COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Kim Anderson has announced the signing of 6-3 guard K.J. Walton, a shooting guard who starred for Brownsburg High School outside of Indianapolis, Ind.
Capable of contributing from around the floor, Walton averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game during his standout senior season in 2014-15. Walton helped lead Brownsburg head coach Steve Lynch’s squad to back-to-back sectional titles, along with a 21-7 record and regional championship game appearance as a senior.
“We are excited to add K.J. to our Mizzou Basketball family,” Anderson said. “He is an outstanding athlete who has the ability to score from multiple guard positions. In addition, he has the potential to be an elite wing defender. Playing for Coach Steve Lynch at Brownsburg High School, he comes from a winning program. We look forward to having him in a Tiger uniform next season.”
Walton was named to the IndyStar Indiana All-Star Team after the conclusion of his final Brownsburg campaign. He shot 44.0-percent from the field for the Bulldogs this last season.
“Coach Anderson and his coaching staff really stood out to me,” Walton said. “They were great during the recruiting process and helped show me what Mizzou will offer for a college experience. The atmosphere at the school is one-of-a-kind and has me really excited to get there.”
Walton joins Mizzou’s stout 2015 recruiting class, currently consisting of: 6-2 guard Martavian Payne (St. Louis, Mo.), 5-11 guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.), 6-7 forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.), 6-4 guard Cullen VanLeer (Pacific, Mo.) and 6-8 forward Russell Woods (Chicago, Ill.).
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs have signed four players from their rookie minicamp this past weekend and waived three other players to make room for them on their roster.
With a big need for depth on the offensive line, the Chiefs kept former Kansas center Daniel Munyer, South Alabama offensive guard Melvin Meggs and Baylor offensive tackle Kelvin Palmer.
The Chiefs also signed Sam Houston State running back Keshawn Hill.
To make room for them, the Chiefs waived offensive lineman Charles Sweeton along with fullback Manasseh Garner and tight end Earnest Pettway.
The Chiefs begin their optional full-squad workouts next week.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has announced the signing of Chris King to a National Letter of Intent. King, a 6-0 point guard from Hoover High School in Des Moines, Iowa, was a two-year all-state performer for the Huskies.
“Chris has a great feel for the game,” said McCollum. “He shoots the ball extremely well and does a great job making plays off the dribble. He can score from the perimeter, has a mid-range game and finishes well around the basket. He is also very unselfish and does a lot of things to help his team win. Chris is a great kid off the floor as well and we are extremely excited he chose to be a Bearcat.”
During his career, King scored over 1,000 points and led Hoover to a pair of CIML conference titles. As a senior King earned first-team All-State honors and led the Huskies to a 12-0 record in CIML play. King was named first team All-CIML twice and was also named the All-CIML Elite team captain. An all-district performer, King was named to the all-state tournament team and earned a spot in the Iowa All-Star game.
HOOVER, Ala. – Mizzou baseball had three players honored by the Southeastern Conference on Monday (May 18) as the league announced its All-Conference selections for 2015. Highlighting the honorees was junior reliever Breckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.), who earned Second-Team All-SEC. Freshmen Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) and Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Mo.) each earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman Team as well. The All-SEC honorees were chosen by the league’s 14 coaches.
Williams is Mizzou’s first All-SEC honoree since Keaton Steele took home first team honors in 2013 as a utility player. The Tiger closer finished the regular season with 12 saves, tied for the most ever in a single season at Mizzou (Ryan Stegall had 12 in 2000 as well). Williams was named to the Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch List and has a win or save in all nine of Mizzou’s one-run wins this season. His 15 career saves are the fourth-most in program history as well. He finished the season with a 4-3 record and 12 saves with a 1.89 ERA in 23 appearances. He tossed 33.1 innings, striking out 35 and walking just eight. He allowed just five extra-base hits all season.
