UNDATED (AP) — One of the NFL’s top players is being treated for the coronavirus.

Von Miller's agent says the Denver Broncos linebacker has tested positive for the coronavirus and wanted to come forward with his diagnosis to show doubters how serious the disease is. Joby Branion tells The Associated Press that Miller is in good spirits while resting at his home in Denver and that Miller plans to speak publicly about his diagnosis on Friday.

Miller told KUSA-TV in Denver that he developed a cough a couple of days ago. When his nebulizer for his asthma didn't clear things up, he decided to get tested for the coronavirus.

Miller said last week he trained in San Francisco before returning home to Colorado when the stay-at-home measures went into effect to contain the virus.

Miller was recently a unanimous pick to the NFL's All-Decade team of the 2010s.

UNDATED (AP) — One of the NFL’s top players is being treated for the coronavirus.Von Miller's agent says the Denver Broncos linebacker has tested positive for the coronavirus and wanted to come forward with his diagnosis to show doubters how serious the disease is. Joby Branion tells The Associated Press that Miller is in good spirits while resting at his home in Denver and that Miller plans to speak publicly about his diagnosis on Friday.Miller told KUSA-TV in Denver that he developed a cough a couple of days ago. When his nebulizer for his asthma didn't clear things up, he decided to get tested for the coronavirus.Miller said last week he trained in San Francisco before returning home to Colorado when the stay-at-home measures went into effect to contain the virus.Miller was recently a unanimous pick to the NFL's All-Decade team of the 2010s.

Broncos’ Miller has coronavirus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have adopted the mantra of “run it back” in recent weeks, which means re-signing just about every important player from their first Super Bowl championship team in five decades in the hopes of winning it all again.

They brought back cornerback Bashaud Breeland, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive tackle Mike Pennel, along with quarterback Chad Henne, fullback Anthony Sherman and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie. They used options to keep running back Damien Williams and linebacker Damien Wilson, and they franchised defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Defensive end Frank Clark and wide receiver Sammy Watkins even restructured their deals to make the numbers work.

All of which puts the Chiefs in the most enviable of situations: They already have a proven, championship-caliber roster with no significant holes, allowing them the flexibility to do just about anything they want in the NFL draft.

They could trade the No. 32 overall pick to a team that wants the fifth-year option afforded a first-round pick, potentially adding selections later in the draft.

They could add depth in the defensive backfield, which remains thin, or begin to address positions that could become problems next year: linebacker, running back and defensive tackle.

That also means general manager Brett Veach has to cast a wider net when it comes to scouting players, and that has been made exceedingly difficult by the fact that the coronavirus has effectively shut down travel and in-person evaluations.

“He's working like crazy, using all the virtual equipment he can and watching tape," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Tape isn't near as clear as it is in the office, but you power through it and you do what you have to do to make sure you get it done."

The Chiefs have not had a first-round pick since 2017, when they traded up to take quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 overall. Veach took over as GM shortly after the draft, so this could be his first chance to make a selection on Day 1.

If that happens, look for the Chiefs to target the defensive backfield. They brought back Breeland and signed free agent Antonio Hamilton, but they also lost Kendall Fuller and Morris Claiborne and could use some depth. Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn and Jeff Gladney of TCU are two options that could be available at the end of the first round.

The Chiefs also could benefit from the fact that few other teams need a running back, meaning elite talents such as Georgia's D'Andre Swift and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor could be there for the taking on that Thursday night.

Regardless whether the Chiefs pick in the first round, their four remaining selections will be crucial. They are about to give Mahomes a potentially record-setting contract, and they have a lot of money invested in Clark, Watkins and safety Tyrann Mathieu. They must add starting-caliber players on rookie contracts to keep their salary cap in check.

If the Chiefs did not pick a defensive back in Round 1, the second and third rounds could be the time to grab a player such as Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall. The Chiefs could also target depth at wide receiver and on the offensive line.

The Chiefs value surrounding Mahomes with talent, which is why they are constantly seeking playmakers at the skill positions. But their defense, which was vastly improved under first-year Chiefs coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, will have to replace tackle Xavier Williams, linebacker Reggie Ragland and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

They also lost safety Jordan Lucas, but they hope Juan Thornhill will be recovered from a torn ACL to replace him.

The Chiefs found a role player in cornerback Rashad Fenton in the sixth round a year ago, but otherwise, picks after the third round the past three seasons have been underwhelming. With only five selections during the three-day draft, Veach and his scouting department are under pressure to deliver in the fourth and fifth rounds.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have adopted the mantra of “run it back” in recent weeks, which means re-signing just about every important player from their first Super Bowl championship team in five decades in the hopes of winning it all again.They brought back cornerback Bashaud Breeland, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive tackle Mike Pennel, along with quarterback Chad Henne, fullback Anthony Sherman and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie. They used options to keep running back Damien Williams and linebacker Damien Wilson, and they franchised defensive tackle Chris Jones.Defensive end Frank Clark and wide receiver Sammy Watkins even restructured their deals to make the numbers work.All of which puts the Chiefs in the most enviable of situations: They already have a proven, championship-caliber roster with no significant holes, allowing them the flexibility to do just about anything they want in the NFL draft.They could trade the No. 32 overall pick to a team that wants the fifth-year option afforded a first-round pick, potentially adding selections later in the draft.They could add depth in the defensive backfield, which remains thin, or begin to address positions that could become problems next year: linebacker, running back and defensive tackle.That also means general manager Brett Veach has to cast a wider net when it comes to scouting players, and that has been made exceedingly difficult by the fact that the coronavirus has effectively shut down travel and in-person evaluations.“He's working like crazy, using all the virtual equipment he can and watching tape," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Tape isn't near as clear as it is in the office, but you power through it and you do what you have to do to make sure you get it done."<h2>First-round fixes</h2>The Chiefs have not had a first-round pick since 2017, when they traded up to take quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 overall. Veach took over as GM shortly after the draft, so this could be his first chance to make a selection on Day 1.If that happens, look for the Chiefs to target the defensive backfield. They brought back Breeland and signed free agent Antonio Hamilton, but they also lost Kendall Fuller and Morris Claiborne and could use some depth. Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn and Jeff Gladney of TCU are two options that could be available at the end of the first round.The Chiefs also could benefit from the fact that few other teams need a running back, meaning elite talents such as Georgia's D'Andre Swift and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor could be there for the taking on that Thursday night.<h2>Cost-controlled help</h2>Regardless whether the Chiefs pick in the first round, their four remaining selections will be crucial. They are about to give Mahomes a potentially record-setting contract, and they have a lot of money invested in Clark, Watkins and safety Tyrann Mathieu. They must add starting-caliber players on rookie contracts to keep their salary cap in check.If the Chiefs did not pick a defensive back in Round 1, the second and third rounds could be the time to grab a player such as Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall. The Chiefs could also target depth at wide receiver and on the offensive line.<h2>What about D</h2>The Chiefs value surrounding Mahomes with talent, which is why they are constantly seeking playmakers at the skill positions. But their defense, which was vastly improved under first-year Chiefs coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, will have to replace tackle Xavier Williams, linebacker Reggie Ragland and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.They also lost safety Jordan Lucas, but they hope Juan Thornhill will be recovered from a torn ACL to replace him.<h2>Late-round love</h2>The Chiefs found a role player in cornerback Rashad Fenton in the sixth round a year ago, but otherwise, picks after the third round the past three seasons have been underwhelming. With only five selections during the three-day draft, Veach and his scouting department are under pressure to deliver in the fourth and fifth rounds.

Chiefs getting set for 2020 NFL Draft next week

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Like most regulars on top men’s basketball teams in the country, at the end of a season underclassmen will look to NBA teams for advice about their future.

“Me and my family have looked into my NBA draft prospects the past few weeks to get some input from the NBA teams on what areas of my game I need to improve on,” Kansas forward David McCormack said. “It was a great opportunity to hear from them and I’m looking forward to putting those on display this next season at Allen Fieldhouse. We have a great coaching staff who can help me and my teammates reach that next level.”

A 2020 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, McCormack started 18 games for Kansas and finished second on the team with a 52.9 field goal percentage. The Norfolk, Va., sophomore averaged 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 14.6 minutes per game and was efficient while on the floor. For example, McCormack posted a career-high 28 points, on 11-of-14 shooting, in just 16 minutes against Kansas City. He also recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 16 minutes against Monmouth. In all, McCormack had seven games with 10 or more points and six with seven or more rebounds in 2019-20.

“David had a really good year this past season,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “The reason he didn’t play as many minutes was he had a first-team All-American (Udoka Azubuike) who had a really good year. I anticipate David being a guy we can play through and I believe he could be a double-double guy, similar to what Dok was, or real near to those numbers. He’ll get them in ways Dok did not, which could also make our team more versatile.”

Kansas returns 11 letterwinners from last season’s 28-3 team which won the Big 12 regular season at 17-1 and finished No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls in the shortened season due to the pandemic. KU will be anchored by seniors-to-be Marcus Garrett and Mitch Lightfoot, who was a 2019-20 redshirt. Other returning regulars include juniors-to-be McCormack, starter Ochai Agbaji and Silvio De Sousa. Sophomores-to-be Christian Braun and Tristan Enaruna also played significant roles in 2019-20.

