FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Kenny Payne has been hired as associate head coach at Arkansas under John Calipari. Payne was fired last month after going 12-52 in two seasons as the head coach at Louisville, his alma mater. Before that, he spent 10 years as an assistant at Kentucky under Calipari, helping the Wildcats win the national championship in 2012, play for the 2014 title and reach four Final Fours. Payne also has been an assistant at Oregon and for the NBA’s New York Knicks. As associate head coach at Kentucky from 2014 to 2020, Payne helped the Wildcats consistently land highly ranked recruiting classes.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky reserve guard Reed Sheppard, who was voted the Southeastern Conference’s top freshman by coaches after leading the league in steals, says he will enter the NBA draft. The London, Kentucky, native was considered one of the conference’s best playmakers and perimeter shooters. He said in a social media post that it was time to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA and asked fans “to go with me” in a one-minute video. Sheppard started just five of 33 games, but was Kentucky’s No. 3 scorer at 12.5 points per contest, with an SEC-best 2.5 steals that ranked eighth nationally.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Utah and Florida clinched the remaining two spots at the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship on Thursday night, denying No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma a chance at a three-peat. Utah took the lead on the first rotation after posting a season-high 49.6375 on the beam — with a 9.950 from Abby Paulson and Malie O’Keefe. Jaylene Gilstrap and O’Keefe also posted 9.950 on the floor to keep Utah in front. The Utes finished with 197.9375 points, while the Gators had 197.8750 for the fifth-highest score in program history at the championships. Defending champion Oklahoma suffered from five falls to place third with 196.6625, followed by Alabama (196.4125). Fifth-seeded Utah and No. 4 Florida join No. 2 LSU and No. 3 California in Saturday’s finals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri is planning a $250 million renovation of Memorial Stadium. The project is expected to be completed by the 2026 season. It will further enclose the north end of the stadium and add a variety of new premium seating options. The field-level Bunker Club in the south end zone will be converted to a team recruiting center, with upgrades to restrooms, concessions and the sound system among other changes. The university’s Board of Curators unanimously approved the hiring of Kansas City architecture firm DLR Group on Wednesday to handle the project.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Schools facing NCAA infractions cases could ensure they avoid postseason bans if they show “exemplary cooperation” with investigators under a proposal before the NCAA Division I Council. The NCAA announced Thursday that the Division I board of directors infractions process committee had introduced that proposal to the council. The proposal would define the term “exemplary cooperation” more clearly while establishing its impact on possible penalties. The NCAA said that impact would include removing a postseason ban from the table for the majority of schools found to have demonstrated exemplary cooperation.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s governor has signed a law that allows state colleges and universities to directly pay athletes through name, image and likeness endorsem*nt deals. The law signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin bypasses NCAA rules. It takes effect on July 1. NIL rules, enacted in 2021, allow college athletes to agree to deals with brands and businesses that compensate them for advertising or personal appearances. The NCAA says rules against “pay for play” and schools directly paying their athletes remain in place.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State has taken its biggest step yet toward becoming the first historically Black college and university to introduce ice hockey by hiring Duanté Abercrombie as the Tigers’ head coach. Tennessee State officials announced the hiring Thursday. They first announced the university's plans in June 2023 during the NHL draft in Nashville. The hope has been to play this year at the club level and eventually field Division I men’s and women’s teams. Abercrombie is an inaugural member of the NHL’s Coaches’ Association’s BIPOC Coaches Program. He spent the 2022-23 season with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and their minor league affiliates.
UNDATED (AP) — Archie Cooley, the innovative longtime Black college football coach whose offense helped Jerry Rice become a record-breaking receiver at Mississippi Valley State, has died. Cooley's family announced his death through the school, but provided no details. He was 84. Nicknamed “Gunslinger” for his passion for the passing game, Cooley spent more than 25 years as a head coach at four HBCUs and went 83-78-5. The Mississippi native played at Jackson State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the early 1960s. His 1984 Mississippi Valley State team with Rice set dozens of NCAA records, including averaging 60.9 points per game.
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