will continue with civil litigation and put this in front of a jury for 12 people to judge their actions.”
No one has publicly defended Strauss, though family members have said they were shocked by the allegations.