“We’ve known all along that going into this past season we were probably going to lose Devon (Dotson) and we were definitely going to lose Udoka (Azubuike) and Isaiah (Moss,” Self said. “To have the remaining team returning and a good recruiting class, it puts us in a position not to take a step backward at all in our program. I look forward to Marcus (Garrett, Ochai (Agbaji, David (McCormack, Mitch (Lightfoot) and Silvio (De Sousa, our upperclassmen, taking ownership of everything that goes with this team and see where they can take it.”

Kansas’ signed four players last November who will be joined by redshirt freshman guard Dejuan Harris as first-year players for the Jayhawks. Incoming newbies are headlined by McDonald’s All-America guard Bryce Thompson from Tulsa via Booker T. Washington High School. Guard Tyon Grant-Foster, from Kansas City, Kan., was Junior College All-America Honorable Mention selection last season for Indian Hills Community College. Forward Getro Muscadin, 6-10 from Haiti via Aspire Academy in Kentucky, and guard Latrell Jossell, from Keller Central High School in Texas, round out KU’s incoming newcomers.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Like most regulars on top men’s basketball teams in the country, at the end of a season underclassmen will look to NBA teams for advice about their future.“Me and my family have looked into my NBA draft prospects the past few weeks to get some input from the NBA teams on what areas of my game I need to improve on,” Kansas forward David McCormack said. “It was a great opportunity to hear from them and I’m looking forward to putting those on display this next season at Allen Fieldhouse. We have a great coaching staff who can help me and my teammates reach that next level.”A 2020 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, McCormack started 18 games for Kansas and finished second on the team with a 52.9 field goal percentage. The Norfolk, Va., sophomore averaged 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 14.6 minutes per game and was efficient while on the floor. For example, McCormack posted a career-high 28 points, on 11-of-14 shooting, in just 16 minutes against Kansas City. He also recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 16 minutes against Monmouth. In all, McCormack had seven games with 10 or more points and six with seven or more rebounds in 2019-20.“David had a really good year this past season,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “The reason he didn’t play as many minutes was he had a first-team All-American (Udoka Azubuike) who had a really good year. I anticipate David being a guy we can play through and I believe he could be a double-double guy, similar to what Dok was, or real near to those numbers. He’ll get them in ways Dok did not, which could also make our team more versatile.”Kansas returns 11 letterwinners from last season’s 28-3 team which won the Big 12 regular season at 17-1 and finished No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls in the shortened season due to the pandemic. KU will be anchored by seniors-to-be Marcus Garrett and Mitch Lightfoot, who was a 2019-20 redshirt. Other returning regulars include juniors-to-be McCormack, starter Ochai Agbaji and Silvio De Sousa. Sophomores-to-be Christian Braun and Tristan Enaruna also played significant roles in 2019-20.“We’ve known all along that going into this past season we were probably going to lose Devon (Dotson) and we were definitely going to lose Udoka (Azubuike) and Isaiah (Moss,” Self said. “To have the remaining team returning and a good recruiting class, it puts us in a position not to take a step backward at all in our program. I look forward to Marcus (Garrett, Ochai (Agbaji, David (McCormack, Mitch (Lightfoot) and Silvio (De Sousa, our upperclassmen, taking ownership of everything that goes with this team and see where they can take it.”Kansas’ signed four players last November who will be joined by redshirt freshman guard Dejuan Harris as first-year players for the Jayhawks. Incoming newbies are headlined by McDonald’s All-America guard Bryce Thompson from Tulsa via Booker T. Washington High School. Guard Tyon Grant-Foster, from Kansas City, Kan., was Junior College All-America Honorable Mention selection last season for Indian Hills Community College. Forward Getro Muscadin, 6-10 from Haiti via Aspire Academy in Kentucky, and guard Latrell Jossell, from Keller Central High School in Texas, round out KU’s incoming newcomers.KU Athletics

Jayhawks' David McCormack to return for junior season

Hays High senior Tasiah Nunnery has signed a
letter of intent to play volleyball at Barton Community College. 

And while Nunnery wasn't able to have a signing at Hays High School with her family, teammates, and
friends, she was able to do a signing with her Velocity Volleyball club team.

Nunnery finished her Hays High career as the all-time leader in kills with 1,475. She's the only Indian in school history to be named first team All-Western Athletic Conference in each of her four years and was the WAC Player of the Year following her junior season in 2018. 

Hays High senior Tasiah Nunnery has signed a
letter of intent to play volleyball at Barton Community College. And while Nunnery wasn't able to have a signing at Hays High School with her family, teammates, and
friends, she was able to do a signing with her Velocity Volleyball club team.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587046205977.jpeg" alt="HHS senior Tasiah Nunnery signs a volleyball letter of intent with Barton CC (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>HHS senior Tasiah Nunnery signs a volleyball letter of intent with Barton CC (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Nunnery finished her Hays High career as the all-time leader in kills with 1,475. She's the only Indian in school history to be named first team All-Western Athletic Conference in each of her four years and was the WAC Player of the Year following her junior season in 2018.

Nunnery signs to play volleyball at Barton CC 

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

Jim Mall was encouraged by his kids to join SouthWind
CrossFit six or seven years ago. When he did, he never thought he would be one
of the top competitors in the world at his age group — but that’s exactly what
happened.

The 62-year-old Mall recently finished 80th in the men’s 60
and older division of the CrossFit Games.

“Every day, we wanted to be around our children and grandchildren,
so we just went to the gym because that’s where they were at.” Mall said.

CrossFit has been a family affair for Mall and his wife, Sue. His kids, Tucker and Jill, were already coaches and later his youngest daughter
Maddy joined them.

CrossFit is a form of high-intensity interval training with strength
and conditioning workouts made up of functional movements performed at a high-intensity
level.

Once a year, CrossFit puts on a competition for its members
throughout the world, who range from ages 14 through 60-plus.

The games are broken down into three steps. The first is The
Open — a five-week competition that starts in October and has members completing
workouts sent out by the CrossFit corporation. Those who finish in the top 200
advance to the Online Qualifying round where competitors have five days to
complete six workouts. The top 10 of each age group then advance out of that to
the CrossFit Games which are scheduled for August in Madison, Wis. 

Mall was close to advancing out of the first round when he
first started competing in the 55-59 age group.

“I started competing in the open when I think (I was) 57 or 58. I
finished 224th and I’m thinking, 'I was so close, it can’t be that hard to move
up 24 spots,' ” Mall said.

After devoting more time and effort into his training for
the next year’s competition, he only moved up 12 spots. He joked that all
changed when he moved to the 60-and-older age group.

“Fortunately for me, there are not very many people in my
competition, I’m only competing against three or four thousand people, so it’s
easier to qualify for these things because there’s not that many people our age
that do CrossFit,” Mall said.

This is the third straight year Mall has advanced to the
second round in the older age division. He finished 86th in 2018 and 142nd in 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586964761259.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostJim Mall was encouraged by his kids to join SouthWind
CrossFit six or seven years ago. When he did, he never thought he would be one
of the top competitors in the world at his age group — but that’s exactly what
happened.The 62-year-old Mall recently finished 80th in the men’s 60
and older division of the CrossFit Games.“Every day, we wanted to be around our children and grandchildren,
so we just went to the gym because that’s where they were at.” Mall said.CrossFit has been a family affair for Mall and his wife, Sue. His kids, Tucker and Jill, were already coaches and later his youngest daughter
Maddy joined them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586964786212.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>CrossFit is a form of high-intensity interval training with strength
and conditioning workouts made up of functional movements performed at a high-intensity
level.Once a year, CrossFit puts on a competition for its members
throughout the world, who range from ages 14 through 60-plus.The games are broken down into three steps. The first is The
Open — a five-week competition that starts in October and has members completing
workouts sent out by the CrossFit corporation. Those who finish in the top 200
advance to the Online Qualifying round where competitors have five days to
complete six workouts. The top 10 of each age group then advance out of that to
the CrossFit Games which are scheduled for August in Madison, Wis. Mall was close to advancing out of the first round when he
first started competing in the 55-59 age group.“I started competing in the open when I think (I was) 57 or 58. I
finished 224th and I’m thinking, 'I was so close, it can’t be that hard to move
up 24 spots,' ” Mall said.After devoting more time and effort into his training for
the next year’s competition, he only moved up 12 spots. He joked that all
changed when he moved to the 60-and-older age group.“Fortunately for me, there are not very many people in my
competition, I’m only competing against three or four thousand people, so it’s
easier to qualify for these things because there’s not that many people our age
that do CrossFit,” Mall said.This is the third straight year Mall has advanced to the
second round in the older age division. He finished 86th in 2018 and 142nd in 2019.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586964833553.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586966012789.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586966038845.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays man finishes 80th in world CrossFit competition

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State University is seeking to tear down its 74-year-old Cessna Stadium and replace it with a new smaller, multi-purpose stadium.

The university has asked the Kansas Board of Regents to allow it to raze the 30,000-seat stadium. Cessna is currently home to the Wichita State track and field team and is also home the nation’s largest high school track and field meet.

University officials say the condition of the amenities in the stadium have deteriorated drastically since the school’s football program was discontinued in 1986.

The proposal leaves in limbo what would happen to the Kansas high school state track and field meet, which has hosted around 3,500 athletes for all six championship meets for boys and girls for the last four decades.

