Browsing: Sports

Bears linebacker Matt Adams was arrested Thursday night in Chicago on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful firearm possession, according to police. He also was cited for having high-capacity magazines and metal-piercing bullets, a violation of city code.Police said Adams was arrested at approximately 6:46 p.m. in the 200 block of North Garland Court in the Loop. The magazines were found during a search of his car, and the weapon also was recovered, according to police.AdvertisementHe has a court date set for Aug. 24.The Bears acknowledged the arrest in a statement.Advertisement“Earlier this morning, we were made aware of an incident involving the arrest of Bears linebacker Matthew Adams,” the team said. “We are in the process of gathering more information. We will refrain from making any further comment at this time.”The Bears signed Adams, 26, to a one-year contract in April. He’s a four-year NFL veteran who previously played under coach Matt Eberflus with the Indianapolis Colts.Adams is the second new Bears player to be arrested this offseason. Wide receiver Byron Pringle was arrested for reckless driving for suspicion of doing a doughnut on a road and driving on a suspended license. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting a pretrial hearing.The Bears are on a six-week summer break after wrapping up veteran minicamp last week. In a message to the team before they broke camp, Eberflus said he told his players to be prepared mentally and physically for training camp — and also to be safe during the time off.“Be careful who you hang around and be mindful of that and where you are and to be safe during the vacation,” he said.

The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to name Montreal Canadiens assistant Luke Richardson as their new head coach, sources confirmed to the Tribune on Friday.The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the news.AdvertisementRichardson, 53, becomes the 40th head coach in Hawks history and replaces interim coach Derek King. Richardson is tasked with kickstarting a new era for the franchise.The Hawks confirmed that they interviewed four candidates, including Richardson, King, Vancouver Canucks associate coach Brad Shaw and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Todd Reirden.AdvertisementRichardson has more than 25 years of experience in the NHL and was a head coach of the Binghamton Senators, the Ottawa Senators’ AHL affiliate. He was assistant coach with the New York Islanders before joining the Habs as an assistant coach in July 2018.The former Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick was a defenseman for 21 years, playing 1,417 games with the Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Senators.Montreal Canadiens acting coach Luke Richardson stands behind the team bench during the first period of Game 3 of a playoff semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights, June 18, 2021, in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson/AP)He replaces King, who assumed the helm Nov. 6 after the Hawks fired Jeremy Colliton after a 1-9-2 start. King presided over a 27-33-10 finish.Then-interim general manager Kyle Davidson promoted King from the minor-league Rockford IceHogs with the hope King would be a more effective communicator than Colliton.And Davidson made that quality a prerequisite for the permanent bench boss.Said Davidson on May 3: “We want the coaches that are able to communicate, able to drive a message and create a positive culture and get players to want to come to the rink and compete every single night. And that’s based on track record and that’s also based on how they deliver a message.”Richardson ticks off a lot of boxes Davidson wanted in a coach, including experience as a player and coach on different levels.Davidson also wanted a strong communicator, a trait Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis vouched for in comments he made earlier this season.Advertisement“Luke is just a calm and calculated and very confident coach,” St. Louis said, according to the Montreal Gazette. “The calmness of his approach allows the guys to grow and Luke’s approach allows the guys to feel confident on the ice … receptive to constructive criticism because (of) the way he does it. It’s very important they don’t feel suffocated if there’s correction. They don’t feel handcuffed if there’s correction and I think that’s important in their growth.”Messaging or not, Richardson has a heavy lift ahead of him.Davidson has made it clear that he is taking the long view on getting back to competitiveness by reshaping the roster, taking his time with younger players and being frugal with free agents.Translation: Reinforcements may not be on the way anytime soon.Of the top seven point producers from last season, two (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews) are approaching their mid-30s and will be playing out the final year of their contracts, another (Brandon Hagel) was traded, and two (Dominik Kubalík and Dylan Strome) are restricted free agents and no sure bets to return.Montreal Canadiens acting head coach Luke Richardson, center, watches from behind his players during the first period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, June 30, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)But if management is true to its word, the Hawks are going to exercise patience.Advertisement“I think reasonably you have to look at where you’re at,” Davidson said in May. “Right now we’re not in win-now mode, we’re in win mode, but when that is probably a little further than next year, just having a realistic assessment of where we’re at.”The Hawks also showed patience with the coaching search.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The offseason started with five NHL vacancies before the New York Islanders quickly elevated former assistant coach Lane Lambert to replace Barry Trotz.Some teams have or had interim coaches like the Hawks had with King, including the Canadiens, who signed St. Louis to a three-year deal June 1.But the Hawks said they felt no pressure to rush their search despite the competition for candidates.“I don’t think we’re concerned with the number of openings or teams moving fast,” Davidson said in mid-May. “We’re going to run through the process and we’ll find the best candidate for us, and I don’t think we’ll fast-track anything based on what’s going on elsewhere.”AdvertisementIt remains unclear what becomes of King, who had been promised an interview. Though King didn’t land the top job, Davidson called him a “positive influence” and didn’t rule out a role of some kind.“That’s something we might cross once we get to our head coaching decision,” Davidson said in May.“I think the world of Derek. He’s got a great hockey mind, he’s got a great way with the players, he’s endeared himself to a lot of people this year, and so you want those types of people in your organization.”