Harris and Houck are the first Tiger freshmen to take home All-SEC Freshman Team honors since current junior Josh Lester (Columbus, Ga.) did so in 2013. Harris earns a spot as one of three outfielders while Houck made the team as one of two starting pitchers. Harris hit .249 with 24 runs and 20 RBI, 16 of which came in SEC games. He tallied a walk-off hit over South Carolina earlier this season and hit his first career homer; a three-run, go-ahead homer at Georgia, just an hour from where he grew up. He earned the Tigers’ starting right field job in his first year with the program.
Houck has put together one of the best freshman seasons in Mizzou baseball history. His eight wins are the most by a Tiger freshman since Kyle Gibson (a former first-round draft pick) in 2007 and his 92.2 innings are the most ever by a Tiger freshman under Tim Jamieson. He also leads all freshman nationally in innings pitched. He compiled a 3.40 ERA on the season, striking out 83 batters over 92.2 innings while walking just 11 in 14 starts as a freshman. He was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List earlier this season.
Williams, Houck and Harris will open the SEC Tournament on Tuesday at approximately 12:30 p.m. against No. 10 seed South Carolina at Hoover Met.
NEW YORK (AP) — Pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr. had an RBI infield hit with one out in the bottom of the 14th inning, lifting the New York Mets to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night after blowing another lead for Matt Harvey.
Lucas Duda beat a shifted, drawn-in infield with an opposite field hit for a run-scoring single off John Lackey in the fourth, but Jason Heyward had a sacrifice fly in the ninth off closer Jeurys Familia as the Mets wasted another 1-0 lead for their ace.
The division leaders then struck out a combined 12 times in extras before Sam Tuivailala (0-1) walked Eric Campbell and Duda to open the 14th. Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal relived and got Michael Cuddyer to ground into a fielder’s choice. Rosenthal then walked intentionally Daniel Murphy to load the bases.
Mayberry, who entered batting .114, grounded the first pitch off diving drawn-in shortstop Jhonny Peralta’s glove. Campbell slid home ahead of a late throw that stretching catcher Yadier Molina could not reach.
Carlos Torres (2-2) pitched two innings for the NL East-leaders’ third straight win after a five-game skid. The Mets were the last major league team to play extra innings this season.
Heyward doubled with one out in the 14th but reliever Seth Maness had to bat because St. Louis was out of position players. The Central-leading Cardinals didn’t get into New York until after 3 a.m. following their Sunday night game in St. Louis, a 2-1 win.
The Cardinals went 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
It was the third consecutive start in which New York gave Harvey one run of support. Harvey outpitched Lackey in a taught duel before giving way to Familia in the ninth.
Familia gave up one out singles to Matt Adams and Molina. Heyward then hit a 245 foot flyball to right field, but Curtis Granderson’s throw was several feet up the third base line and pinch-runner Pete Kozma easily slid home safely. It was Familia’s first blown save in 14 chances.
Harvey gave up six hits and matched a season-high with nine strikeouts in running his scoreless innings streak to 16 and lowering his ERA to 1.98 from 2.31.
Pitching on the same night his beloved New York Rangers were facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Harvey was not his usual dominant self. But he got out of each jam with timely strikeouts and solid defense — including a diving catch by struggling shortstop Wilmer Flores to start a double play in the fourth.
Lackey, at 36, more crafty than his overpowering opponent who is 10 years his junior, but he was every bit as good. Facing the Mets for just the third time and first since 2008, when he was with the Angels, Lackey stifled New York for seven efficient innings, allowing three hits and a run.
He held the Mets hitless until Granderson doubled leading off the fourth. Granderson advanced to third on Eric Campbell’s grounder to first. The Cardinals brought the infield in and put three fielders on the right side for the left-handed swinging Duda, who slapped an away pitch to the left side of second base for an RBI single. Lackey flailed in frustration as St. Louis fell behind 1-0.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (setback from thoracic outlet syndrome) is set to make his first start of season Thursday in the series finale and he had a bullpen session Monday. Manager Mike Matheny didn’t sound too concerned with the results of the `pen. “He’s in,” Matheny said. “He’ll be ready Thursday.”