The proposed smaller stadium would host not only Wichita State’s track and field events, but could also attract high school and club events for soccer, lacrosse and track and field, university officials said.

WSU estimates it will cost $1.4 million to tear down the building. That money would be raised from private funds and restricted fee funds, officials said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586973619933.png" alt="Cessna Stadium has been home to&nbsp;Kansas high school state track and field meet for the last four decades-&nbsp; image courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Cessna Stadium has been home to&nbsp;Kansas high school state track and field meet for the last four decades-&nbsp; image courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State University is seeking to tear down its 74-year-old Cessna Stadium and replace it with a new smaller, multi-purpose stadium.The university has asked the Kansas Board of Regents to allow it to raze the 30,000-seat stadium. Cessna is currently home to the Wichita State track and field team and is also home the nation’s largest high school track and field meet.University officials say the condition of the amenities in the stadium have deteriorated drastically since the school’s football program was discontinued in 1986.The proposal leaves in limbo what would happen to the Kansas high school state track and field meet, which has hosted around 3,500 athletes for all six championship meets for boys and girls for the last four decades.The proposed smaller stadium would host not only Wichita State’s track and field events, but could also attract high school and club events for soccer, lacrosse and track and field, university officials said.WSU estimates it will cost $1.4 million to tear down the building. That money would be raised from private funds and restricted fee funds, officials said.

WSU seeks to raze Cessna Stadium, build smaller version

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;enhanced his already highly-regarded 2020 recruiting class with the signings of junior college All-American guard&nbsp;Rueadale “Rudi” Williams&nbsp;(Hamilton, Ontario/Forest Trail Academy/NE Oklahoma A&amp;M College)&nbsp;and prep standout&nbsp;Seryee Lewis&nbsp;(Chicago, Ill./AZ Compass Prep [Chandler, Ariz.])&nbsp;to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday (April 15).

A 6-foot-3, 180-pound point guard, Williams joins the Wildcats after a two-year stint at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M College in Miami, Oklahoma, where he led the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) in assists in 2019-20 for the Golden Norse, while the 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward Lewis arrives from AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Arizona where the Chicago native averaged a double-double this past season.

“We were excited about the initial group of signees in the Fall,” said Weber. “We were going to have a strong need to replace perimeter guys and that was our main concern with this signing class. If you look at the players we signed in the Fall (Davion Bradford,&nbsp;Luke Kasubke,&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack, we were able to fill every position with some versatility. I think the big key was the fact that we were able to get a true big man (Bradford). A 7-footer who already has a pretty good body, both strength and weight-wise.

“Our main focus with the second part of our signing class was to get an experienced point guard (Williams) to go along with our young players (DaJuan Gordon, Pack, Kasubke and Miguel) and then we wanted to bring in another athletic big guy (Lewis) to complement Davion (Bradford) and the guys we have returning (Levi Stockard III,&nbsp;Kaosi Ezeagu,&nbsp;Antonio Gordon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montavious Murphy).”

The pair of signees join an already-heralded four-man Fall recruiting class that includes the aforementioned high school standouts&nbsp;Davion Bradford&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville),&nbsp;Luke Kasubke&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade),&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;(Luanda, Angola/West Oaks Academy [Fla.])&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack&nbsp;(Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central).

The current class is still rated among the Top 25 by several recruiting services, including No. 18 by&nbsp;Rivals.com, No. 23 by&nbsp;247Sports.com&nbsp;and No. 24 by ESPN. Historically speaking, it is the highest-rated recruiting class under Weber and the highest collective class by K-State since recruiting rankings have been kept. Four of the five prep players are rated among the Top 200 players nationally, including four members of the&nbsp;Rivals150, while Williams ranks No. 54 on the list of the top junior college players in the country by&nbsp;JucoRecruiting.com.

The six-man class is the largest class in the Weber era and now includes players from two countries (Angola and Canada) and three states (Florida, Indiana and Missouri) at all five positions.

Much like the Fall Signing Class, which posted a collective 94-22 (.810) record in their final prep seasons in 2019-20, Lewis and Williams will also arrive at K-State with a winning mentality after having helped their teams to a combined 49-13 (.790) record this past season. Williams helped NE Oklahoma A&amp;M post its best two-year period (52-14; .788) in nearly 30 seasons, including a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2018-19 and near repeat this past season after falling in the Region II Championship game. Lewis’ AZ Compass Prep team tallied a 24-6 mark in 2019-20 and advanced to the semifinals of The Grind Session World Championship, a postseason showcase for independent teams that play outside traditional state associations. A fellow semifinalist at the World Championship was West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida led by fellow signee&nbsp;Selton Miguel.

“I think it’s always important to bring in players from winning programs,” said Weber. “Anytime you can get a player who has come up through a program that’s won, I think they understand the importance of teamwork and what the main goal of basketball is which is to win.

“In Rudi’s case, when I asked him what do you want me to say about you as a player and his response was that ‘I win’ and ‘I want to win’. He led his team to Hutch (NJCAA National Tournament) as a freshman, won their conference in back-to-back years and lost in the finals (Region II) to return to Hutch this year. Nijel’s (Pack) team (Lawrence Central) was one of the best teams in Indiana, Davion’s team (Mehlville) lost to Luke’s team (Chaminade) to go to the Final Four and Selton’s team (West Oaks) was one of better teams in the country, winning at Oak Hill (Academy, which hadn’t lost in years at home, then beating Prolific (Prep, which was considered one of the top prep schools in the country, and they also won their conference title.

“We feel that we got kids that are about winning and care about winning and we hope that will be key for us moving forward.”

The first member of the Spring signing class to commit (March 19, Lewis was a key piece for head coach&nbsp;Ed Gipson’s&nbsp;AZ Compass Prep squad that could include as many as seven Division I signees in 2020. He averaged a double-double of 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game this past season. He scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the 81-70 quarterfinal win over Minnesota Prep at The Grind Session World Championship on March 11. He also had a near double-double (12 points and 8 rebounds) in a win over St. Louis Christian in the first round on March 10.

A native of Chicago, Lewis played for the acclaimed Mac Irvin Fire AAU program, where he led the squad to a 10-3 record in the 2019 Nike EYBL. He averaged 9.9 points on 64.1 percent shooting (50-of-78) with 5.4 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting against UPLAY Canada on May 11, 2019. He also played at Kenwood Academy and has a longtime friendship with rising sophomore&nbsp;DaJuan Gordon.

An outstanding student, Lewis also earned offers from Brown, Columbia and Yale in the Ivy League.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Williams developed into one of the top junior college point guards in the country at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M, where he set school records for both single season (267) and career (492) assists. He earned Second Team All-America honors from the NJCAA as a sophomore, while he was the NJCAA Region II Player of the Year as well as a first team all-conference and all-region selection.

The owner of six triple-doubles, including four in 2019-20, Williams averaged 21.0 points on 50.9 percent shooting (226-of-444, including 36.4 percent (39-of-107) from 3-point range, as a sophomore in 2019-20 with 8.9 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals in 32.8 minutes per game. He ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 in seven categories, including first in total assists, second in assists per game, 15th&nbsp;in steals and 20th&nbsp;in total points (629).