CHICAGO — Thursday night’s start was the kind of outing that might have slipped away for the 2021 version of Dean Kremer. Instead, it showed that the Orioles’ haul from their 2018 sell-off might not fully slip away from them.Against a Chicago White Sox team that was able to jump-start a rebuild thanks to the returns it got for trading stars, the Orioles’ 4-0 victory served as an example that they might yet be able to extract value from their own teardown nearly four years ago. Kremer and Dillon Tate, two products of Baltimore’s flurry of trades as its rebuild began that 2018 summer, combined for seven of Thursday’s nine scoreless innings.AdvertisementOf course, the trades that sent superstar infielder Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers, closer Zack Britton to the New York Yankees, second baseman Jonathan Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers, and right-handers Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day to the Atlanta Braves brought in far more than those two pitchers. In all, the Orioles got 15 players out of those four deals. Only six remain in the organization, with four having played for Baltimore this year and three on the current roster, with infielder Rylan Bannon joining Kremer and Tate.Adley Rutschman homers, catches shutout as outfield defense dazzles in Orioles’ 4-0 win over White Sox https://t.co/uuDwfNOFRz— Baltimore Sun Sports (@BaltSunSports) June 24, 2022

Each of those moves was made by a front office that was doubtful to return in 2019, leaving little in terms of major league assets for new general manager Mike Elias to work with to quickly inject the type of talent he desired into the system. Instead, Baltimore’s process has been long and methodical, as all but two of the club’s top 22 prospects according to Baseball America have been draft picks or international signings.AdvertisementThe organization is at last starting to benefit after a handful of consecutive years among the league’s worst teams.A portion of the White Sox’s recent success — they’re two games below .500 after Thursday’s loss but comfortably won the American League Central last year — can be traced to two trades they made on consecutive days in December 2016. First, they sent left-handed ace Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox for a return that included Michael Kopech, a hard-throwing right-hander who will start Friday’s game for Chicago, and infielder Yoán Moncada, who has dealt with injuries and struggled this year but has been productive in the past. A day later, dealing center fielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals brought back a trio of right-handers in Lucas Giolito, who finished in the top 11 of AL Cy Young voting the previous three seasons; Reynaldo Lopez, who has been effective since a move to the bullpen; and Dane Dunning, who was part of a package used to acquire bulldog starter Lance Lynn.In a long-term sense, Tate, one of three pitchers acquired in the Britton deal, has been the greatest contributor from any of the Orioles’ 2018 moves. Thursday’s performance lowered his ERA to 1.87 in 30 appearances.In a long-term sense, reliever Dillon Tate has been the greatest contributor from any of the Orioles’ 2018 moves. Thursday’s performance lowered his ERA to 1.87 in 30 appearances. (Julio Cortez/AP)Kremer and Bannon were both part of the Machado trade, though neither was the centerpiece. Outfielder Yusniel Diaz once ranked as the Orioles’ No. 1 prospect, but a series of lower body injuries have kept him from reaching that potential. He was tearing up Triple-A before suffering a right hamstring strain and is currently on a rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen. Called up because the Orioles needed to add another position player to their roster, Bannon has yet to play in three games since that promotion. He was hitting well for Triple-A Norfolk in the week leading up to the move.But Kremer is emerging in a way that could be a salve. His second straight scoreless start left him with a 1.71 ERA through four outings this year.