Mets: C Travis d’Arnaud (broken right pinkie) swung for first time Monday. Manager Terry Collins said d’Arnaud started with dry swings. He’ll build up to facing pitching so he doesn’t hurt his hand. … 3B David Wright (hamstring, back) was cleared for baseball activities. “The big thing now is to see how he wakes up tomorrow,” Collins said of seeing how Wright will feel after his first time on the field.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: St. Louis is 7-0 when RHP Michael Wacha (5-0) starts. In three career starts against New York, Wacha has held the Mets to a .220 batting average.
Mets: Jonathon Niese (3-4) is coming off a difficult outing in which he gave up six runs — four earned — in 6 1/3 innings to the Cubs, boosting his ERA to 2.49. While with Atlanta, Jason Heyward hit .328 (9 for 28) with two homers and eight RBIs against the LHP.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – When Justin Smith decided that his body wouldn’t let him perform up to his own lofty standards, he knew it was time to stop playing.
Smith announced Monday that he is retiring after 14 seasons as one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL, dealing yet another blow to the San Francisco 49ers in a rough offseason.
“They all want you to keep playing, and I want to keep playing as well, but when you get on the bald tires, you’re on the bald tires,” Smith said.
One of the most durable players at one of the most physically demanding positions, Smith had been hampered the past two seasons by a bum left shoulder that he first hurt in training camp in 2013.
That shoulder absorbed the brunt of the punishment as a right defensive end going up against 300-pound linemen all game and Smith did not feel up to playing another season.
“It doesn’t respond like I want it to respond anymore,” he said. “If you don’t have the tools, you can’t do the job. It’s time to go.”
While Smith could still be an effective player, he could no longer be the dominant one he had been for so long in his career and that’s what led to his decision.
“People are going to compare him to everybody else,” coach Jim Tomsula said. “Justin Smith doesn’t compare himself to anybody else. He compares himself to himself. That’s the bar he sets. … I’ve always known with Justin that if he didn’t feel like health-wise he can play at the level he plays at, he’s not going to do it.”
Smith had just two sacks in the final 14 games last season as his practice time, snap count and effectiveness dwindled toward the end of the season.
Smith is the third defensive star to retire from the 49ers this offseason, joining linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland. Coach Jim Harbaugh is also gone, along with running back Frank Gore, guard Mike Iupati, receiver Michael Crabtree, linebacker Dan Skuta and cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox.
Smith played 14 seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the first round by Cincinnati in 2001. After seven successful seasons with the Bengals, he signed as a free agent in San Francisco and had his best success in seven years with the 49ers.
Smith was the anchor of San Francisco’s 3-4 defense that made three straight trips to the NFC title game from 2011-13 and one Super Bowl appearance. He tied up blockers and broke down protection to help the team’s stellar linebacker corps of Willis, Navorro Bowman and Aldon Smith succeed.
While Smith never recorded double-digit sacks in a season in his career, he was so well-regarded that he was selected as an All Pro first-team defensive tackle and second-team defensive end in 2011. He was the first player ever to make the AP’s first and second team at different positions.
“Justin is the consummate professional whose impact on this organization can never be measured by statistics alone,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said. “His durability, competitiveness, work ethic, strength and rare stamina helped set him apart over his 14-year career. Cowboy will go down as one of the best to ever wear a 49ers uniform and his candidness, work ethic and pure passion for the game will be missed.”
Smith also was picked as a second-team All Pro defensive end and defensive tackle in 2012 and made five Pro Bowls in his seven seasons in San Francisco.
During his career, Smith started 217 of 221 games played, including a streak of 185 consecutive starts from his rookie season through December 2012. He finished his career with 1,370 tackles, 87 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 30 passes defensed.
Smith posted at least 5.0 sacks in 12 of his 14 seasons played and is one of 13 players to register 5 or more sacks in at least 12 seasons since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
“Whether it was chasing down a wide receiver and forcing a fumble to seal a win, or driving a tackle back into the quarterback’s chest, he gave everything he had every play,” 49ers CEO Jed York said. “Justin has earned the respect of the entire NFL community and he will always be remembered as one of the 49ers all-time greats.”