Before leading the NJCAA ranks in assists (267/8.9 apg.) as a sophomore in 2019-20, Williams placed in the Top 5 in the category as a freshman, dishing out 225 assists in 27 games in 2018-19. He averaged 8.6 assists per game in 57 career games at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M to go along with a 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Bruce Weber&nbsp;enhanced his already highly-regarded 2020 recruiting class with the signings of junior college All-American guard&nbsp;Rueadale “Rudi” Williams&nbsp;(Hamilton, Ontario/Forest Trail Academy/NE Oklahoma A&amp;M College)&nbsp;and prep standout&nbsp;Seryee Lewis&nbsp;(Chicago, Ill./AZ Compass Prep [Chandler, Ariz.])&nbsp;to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday (April 15).A 6-foot-3, 180-pound point guard, Williams joins the Wildcats after a two-year stint at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M College in Miami, Oklahoma, where he led the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) in assists in 2019-20 for the Golden Norse, while the 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward Lewis arrives from AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Arizona where the Chicago native averaged a double-double this past season.“We were excited about the initial group of signees in the Fall,” said Weber. “We were going to have a strong need to replace perimeter guys and that was our main concern with this signing class. If you look at the players we signed in the Fall (Davion Bradford,&nbsp;Luke Kasubke,&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack, we were able to fill every position with some versatility. I think the big key was the fact that we were able to get a true big man (Bradford). A 7-footer who already has a pretty good body, both strength and weight-wise.“Our main focus with the second part of our signing class was to get an experienced point guard (Williams) to go along with our young players (DaJuan Gordon, Pack, Kasubke and Miguel) and then we wanted to bring in another athletic big guy (Lewis) to complement Davion (Bradford) and the guys we have returning (Levi Stockard III,&nbsp;Kaosi Ezeagu,&nbsp;Antonio Gordon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montavious Murphy).”The pair of signees join an already-heralded four-man Fall recruiting class that includes the aforementioned high school standouts&nbsp;Davion Bradford&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville),&nbsp;Luke Kasubke&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade),&nbsp;Selton Miguel&nbsp;(Luanda, Angola/West Oaks Academy [Fla.])&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nijel Pack&nbsp;(Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central).The current class is still rated among the Top 25 by several recruiting services, including No. 18 by&nbsp;Rivals.com, No. 23 by&nbsp;247Sports.com&nbsp;and No. 24 by ESPN. Historically speaking, it is the highest-rated recruiting class under Weber and the highest collective class by K-State since recruiting rankings have been kept. Four of the five prep players are rated among the Top 200 players nationally, including four members of the&nbsp;Rivals150, while Williams ranks No. 54 on the list of the top junior college players in the country by&nbsp;JucoRecruiting.com.The six-man class is the largest class in the Weber era and now includes players from two countries (Angola and Canada) and three states (Florida, Indiana and Missouri) at all five positions.Much like the Fall Signing Class, which posted a collective 94-22 (.810) record in their final prep seasons in 2019-20, Lewis and Williams will also arrive at K-State with a winning mentality after having helped their teams to a combined 49-13 (.790) record this past season. Williams helped NE Oklahoma A&amp;M post its best two-year period (52-14; .788) in nearly 30 seasons, including a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2018-19 and near repeat this past season after falling in the Region II Championship game. Lewis’ AZ Compass Prep team tallied a 24-6 mark in 2019-20 and advanced to the semifinals of The Grind Session World Championship, a postseason showcase for independent teams that play outside traditional state associations. A fellow semifinalist at the World Championship was West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida led by fellow signee&nbsp;Selton Miguel.“I think it’s always important to bring in players from winning programs,” said Weber. “Anytime you can get a player who has come up through a program that’s won, I think they understand the importance of teamwork and what the main goal of basketball is which is to win.“In Rudi’s case, when I asked him what do you want me to say about you as a player and his response was that ‘I win’ and ‘I want to win’. He led his team to Hutch (NJCAA National Tournament) as a freshman, won their conference in back-to-back years and lost in the finals (Region II) to return to Hutch this year. Nijel’s (Pack) team (Lawrence Central) was one of the best teams in Indiana, Davion’s team (Mehlville) lost to Luke’s team (Chaminade) to go to the Final Four and Selton’s team (West Oaks) was one of better teams in the country, winning at Oak Hill (Academy, which hadn’t lost in years at home, then beating Prolific (Prep, which was considered one of the top prep schools in the country, and they also won their conference title.“We feel that we got kids that are about winning and care about winning and we hope that will be key for us moving forward.”The first member of the Spring signing class to commit (March 19, Lewis was a key piece for head coach&nbsp;Ed Gipson’s&nbsp;AZ Compass Prep squad that could include as many as seven Division I signees in 2020. He averaged a double-double of 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game this past season. He scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the 81-70 quarterfinal win over Minnesota Prep at The Grind Session World Championship on March 11. He also had a near double-double (12 points and 8 rebounds) in a win over St. Louis Christian in the first round on March 10.A native of Chicago, Lewis played for the acclaimed Mac Irvin Fire AAU program, where he led the squad to a 10-3 record in the 2019 Nike EYBL. He averaged 9.9 points on 64.1 percent shooting (50-of-78) with 5.4 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting against UPLAY Canada on May 11, 2019. He also played at Kenwood Academy and has a longtime friendship with rising sophomore&nbsp;DaJuan Gordon.An outstanding student, Lewis also earned offers from Brown, Columbia and Yale in the Ivy League.A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Williams developed into one of the top junior college point guards in the country at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M, where he set school records for both single season (267) and career (492) assists. He earned Second Team All-America honors from the NJCAA as a sophomore, while he was the NJCAA Region II Player of the Year as well as a first team all-conference and all-region selection.The owner of six triple-doubles, including four in 2019-20, Williams averaged 21.0 points on 50.9 percent shooting (226-of-444, including 36.4 percent (39-of-107) from 3-point range, as a sophomore in 2019-20 with 8.9 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals in 32.8 minutes per game. He ranked in the NJCAA Top 20 in seven categories, including first in total assists, second in assists per game, 15th&nbsp;in steals and 20th&nbsp;in total points (629).Before leading the NJCAA ranks in assists (267/8.9 apg.) as a sophomore in 2019-20, Williams placed in the Top 5 in the category as a freshman, dishing out 225 assists in 27 games in 2018-19. He averaged 8.6 assists per game in 57 career games at NE Oklahoma A&amp;M to go along with a 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.Kansas State Athletics

Weber adds Lewis, Williams to K-State's 2020 signing class

By DAVE SKRETTA <a href="https://apnews.com/0c1c75897e2a781fd903d9686c48642d">Associated Press</a>

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Gregg Marshall began his career as an assistant at tiny Randolph-Macon and Belmont Abbey, but it was during eight years on the staff of Hall of Fame coach John Kresse at College of Charleston that he learned to build a basketball program.

Marshall learned how to recruit players who fit his style. He learned how to find overlooked gems, guys who were still growing or had yet to discover their shot. He learned how to sit in their living rooms and convince moms and dads that their sons would get a good education and in four years be prepared for the real world.

Many of those lessons have helped Marshall become Wichita State’s winningest coach. But many have lost their value, and the reason is simple: The NCAA transfer portal has forced coaches to build teams rather than programs.

The system was implemented two years ago, intended to help ease the burden on administrators, increase transparency and empower athletes who complained about being prevented at times from going elsewhere. But in the eyes of many coaches, the portal has made transferring too easy, giving players an easy out for any reason: amount of playing time, location, level of competition, even something as silly as school colors.

“It’s created a system in which, when problems arise, (players) are not going to fight through the problems and adversity,” Marshall said. “You’re going to make a move. It’s going to be easy to do. That’s the problem I see with it.”

The Shockers went 23-8 and spent much of last season hanging around the Top 25, and they were likely to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament had it not been canceled. Fast forward a few weeks and Marshall is wondering how he might need to replace seven players who placed their names in the transfer portal.

They run the gamut from high-scoring guard Erik Stevenson, who has committed to Washington, and talented freshman Grant Sherfield, who is headed to Nevada, to role players that hardly saw the floor. But together, they left Marshall with a roster full of holes that he must plug even while the coronavirus pandemic has put the brakes on recruiting.

So much for those lessons he picked up from Kresse back in Charleston.

More than 500 names have been entered into the portal in the month since the season ended, and new names are added by the day. Some come from big-name programs in search of a fresh start, others from small schools with something to prove. Many are graduate transfers who can play immediately, though most will have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules.

“You have to respect each young guy’s decision because that’s the culture we live in today,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said. “You have guys leaving teams. That’s just the way it is. But when you’re talking about freshmen, they have to have the opportunity to play from Day 1 or you’ll be looking at a lot of this.”

No brand of school is unaffected, either.

Johnny Juzang and Kahlil Whitney jumped into the portal after their freshman seasons at Kentucky, and Alex O’Connell made the move after his junior year at Duke, creating holes for the bluest of blue bloods. Some Power Five programs such as Iowa State, with five players in the transfer portal, have begun to resemble a bus stop with players coming and going.

Then there are the mid-majors such as George Washington, which likewise watched five players enter the portal — four have already found new homes. In a bit of symmetry, the Colonials have filled three of those scholarships with transfers of their own from Southern Miss, LSU and Vanderbilt.

Low-majors are often the hardest hit because one or two star players can make a program, and their departure can be crippling. Terrell Brown averaged 20.7 points per game for Seattle but will be playing for Arizona next season. Jordan Bruner entered the portal after leading Yale to the Ivy League title. Dimencio Vaughn parlayed an All-MAAC season at Rider into a final season with Ole Miss.

“There’s a lot of juggling that has to take place because of the transfer portal,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who lost elite guard Isaac McBride to Vanderbilt but enjoyed the benefit of getting sharp-shooter Isaiah Moss from Iowa this past season. “I think that recruiting is more of an inexact science right now than it ever has been.”

Not every coach believes the transfer portal has become a problem.

Some of them point to the hypocrisy of coaches being able to freely change schools while players have long been locked into scholarships, and the fact that the transfer portal has created a level playing field where everybody can have a shot at a player interested in new surroundings. Those adept at landing high-profile transfers often have benefited, too.

Marshall himself took advantage of the transfer portal to land Connecticut transfer Alterique Gilbert and could be in the market for another player or two.

“The biggest thing for coaches as this transfer portal takes on a life of its own, you’re not building a program anymore. I don’t know anybody who can do that,” Marshall said. “It’s hard for us to do that because you’re building a team every year.”

