>>Victor Wembanyama Headlines NBA Draft
(Brooklyn, NY) — The worst-kept secret became a reality during the NBA draft in Brooklyn. France’s Victor Wembanyama was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick. Brandon Miller out of Alabama went second to the Charlotte Hornets while Scoot Henderson out of the G-League Ignite went third to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Houston Rockets selected Amen Thompson from Overtime Elite with the fourth pick while the Detroit Pistons drafted his twin brother, Ausar, with the fifth overall selection. A projected top-five pick tumbled in the draft. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore slipped past his lottery spot projection and went 20th overall to the Rockets. The Grizzlies selected South Carolina’s GG Jackson at number-45 and Turkey’s Tarik Biberovic at 56. Kentucky’s Cason Wallace went 10th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
>>College World Series Recap
(Omaha, NE) — Two teams from the Southeastern Conference are set to battle for the 2023 College World Series championship. Fifth-seeded LSU knocked off top-seeded Wake Forest with a 2-0 walk-off victory in the 11th inning on Thursday night. LSU third baseman Tommy White blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th to send the Tigers to the final. LSU is set to begin the series on Saturday against second-seeded Florida in a best-of-three series at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. Florida’s last national title came in 2017, while LSU’s came in 2009. The matchup will be a rematch of the 2017 College World Series championship.
>>Report: Chris Paul Traded To Warriors
(San Francisco, CA) — NBA superstar Chris Paul is headed to the Golden State Warriors. The Athletic reports the Washington Wizards are sending the point guard to the Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and two future draft picks. The Wizards acquired Paul from the Phoenix Suns last week in a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal. Paul will join forces with Stephen Curry on what will be the sixth team he will suit up for.
>>Report: Qatari Investment Authority In Talks To Purchase NBA, NHL, WNBA Teams
(Washington, DC) — The Qatari Investment Authority is close to buying a stake in three American professional sports teams. The Athletic reports the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar is in talks to buy a stake in the parent company that owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The deal for the small ownership stake would be valued at about four-billion dollars. This follows an agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-Arabian-owned Public Investment Fund to merge the Tour and LIV Golf.
>>UConn Extends Men’s Basketball Coach
(Undated) — The defending national champions are keeping their head coach around for the foreseeable future. The University of Connecticut announced Thursday that Dan Hurley has agreed to a new six-year contract. According to ESPN, the new deal guarantees Hurley nearly 33-million-dollars, which makes him among the highest-paid coaches in men’s basketball. The contract runs through the 2028-29 season. Hurley led the Huskies to their fifth national championship after topping San Diego State in the title game.
>>2023 Travelers Championship Round One Recap
(Cromwell, CT) — Denny McCarthy is sitting atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. McCarthy finished the opening round shooting a 10 under 60. Two players are tied for second place. Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley each finished round one two strokes behind the leader at eight under par. Scottie Scheffler rounds out the top-four at seven under par. Zac Blair, Carson Young and Peter Malnati will be among the first group of players teeing off the second round in Cromwell.
>>Martin Truex Jr Hopes To Build On NASCAR Cup Series Lead At Nashville
(Gladeville, TN) — The NASCAR Cup series field is back on the track this weekend after enjoying a short break. Martin Truex Jr hopes to build on his lead in the standings when the racers roll into Nashville Superspeedway for the Ally 400 on Sunday. The driver of the number-19 car is coming off a victory in the Toyota Save Mart 350 from Sonoma and claimed his third win of the season. Truex Jr is atop the leaderboard followed by Will Byron, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick. Chase Elliott aims to repeat at Gladeville after winning last year’s race.
>>Nashville SC At Columbus Tomorrow
(Columbus, OH) — Nashville SC is back on the MLS pitch tomorrow. The club is on the road taking on Columbus at Lower.com Field. Nashville is coming off a 1-nil, midweek loss to Montreal and fell to 10-5-and-4. The club is still second in the Eastern Conference with 35 points. The Crew check in at 8-4-and-6 and are sixth in the East.