The University of Nebraska football team will open its 2017 season against Arkansas State at Memorial Stadium. The Nebraska Athletics Department announced the latest addition to the Huskers’ future non-conference schedule on Monday.
The Red Wolves will visit Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, kicking off the 2017 campaign. The game will mark the third all-time meeting between the schools, with Arkansas State also playing at Memorial Stadium in 2009 and 2012. Nebraska defeated the Red Wolves 38-9 in 2009, and won 42-13 in the 2012 matchup.
Arkansas State has played in a bowl game five times since making the move to the FBS ranks. The Red Wolves have played in the postseason each of the past four years and have won three Sun Belt Conference titles in the past four seasons. In addition to its 2017 trip to Lincoln, Arkansas State has upcoming non-conference games against USC, Missouri, Auburn and Miami among others.
The addition of Arkansas State completes Nebraska’s 2017 schedule. The Huskers’ non-conference schedule also includes a Sept. 9 game at Oregon and a matchup with Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16, 2017. The Huskers will also play nine Big Ten Conference games in 2017, including home contests against Rutgers, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa.
The agreement with Arkansas State completes Nebraska’s schedules through the 2019 season. The Huskers will play four non-conference games and eight Big Ten games in 2015, before the conference shifts to a nine-game conference schedule in 2016.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins of Minnesota is the only unanimous selection for the NBA’s All-Rookie first team.
Wiggins received all 130 votes Monday from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada. He averaged 16.9 points, tops in the class, and his 36.2 minutes per game ranked fourth in the NBA.
The rest of the first team was Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel, Orlando’s Eldrid Payton and Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson.
The second team included Boston’s Marcus Smart, Minnesota’s Zach LaVine, Brooklyn’s Bojan Bogdanovic, Denver’s Jusuf Nurkic and New York’s Langston Galloway.
The panel chose five players for the first team and five for the second, regardless of position. Two points were awarded for first-team votes and one for a second.
Missouri Softball vs. Kansas – May 17, 2015 Photo by Mike Krebs
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sophomore C Kirsten Mack drove in career high five runs on a grand slam and a double to lead the 10th-seeded Mizzou softball team past Kansas and into an NCAA Super Regional with a 7-6 1win Sunday at University Field. Mizzou (42-14) advanced to play either No. 7-seed UCLA or San Diego State next weekend for a spot in the Women’s College World Series.
The Jayhawks ended their campaign with a 40-15 record.
Tiger sophomore P Cheyenne was credited with the win, improving to 3-1 on the year. She scattered four hits and allowed four runs, all unearned, in 4.2 innings of work. Freshman P Paige Lowary came on for the final 1.1 innings to earn her fourth save of the season.
Kansas struck early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and two outs, C Jessie Roane lofted a single just over the glove of Tiger 2B Sami Fagan and into center to plate the first run. A single through the right side brought home the Jayhawks’ second run of the inning for the quick 2-0 advantage.
The Tigers erased their early deficit immediately with three runs of their own in the top of the second. A HBP from freshman DP Amanda Sanchez and a walk from senior SS Corrin Genovese put runs on first and second with one out. Sophomore C Kirsten Mack roped a double to right center, her first hit of the Regional, to score Sanchez from second base. Genovese then scored on a bloop single to shallow left from senior 3B Angela Randazzo and Mack scampered home on a wild pitch for a 3-2 Mizzou lead.
Mack’s two-out grand slam in the top of the third stretched Missouri’s advantage to 7-2. A single from Sanchez sandwiched between walks to Fagan and Genovese set the stage for Mack. The sophomore got a hold of a 1-1 pitch and sent a laser through a stiff wind and over the left field bleachers for her team-leading 15th dinger of the year.
A four-run sixth for the Jayhawks cut the Tigers’ lead to just 7-6 with one inning remaining. Three Mizzou errors, a HBP and a walk scored the runs and got Kansas right back in the game.
Lowary worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the Missouri win and send the Tigers to Super Regionals.
Jayhawk P Alicia Pille dropped to 25-8 on the season with the loss.