By DAVE SKRETTA <a href="https://apnews.com/0c1c75897e2a781fd903d9686c48642d">Associated Press</a>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Gregg Marshall began his career as an assistant at tiny Randolph-Macon and Belmont Abbey, but it was during eight years on the staff of Hall of Fame coach John Kresse at College of Charleston that he learned to build a basketball program.Marshall learned how to recruit players who fit his style. He learned how to find overlooked gems, guys who were still growing or had yet to discover their shot. He learned how to sit in their living rooms and convince moms and dads that their sons would get a good education and in four years be prepared for the real world.Many of those lessons have helped Marshall become Wichita State’s winningest coach. But many have lost their value, and the reason is simple: The NCAA transfer portal has forced coaches to build teams rather than programs.The system was implemented two years ago, intended to help ease the burden on administrators, increase transparency and empower athletes who complained about being prevented at times from going elsewhere. But in the eyes of many coaches, the portal has made transferring too easy, giving players an easy out for any reason: amount of playing time, location, level of competition, even something as silly as school colors.“It’s created a system in which, when problems arise, (players) are not going to fight through the problems and adversity,” Marshall said. “You’re going to make a move. It’s going to be easy to do. That’s the problem I see with it.”The Shockers went 23-8 and spent much of last season hanging around the Top 25, and they were likely to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament had it not been canceled. Fast forward a few weeks and Marshall is wondering how he might need to replace seven players who placed their names in the transfer portal.They run the gamut from high-scoring guard Erik Stevenson, who has committed to Washington, and talented freshman Grant Sherfield, who is headed to Nevada, to role players that hardly saw the floor. But together, they left Marshall with a roster full of holes that he must plug even while the coronavirus pandemic has put the brakes on recruiting.So much for those lessons he picked up from Kresse back in Charleston.More than 500 names have been entered into the portal in the month since the season ended, and new names are added by the day. Some come from big-name programs in search of a fresh start, others from small schools with something to prove. Many are graduate transfers who can play immediately, though most will have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules.“You have to respect each young guy’s decision because that’s the culture we live in today,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said. “You have guys leaving teams. That’s just the way it is. But when you’re talking about freshmen, they have to have the opportunity to play from Day 1 or you’ll be looking at a lot of this.”No brand of school is unaffected, either.Johnny Juzang and Kahlil Whitney jumped into the portal after their freshman seasons at Kentucky, and Alex O’Connell made the move after his junior year at Duke, creating holes for the bluest of blue bloods. Some Power Five programs such as Iowa State, with five players in the transfer portal, have begun to resemble a bus stop with players coming and going.Then there are the mid-majors such as George Washington, which likewise watched five players enter the portal — four have already found new homes. In a bit of symmetry, the Colonials have filled three of those scholarships with transfers of their own from Southern Miss, LSU and Vanderbilt.Low-majors are often the hardest hit because one or two star players can make a program, and their departure can be crippling. Terrell Brown averaged 20.7 points per game for Seattle but will be playing for Arizona next season. Jordan Bruner entered the portal after leading Yale to the Ivy League title. Dimencio Vaughn parlayed an All-MAAC season at Rider into a final season with Ole Miss.“There’s a lot of juggling that has to take place because of the transfer portal,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who lost elite guard Isaac McBride to Vanderbilt but enjoyed the benefit of getting sharp-shooter Isaiah Moss from Iowa this past season. “I think that recruiting is more of an inexact science right now than it ever has been.”Not every coach believes the transfer portal has become a problem.Some of them point to the hypocrisy of coaches being able to freely change schools while players have long been locked into scholarships, and the fact that the transfer portal has created a level playing field where everybody can have a shot at a player interested in new surroundings. Those adept at landing high-profile transfers often have benefited, too.Marshall himself took advantage of the transfer portal to land Connecticut transfer Alterique Gilbert and could be in the market for another player or two.“The biggest thing for coaches as this transfer portal takes on a life of its own, you’re not building a program anymore. I don’t know anybody who can do that,” Marshall said. “It’s hard for us to do that because you’re building a team every year.”

Transfer portal causing college basketball coaches headaches

By Ralph D. Russo Associated Press

Five major football conference commissioners have asked the NCAA to relax some requirements to compete in Division I for four years, including the minimum number of sports a school must sponsor.

A letter from the commissioners of the American Athletic Conference, Mountain West, Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt and Conference USA to NCAA President Mark Emmert asked for temporary relief from financial aid requirements, along with average football attendance. The request was made on behalf of all 350 Division I schools. The commissioners also asked that a moratorium be placed on schools moving into Division I for the length of the waiver.

The email dated April 10 was first reported by Yahoo! Sports and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

“As you are aware, the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant economic turmoil has resulted in the direst financial crisis for higher education since at least the Great Depression,” the commissioners wrote.

MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher told the AP the request was to “build flexibility into the decision-making process” schools will be facing.

The letter came to light the same day as the University of Cincinnati in the AAC announced it was dropping its men's soccer program to cut costs.&nbsp;Earlier this month, Old Dominion of C-USA cut its wrestling program.

NCAA rules require Division I schools to sponsor at least 16 varsity sports. The commissioners also requested lifting rules that required schools:

— Offer a minimum of 200 athletic grants-in-aid per year or spend at least $4 million in grants-in-aid on athletes, and provide 90% of the permissible maximum grants-in-aid in football over a rolling two-year period.

— Once every two years on a rolling basis, average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games. This requirement applies only to FBS schools.

— Play minimum numbers of total games and home games in sports such as baseball, football and basketball and minimum percentage of games against Division I or FBS competition in various sports.

The NCAA and its schools have already taken a huge financial hit with the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament in March. That cost schools a total of $375 million in NCAA distributions. More hard times appear to be on the horizon, especially for schools outside the Power Five conferences that can’t fall back on billion dollar television rights deals focused on football.

“Among the financial challenges being faced include significant decreases in state appropriations, substantial losses in endowment value, and a downturn in philanthropic activity,” the commissioners wrote. “An already trying environment for enrollment is expected to see even more sizeable reductions, not to mention the continuing trend in deep reductions in the enrollment of international students. Finally, all of this is playing out with no ability to predict when normal operations might resume.”

Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said this is not being done with the intention of eliminating sports programs. He said the request is about providing schools with the ability to find flexible and creative solutions.

“How can we maintain the sports that we have but not fund or spend what we have spent in the past?” Thompson told AP.

By Ralph D. Russo Associated PressFive major football conference commissioners have asked the NCAA to relax some requirements to compete in Division I for four years, including the minimum number of sports a school must sponsor.A letter from the commissioners of the American Athletic Conference, Mountain West, Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt and Conference USA to NCAA President Mark Emmert asked for temporary relief from financial aid requirements, along with average football attendance. The request was made on behalf of all 350 Division I schools. The commissioners also asked that a moratorium be placed on schools moving into Division I for the length of the waiver.The email dated April 10 was first reported by Yahoo! Sports and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.“As you are aware, the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant economic turmoil has resulted in the direst financial crisis for higher education since at least the Great Depression,” the commissioners wrote.MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher told the AP the request was to “build flexibility into the decision-making process” schools will be facing.The letter came to light the same day as the University of Cincinnati in the AAC announced it was dropping its men's soccer program to cut costs.&nbsp;Earlier this month, Old Dominion of C-USA cut its wrestling program.NCAA rules require Division I schools to sponsor at least 16 varsity sports. The commissioners also requested lifting rules that required schools:— Offer a minimum of 200 athletic grants-in-aid per year or spend at least $4 million in grants-in-aid on athletes, and provide 90% of the permissible maximum grants-in-aid in football over a rolling two-year period.— Once every two years on a rolling basis, average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games. This requirement applies only to FBS schools.— Play minimum numbers of total games and home games in sports such as baseball, football and basketball and minimum percentage of games against Division I or FBS competition in various sports.The NCAA and its schools have already taken a huge financial hit with the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament in March. That cost schools a total of $375 million in NCAA distributions. More hard times appear to be on the horizon, especially for schools outside the Power Five conferences that can’t fall back on billion dollar television rights deals focused on football.“Among the financial challenges being faced include significant decreases in state appropriations, substantial losses in endowment value, and a downturn in philanthropic activity,” the commissioners wrote. “An already trying environment for enrollment is expected to see even more sizeable reductions, not to mention the continuing trend in deep reductions in the enrollment of international students. Finally, all of this is playing out with no ability to predict when normal operations might resume.”Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said this is not being done with the intention of eliminating sports programs. He said the request is about providing schools with the ability to find flexible and creative solutions.“How can we maintain the sports that we have but not fund or spend what we have spent in the past?” Thompson told AP.

Preparing for budget crunch, conferences ask NCAA for relief

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp; –&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals are saddened to hear of the passing of former manager&nbsp;Jim Frey&nbsp;at the age of 88.&nbsp; Frey managed the Royals to their first American League championship and World Series appearance in 1980.&nbsp; He posted a 127-105 record in his two years (1980-81) at the helm. Prior to joining the Royals, Frey’s post-playing career included stints as a scout and minor league manager, before being named to Earl Weaver’s coaching staff with the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, the same season they O’s won the World Series title. He remained with Baltimore, participating in two more Fall Classics, before being named the sixth full-time manager in Royals history on October 24, 1979.&nbsp;

After serving on the New York Mets’ coaching staff for two seasons (1982-83, Frey managed the Chicago Cubs (1984-86) to an NL East title, finishing his big league managerial career with a 323-287 mark. He also served as the Cubs’ general manager from 1987-91, helping them win another division title in 1989. He most recently served as Vice Chairman of the Independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.

A left-handed hitting outfielder, Frey played 14 seasons of minor league ball in the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals’ organizations, before retiring as a player in 1963.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp; –&nbsp;The Kansas City Royals are saddened to hear of the passing of former manager&nbsp;Jim Frey&nbsp;at the age of 88.&nbsp; Frey managed the Royals to their first American League championship and World Series appearance in 1980.&nbsp; He posted a 127-105 record in his two years (1980-81) at the helm. Prior to joining the Royals, Frey’s post-playing career included stints as a scout and minor league manager, before being named to Earl Weaver’s coaching staff with the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, the same season they O’s won the World Series title. He remained with Baltimore, participating in two more Fall Classics, before being named the sixth full-time manager in Royals history on October 24, 1979.&nbsp;After serving on the New York Mets’ coaching staff for two seasons (1982-83, Frey managed the Chicago Cubs (1984-86) to an NL East title, finishing his big league managerial career with a 323-287 mark. He also served as the Cubs’ general manager from 1987-91, helping them win another division title in 1989. He most recently served as Vice Chairman of the Independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.A left-handed hitting outfielder, Frey played 14 seasons of minor league ball in the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals’ organizations, before retiring as a player in 1963.&nbsp;Kansas City Royals Release

Former Royals manager Jim Frey passes away at age of 88

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– After researching his prospective draft status with the NBA, Kansas guard&nbsp;Ochai&nbsp;Agbaji announced Tuesday that he will return for his junior season at KU in 2020-21.

“I looked into the NBA and was given some great feedback on ways I can be a better basketball player,” Agbaji said. ”I know there are a lot of areas of my game I can improve and look forward to working with our coaches to reach that next level. We have some unfinished business to take care of and I’m looking forward to&nbsp;returning to KU for my junior season.”

Agbaji started all 31 games for Kansas in 2019-20 and was third on the team in scoring at 10.0 points per game for the 28-3 Jayhawks who won the Big 12 regular-season title at 17-1 and finished No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls before the 2019-20 season ended due to the pandemic. The Kansas City, Mo., guard earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors and was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection this past season.

“I believe Ochai could have been drafted but there are some things he knows he still needs to improve on,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “He has taken a very mature approach to this. I believe Ochai is an NBA player and with a great year next season, hopefully he’ll put himself in a position to do that.”

Agbaji was second on the team in minutes played, averaging 33.3 minutes per game which ranked sixth in the Big 12. He had 30-plus minutes in 24 games, was second on the team with 44 3-point field goals made and third with 38 steals. He ranked 15th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 1.5 and 15th in steals per contest at 1.2.

For his career, Agbaji has started 47 of 53 games played, has made 69 3-pointers and has averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– After researching his prospective draft status with the NBA, Kansas guard&nbsp;Ochai&nbsp;Agbaji announced Tuesday that he will return for his junior season at KU in 2020-21.“I looked into the NBA and was given some great feedback on ways I can be a better basketball player,” Agbaji said. ”I know there are a lot of areas of my game I can improve and look forward to working with our coaches to reach that next level. We have some unfinished business to take care of and I’m looking forward to&nbsp;returning to KU for my junior season.”Agbaji started all 31 games for Kansas in 2019-20 and was third on the team in scoring at 10.0 points per game for the 28-3 Jayhawks who won the Big 12 regular-season title at 17-1 and finished No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls before the 2019-20 season ended due to the pandemic. The Kansas City, Mo., guard earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors and was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection this past season.“I believe Ochai could have been drafted but there are some things he knows he still needs to improve on,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “He has taken a very mature approach to this. I believe Ochai is an NBA player and with a great year next season, hopefully he’ll put himself in a position to do that.”Agbaji was second on the team in minutes played, averaging 33.3 minutes per game which ranked sixth in the Big 12. He had 30-plus minutes in 24 games, was second on the team with 44 3-point field goals made and third with 38 steals. He ranked 15th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 1.5 and 15th in steals per contest at 1.2.For his career, Agbaji has started 47 of 53 games played, has made 69 3-pointers and has averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.Kansas Athletics

Agbaji to return for junior season at Kansas

WAKEENEY, Kan. -&nbsp;Despite
leading the Trego girls’ to back-to-back state tournament appearances, head
coach Donnie Shubert will not be back next season. 

The Trego school board
voted Monday night to not retain Shubert's services.

The Golden Eagles, who return four of their five starters next season, went 43-6 over the last two season under Shubert, advancing to the 2A state semifinals each year.

In 2019 Trego finished fourth at the state tournament. This past seasons run was cut short when all of the state tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Shubert just completed his third season as girls' head coach after coaching the boys for four seasons in the early 2000s.

The Golden Eagles return four of their five starters

WAKEENEY, Kan. -&nbsp;Despite
leading the Trego girls’ to back-to-back state tournament appearances, head
coach Donnie Shubert will not be back next season. The Trego school board
voted Monday night to not retain Shubert's services.The Golden Eagles, who return four of their five starters next season, went 43-6 over the last two season under Shubert, advancing to the 2A state semifinals each year.In 2019 Trego finished fourth at the state tournament. This past seasons run was cut short when all of the state tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.Shubert just completed his third season as girls' head coach after coaching the boys for four seasons in the early 2000s.The Golden Eagles return four of their five starters

Shubert out as Trego girls' coach

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball standout Devon Dotson has declared for the NBA Draft, the 2019-20 sophomore guard announced Monday.

“After talking it over with my family and full support from my coaches, I’ve decided to enter the 2020 NBA Draft and pursue my lifelong goal of being an NBA player,” Dotson said. “In basketball, this has always been my ultimate dream and my time at KU has prepared me. Although I intend to sign with an agent and remain in the draft, this is not a good-bye as I will always be a Jayhawk. Thank you to God, my parents, coaches, support staff, teammates, Jayhawk nation, and everyone for making these last two years extremely special. Rock Chalk.”

Last summer, Dotson participated in the NBA Combine and returned to KU where he led the Jayhawks to a 28-3 record and a Big 12 regular-season title winning a conference-record 17 league games going 17-1 in 2019-20. The Jayhawks won their final 16 games of the season and finished ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls at the end of the shortened season.

“This decision came about from what Devon’s goals were last year and what he was told by NBA personnel on what he needed to improve on,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “And then he goes out and has an All-American year. I believe this was going to be a decision he made regardless of NBA feedback, but the NBA feedback he has received has been positive and I concur with him that this is the right time to pursue a professional career.”

A Consensus All-America Second Team and Wooden Award All-American, Dotson led the Big 12 in scoring at 18.1 ppg, steals (2.1) and free throws made (142). The Charlotte, N.C., native who was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week in 2019-20, Dotson ranked among the Big 12 leaders in 20-point games (second at 9, field goal percentage (second at 46.8, free throw percentage (fifth at 83.0, assists (fifth at 4.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (fifth at 1.7).

“We are all so proud and happy for Devon and what a year he had,” Self said. “We support and believe this is the correct decision for him to make. Although we only got two years from Devon, all Jayhawk fans should be very appreciative and wish him all the best moving forward.”

Dotson became just the fifth Jayhawk to lead the Big 12 in scoring joining Drew Gooden in 2002, Wayne Simien in 2005, Frank Mason III in 2017 and Dedric Lawson in 2019. In addition to his All-America honors in 2019-20, Dotson was an All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous selection, a Bob Cousy Award Point Guard of the Year Award Finalist, USBWA All-District VI and the co-MVP of the Maui Invitational in leading KU to the tourney title. Dotson amassed 986 career points in only two seasons at Kansas.

Devon Dotson Career Honors at Kansas 2019-20:&nbsp; Wooden Award All-America; Consensus All-America Second Team; NABC All-America Second Team; USBWA All-America Second Team; Associated Press All-America Second Team; ESPN.com All-America First Team; CBSSports.com All-America Second Team; Sporting News All-America Second Team; USBWA All-District VI; Bleacher Report All-America First Team; All-Big 12 First Team (Coaches &amp; AP); Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 12); Wooden Award National Ballot; Bob Cousy Award Finalist (1 of 5); 3x Big 12 Player of the Week (12.16.19, 12.2.19, 2.3.20); Maui Invitational Co-MVP &amp; All-Tournament Team; NABC Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 20); Preseason Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention; Preseason All-Big 12

Big 12 All-Tournament Team [2019]; All-Big 12 Third Team [2019]; Big 12 All-Freshman Team [2019]; CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week (2.12); Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (12.31); Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Candidate (1 of 20)

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball standout Devon Dotson has declared for the NBA Draft, the 2019-20 sophomore guard announced Monday.“After talking it over with my family and full support from my coaches, I’ve decided to enter the 2020 NBA Draft and pursue my lifelong goal of being an NBA player,” Dotson said. “In basketball, this has always been my ultimate dream and my time at KU has prepared me. Although I intend to sign with an agent and remain in the draft, this is not a good-bye as I will always be a Jayhawk. Thank you to God, my parents, coaches, support staff, teammates, Jayhawk nation, and everyone for making these last two years extremely special. Rock Chalk.”Last summer, Dotson participated in the NBA Combine and returned to KU where he led the Jayhawks to a 28-3 record and a Big 12 regular-season title winning a conference-record 17 league games going 17-1 in 2019-20. The Jayhawks won their final 16 games of the season and finished ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls at the end of the shortened season.“This decision came about from what Devon’s goals were last year and what he was told by NBA personnel on what he needed to improve on,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “And then he goes out and has an All-American year. I believe this was going to be a decision he made regardless of NBA feedback, but the NBA feedback he has received has been positive and I concur with him that this is the right time to pursue a professional career.”A Consensus All-America Second Team and Wooden Award All-American, Dotson led the Big 12 in scoring at 18.1 ppg, steals (2.1) and free throws made (142). The Charlotte, N.C., native who was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week in 2019-20, Dotson ranked among the Big 12 leaders in 20-point games (second at 9, field goal percentage (second at 46.8, free throw percentage (fifth at 83.0, assists (fifth at 4.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (fifth at 1.7).“We are all so proud and happy for Devon and what a year he had,” Self said. “We support and believe this is the correct decision for him to make. Although we only got two years from Devon, all Jayhawk fans should be very appreciative and wish him all the best moving forward.”Dotson became just the fifth Jayhawk to lead the Big 12 in scoring joining Drew Gooden in 2002, Wayne Simien in 2005, Frank Mason III in 2017 and Dedric Lawson in 2019. In addition to his All-America honors in 2019-20, Dotson was an All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous selection, a Bob Cousy Award Point Guard of the Year Award Finalist, USBWA All-District VI and the co-MVP of the Maui Invitational in leading KU to the tourney title. Dotson amassed 986 career points in only two seasons at Kansas.Devon Dotson Career Honors at Kansas 2019-20:&nbsp; Wooden Award All-America; Consensus All-America Second Team; NABC All-America Second Team; USBWA All-America Second Team; Associated Press All-America Second Team; ESPN.com All-America First Team; CBSSports.com All-America Second Team; Sporting News All-America Second Team; USBWA All-District VI; Bleacher Report All-America First Team; All-Big 12 First Team (Coaches &amp; AP); Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 12); Wooden Award National Ballot; Bob Cousy Award Finalist (1 of 5); 3x Big 12 Player of the Week (12.16.19, 12.2.19, 2.3.20); Maui Invitational Co-MVP &amp; All-Tournament Team; NABC Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 20); Preseason Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention; Preseason All-Big 12Big 12 All-Tournament Team [2019]; All-Big 12 Third Team [2019]; Big 12 All-Freshman Team [2019]; CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week (2.12); Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (12.31); Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Candidate (1 of 20)Kansas Athletics

KU's Dotson declares for the NBA Draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Spring football was shelved because of the coronavirus. There is still plenty of work going on in college football.

With the pandemic casting uncertainty on the 2020 season, programs are starting to wrestle with two weighty issues: Getting ready to play some kind of season if it is safe to do so and trying to manage what for many would be a substantial financial blow if the season is shortened or canceled.

The NCAA this week formed a working group to look at issues such as how much preseason practice and conditioning would be required once play is green-lighted again. The NCAA said “it is premature to establish a timeline for when these scenarios may be put into place.”

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said the discussion is just beginning on prepare-to-play issues after most programs had spring football practice shortened or wiped out and had to deal with their spring sports being called to a halt.

“Do we feel we need a longer period of time to help them physically get back into the grind?” Smith said Friday. “Maybe you need two weeks straight without pads. I don’t know that. That’s where the collaborative of the medical people and the strength coaches and everybody across the country has to occur. A hard date will come in relation to what we figure out there, and we haven’t figured it out yet.”

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, in an interview on ESPN, said six weeks would be a reasonable “starting point” for getting ready to play. Last week, Alabama coach Nick Saban suggested “teaching sessions on the field” over the summer to prepare for camp.

“If you look at statistics historically on concussions, injuries … the most concentrated time that you practice and not play is in fall camp,” Saban said on a conference call with reporters. “You have more practices, you have to spend more time on the field. So I don’t know that increasing that is going to be beneficial in getting people ready to play.”

On the financial side, losing football would be a devastating blow. Ohio State and other top football programs pump millions into their athletic department budgets, funding less lucrative sports. The NCAA is also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1f25b3b77136647036f9ca6ce37c5e2d">slashing $375 million that would normally be distributed</a>&nbsp;to various programs from the NCAA Tournaments that were canceled.

Georgia Tech has made no cuts to staffers salaries, but said an early estimate of losses blamed on the pandemic will exceed $3 million. Wisconsin deputy athletic director Chris McIntosh estimated the Badgers lost some $4 million in revenue due to the loss of the NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament.

“So far the biggest lesson in terms of planning that we’ve experienced as it relates to COVID-19 is it’s incredibly humbling and it’s unpredictable,” McIntosh said. “We’re in the mode of preparing for anything, really, and predicting nothing.”

Louisville this week announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/69e064e3722661ba36ee137be1ba3d0c">10% salary cuts for coaches and athletic staff</a>, including football and men’s basketball. At Stanford, football coach David Shaw, women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer and men’s basketball coach Jerod Haase all volunteered to take less pay.

Smith said Ohio State has not ruled out pay cuts or other measures.

“Our university is going through a process to evaluate whether we need to deal with personnel in that form or fashion,” he said, noting that a hiring freeze was in place and budget cuts made before the coronavirus threat emerged.

“We did talk to some of our coaches about the blessings that they have and that we have and needed to make sure that we help as many people as we could,” he said.

Having the season possibly wiped off the calendar is something Smith said he hasn’t begun to think about yet.

“The football season is vital to the budget health of the overall department,” he said. “The bottom line is that it would have a major impact, and I haven’t yet begun to look at the cascade effects of that.”

Ohio State’s athletic department will finish with the fiscal year June 30 with about $10.2 million in the bank and money saved on travel when spring sports were eliminated and football coaches not traveling to visit recruits, Smith said. That could get used up quickly if the seven home football games are affected.

Smith said he can’t see the players playing in Ohio Stadium in front of more than 100,000 empty seats even if it would bring in television revenue. If it’s not safe for the fans to be together, it probably wouldn’t be safe for the players, either, he said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Spring football was shelved because of the coronavirus. There is still plenty of work going on in college football.With the pandemic casting uncertainty on the 2020 season, programs are starting to wrestle with two weighty issues: Getting ready to play some kind of season if it is safe to do so and trying to manage what for many would be a substantial financial blow if the season is shortened or canceled.The NCAA this week formed a working group to look at issues such as how much preseason practice and conditioning would be required once play is green-lighted again. The NCAA said “it is premature to establish a timeline for when these scenarios may be put into place.”Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said the discussion is just beginning on prepare-to-play issues after most programs had spring football practice shortened or wiped out and had to deal with their spring sports being called to a halt.“Do we feel we need a longer period of time to help them physically get back into the grind?” Smith said Friday. “Maybe you need two weeks straight without pads. I don’t know that. That’s where the collaborative of the medical people and the strength coaches and everybody across the country has to occur. A hard date will come in relation to what we figure out there, and we haven’t figured it out yet.”Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, in an interview on ESPN, said six weeks would be a reasonable “starting point” for getting ready to play. Last week, Alabama coach Nick Saban suggested “teaching sessions on the field” over the summer to prepare for camp.“If you look at statistics historically on concussions, injuries … the most concentrated time that you practice and not play is in fall camp,” Saban said on a conference call with reporters. “You have more practices, you have to spend more time on the field. So I don’t know that increasing that is going to be beneficial in getting people ready to play.”On the financial side, losing football would be a devastating blow. Ohio State and other top football programs pump millions into their athletic department budgets, funding less lucrative sports. The NCAA is also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1f25b3b77136647036f9ca6ce37c5e2d">slashing $375 million that would normally be distributed</a>&nbsp;to various programs from the NCAA Tournaments that were canceled.Georgia Tech has made no cuts to staffers salaries, but said an early estimate of losses blamed on the pandemic will exceed $3 million. Wisconsin deputy athletic director Chris McIntosh estimated the Badgers lost some $4 million in revenue due to the loss of the NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament.“So far the biggest lesson in terms of planning that we’ve experienced as it relates to COVID-19 is it’s incredibly humbling and it’s unpredictable,” McIntosh said. “We’re in the mode of preparing for anything, really, and predicting nothing.”Louisville this week announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/69e064e3722661ba36ee137be1ba3d0c">10% salary cuts for coaches and athletic staff</a>, including football and men’s basketball. At Stanford, football coach David Shaw, women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer and men’s basketball coach Jerod Haase all volunteered to take less pay.Smith said Ohio State has not ruled out pay cuts or other measures.“Our university is going through a process to evaluate whether we need to deal with personnel in that form or fashion,” he said, noting that a hiring freeze was in place and budget cuts made before the coronavirus threat emerged.“We did talk to some of our coaches about the blessings that they have and that we have and needed to make sure that we help as many people as we could,” he said.Having the season possibly wiped off the calendar is something Smith said he hasn’t begun to think about yet.“The football season is vital to the budget health of the overall department,” he said. “The bottom line is that it would have a major impact, and I haven’t yet begun to look at the cascade effects of that.”Ohio State’s athletic department will finish with the fiscal year June 30 with about $10.2 million in the bank and money saved on travel when spring sports were eliminated and football coaches not traveling to visit recruits, Smith said. That could get used up quickly if the seven home football games are affected.Smith said he can’t see the players playing in Ohio Stadium in front of more than 100,000 empty seats even if it would bring in television revenue. If it’s not safe for the fans to be together, it probably wouldn’t be safe for the players, either, he said.

Amid uncertainty, college football trying to plan for season

Normally at this time, the Fort Hays State baseball and
softball teams would be gearing up for the final month of their regular season and
the track and field team would be working on improving their marks in an effort
to qualify for the national championships. Instead the ballfields and the track
are silent due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Tiger baseball and softball teams were just starting MIAA
play and the track and field team was getting ready for their first outdoor
meet of the season when the NCAA canceled all spring sports.

Jerod Goodale’s Tiger baseball team found out their season
was coming to an end in the middle of a home doubleheader with No. 2 Central
Missouri.

“I started getting a little bit worried the night before
when I saw the Ivy League canceled the rest of their season,” Goodale said. “I
just didn’t think it would happen that quick. In between a doubleheader, you
find out this is it. It was a lot to process for the players, the coaches, the
parents — for everybody.”

The FHSU softball team was in Claremore, Okla., and had wrapped
up a doubleheader with No. 17 Rogers State when they got word it was the last
they would play this season.

“It was just so abrupt,” said head softball coach Adrian
Pilkington. “It was something we were kind of talking about as coaches. I guess
I just didn’t expect it to be this abrupt and extensive.”

All if the athletic teams at Fort Hays State have been affected
one way or another by the shutdown, but those that compete in the spring have an
added element to deal with. The NCAA has ruled that spring sports
student-athletes will be granted an additional season of eligibility, so that
means determining who is returning and who is not and balancing that with their
incoming recruiting class.

Goodale had only six seniors on his
roster and he said it won’t be as big of a problem for him. Goodale, who is in
his second year as head coach at FHSU, has talked to some of his coaching colleagues
who are dealing with a large senior class opting to return as well as a large
incoming recruiting class that was set to replace them. 

Through all of this, Goodale feels it’s the high school seniors
that will suffer.

“It’s awful timing for them,” Goodale said of the high
school seniors. “There’s going to be a lot of guys that probably don’t end up
getting a chance to play college baseball.”

Of the six seniors on the FHSU roster, three are taking
advantage of the additional year and will be back next season, two are not coming
back and one is still deciding.

“I think the junior colleges will benefit the most from it,”
Goodale said. “I think you’ll see the best product of college baseball in all
levels this next year with all of those guys coming back.”

It’s a little different situation for Fort Hays State softball
coach Adrian Pilkington, who had seven seniors on her 19-player roster this
spring. Pilkington had only signed three recruits for 2021, so when six of her
seniors decided to take advantage of the extra season, it wasn’t a problem.

“That part ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise
for us,” Pilkington said. “Those kids coming back we’re welcoming back with
open arms. Some of these seniors coming back actually fill some of the voids we
were needing to replace with recruits.”

Pilkington also feels the extra year granted by the NCAA will
have a trickle-down effect to the high school level, including the current
junior class set to graduate in 2021.

“For those kids within our program, if they do take a year
of relief outside of seniors, we’re looking to push back our recruiting needs,”
Pilkington said. “We’ve just yet to see the implications of it.”

Head track and field coach Jason McCullough has a bigger
roster than baseball and softball, with 88 student-athletes on his men’s
and women’s roster — 18 seniors among them. McCullough expects some to take
advantage of the extra year but a good number who won’t, especially those who already
had jobs lined up following graduation.

“I always encourage their academics to come first,”
McCullough said. “If they have a good job waiting for them or a good
opportunity waiting for them this year, that’s something I encourage them to
take.”

McCullough added that for many seniors, returning means seeking
another major or starting post-graduate education. 

“The big challenge is
balancing the scholarships from year to year. We expect certain athletes to
fall off of scholarships when we bring new athletes on,” he said.

Cover photo courtesy FHSU Athletics

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586547729931.png" alt="Larks Park / FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Larks Park / FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostNormally at this time, the Fort Hays State baseball and
softball teams would be gearing up for the final month of their regular season and
the track and field team would be working on improving their marks in an effort
to qualify for the national championships. Instead the ballfields and the track
are silent due to the COVID-19 outbreak.The Tiger baseball and softball teams were just starting MIAA
play and the track and field team was getting ready for their first outdoor
meet of the season when the NCAA canceled all spring sports.Jerod Goodale’s Tiger baseball team found out their season
was coming to an end in the middle of a home doubleheader with No. 2 Central
Missouri.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586527176314.jpeg" alt="Jerod Goodale" />
 <figcaption>Jerod Goodale</figcaption>
 </figure>“I started getting a little bit worried the night before
when I saw the Ivy League canceled the rest of their season,” Goodale said. “I
just didn’t think it would happen that quick. In between a doubleheader, you
find out this is it. It was a lot to process for the players, the coaches, the
parents — for everybody.”The FHSU softball team was in Claremore, Okla., and had wrapped
up a doubleheader with No. 17 Rogers State when they got word it was the last
they would play this season.“It was just so abrupt,” said head softball coach Adrian
Pilkington. “It was something we were kind of talking about as coaches. I guess
I just didn’t expect it to be this abrupt and extensive.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586527251217.jpeg" alt="Adrian Pilkington" />
 <figcaption>Adrian Pilkington</figcaption>
 </figure>All if the athletic teams at Fort Hays State have been affected
one way or another by the shutdown, but those that compete in the spring have an
added element to deal with. The NCAA has ruled that spring sports
student-athletes will be granted an additional season of eligibility, so that
means determining who is returning and who is not and balancing that with their
incoming recruiting class.Goodale had only six seniors on his
roster and he said it won’t be as big of a problem for him. Goodale, who is in
his second year as head coach at FHSU, has talked to some of his coaching colleagues
who are dealing with a large senior class opting to return as well as a large
incoming recruiting class that was set to replace them. Through all of this, Goodale feels it’s the high school seniors
that will suffer.“It’s awful timing for them,” Goodale said of the high
school seniors. “There’s going to be a lot of guys that probably don’t end up
getting a chance to play college baseball.”Of the six seniors on the FHSU roster, three are taking
advantage of the additional year and will be back next season, two are not coming
back and one is still deciding.“I think the junior colleges will benefit the most from it,”
Goodale said. “I think you’ll see the best product of college baseball in all
levels this next year with all of those guys coming back.”<h2>Most FHSU softball seniors to return</h2>It’s a little different situation for Fort Hays State softball
coach Adrian Pilkington, who had seven seniors on her 19-player roster this
spring. Pilkington had only signed three recruits for 2021, so when six of her
seniors decided to take advantage of the extra season, it wasn’t a problem.“That part ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise
for us,” Pilkington said. “Those kids coming back we’re welcoming back with
open arms. Some of these seniors coming back actually fill some of the voids we
were needing to replace with recruits.”Pilkington also feels the extra year granted by the NCAA will
have a trickle-down effect to the high school level, including the current
junior class set to graduate in 2021.“For those kids within our program, if they do take a year
of relief outside of seniors, we’re looking to push back our recruiting needs,”
Pilkington said. “We’ve just yet to see the implications of it.”<h2>Track and field a bigger beast</h2>Head track and field coach Jason McCullough has a bigger
roster than baseball and softball, with 88 student-athletes on his men’s
and women’s roster — 18 seniors among them. McCullough expects some to take
advantage of the extra year but a good number who won’t, especially those who already
had jobs lined up following graduation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586527487439.jpeg" alt="Jason McCullough" />
 <figcaption>Jason McCullough</figcaption>
 </figure>“I always encourage their academics to come first,”
McCullough said. “If they have a good job waiting for them or a good
opportunity waiting for them this year, that’s something I encourage them to
take.”McCullough added that for many seniors, returning means seeking
another major or starting post-graduate education. “The big challenge is
balancing the scholarships from year to year. We expect certain athletes to
fall off of scholarships when we bring new athletes on,” he said.Cover photo courtesy FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State coaches deal with shutdown

Fort Hays State's Gross Coliseum has been voted the nation's No.1 Division II arena.

Normally T3 Bracketology would have been predicting NCAA brackets using various metrics, but with no tournament, the website had a little fun and made their own brackets for best arenas in the country.

Through Twitter, the website set up brackets for what they determined to be the 16 best arenas in NCAA Division I, II and III as well as junior college. 

The voting criteria was best facility coupled with the best atmosphere. Fan voting was used to determine the winners in each ro

Gross Coliseum beat out Bellarmine's (Ky.) Knight's Hall in the Sweet 16 then edged Emporia State's White Auditorium 53%-47% in the quarterfinals. 

In the semifinals, fans voted 81%-19% in favor of GMC over Southwestern Oklahoma State's Pioneer Cellular Event Center.

Fort Hays State's Gross Coliseum has been voted the nation's No.1 Division II arena.Normally T3 Bracketology would have been predicting NCAA brackets using various metrics, but with no tournament, the website had a little fun and made their own brackets for best arenas in the country.Through Twitter, the website set up brackets for what they determined to be the 16 best arenas in NCAA Division I, II and III as well as junior college. The voting criteria was best facility coupled with the best atmosphere. Fan voting was used to determine the winners in each ro<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586646778461.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Gross Coliseum beat out Bellarmine's (Ky.) Knight's Hall in the Sweet 16 then edged Emporia State's White Auditorium 53%-47% in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, fans voted 81%-19% in favor of GMC over Southwestern Oklahoma State's Pioneer Cellular Event Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586646524370.jpeg" alt="A sellout crowd watches FHSU and Nebraska-Kearney to close out the 2005-06 regular season. (Courtesy FHSU Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>A sellout crowd watches FHSU and Nebraska-Kearney to close out the 2005-06 regular season. (Courtesy FHSU Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>The finals pitted the Coliseum against Drury's O'Reilly Family Event Center which it defeated by a landslide.KU's Allen Fieldhouse was named the best Division I arena.