“That’s four good starts in a row for him,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’m really happy and encouraged by how he’s throwing the baseball. Thought he had multiple pitches going tonight. He had confidence. He attacked.”Confidence has been key for Kremer, who had his shaken last year. He made Baltimore’s opening day rotation, but in a start a year ago Friday, he lasted less than an inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, issuing five walks and allowing a grand slam. He made only one more major league appearance that season.Kremer again made the Orioles’ season-opening roster this year as a bulk reliever, but suffered a left oblique strain as he warmed up for his first appearance. The injury provided him further time to reflect, and he’s seemingly gained a new perspective from it: “Just being aggressive and not really caring who’s in the box or what kind of kind of damage they can do.”Advertisement“The change in mentality has definitely helped that,” Kremer said. “I just kind of, I don’t want to say forget about the guys on base, but kind of like, ‘OK, my priority is at the plate.’”Even Kremer acknowledged these four starts are too small of a sample size to consider this a full turnaround. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, a Baltimore area native who joined the organization through the Gausman/O’Day trade, started the Orioles’ home opener and had a 2.72 ERA through seven starts, but a 9.79 mark with more runs than strikeouts over his next six prompted a demotion to Triple-A.With this organization, however, optimism is worth cherishing when it’s available. Kremer worked Thursday with catcher Adley Rutschman, who as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2019 has served as the face of this rebuild over any of the prospects added in the 2018 trades. After working together last year at Norfolk, Rutschman has served as Kremer’s batterymate for each of his four starts this season, including two straight scoreless outings.“Just continues to get better,” Rutschman said of Kremer.More games like Thursday’s could make the same apply to the perception of those 4-year-old trades.

LOS ANGELES — Candace Parker set a WNBA record with her third triple-double Thursday night, leading the Chicago Sky past the Los Angeles Sparks 82-59.Parker finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and accomplished the feat in three quarters. It was her second triple-double of the season and the third of her career, moving her past Sheryl Swoopes, Courtney Vandersloot and Sabrina Ionescu, who have two apiece.AdvertisementParker, playing against her former team in Los Angeles for the first time, also moved into fifth place in league history in blocks (588) and eighth in assists (1,495).Vandersloot and Azura Stevens each scored 15 points for the Sky (12-5). Emma Meesseman added 11 points and Rebekah Gardner scored 10.AdvertisementThe Sky led 54-25 at halftime behind 12 points from Stevens and 11 from Vandersloot.Nneka Ogwumike scored 15 points and Brittney Sykes added 13 for the Sparks (6-10), who was 10-of-40 shooting (25.6%).

The Chicago White Sox had a solid recent history on their side against the Baltimore Orioles, but they never had to face off against Adley Rutschman.The Orioles rookie catcher had Sox starter Johnny Cueto’s number Thursday night, tagging him for a two-run homer in the fourth and an RBI double two innings later to send the Sox to a 4-0 loss at Guaranteed Rate Field.AdvertisementRutschman’s three RBIs were a career high — he had all of four in his first 26 games.“He had a big night,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “See if we can make some adjustments, keep him quiet.”AdvertisementOrioles catcher Adley Rutschman, right, hits a two-run home run in front of Sox catcher Seby Zabala in the fourth inning against the White Sox on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Rutschman went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the Orioles’ 4-0 win. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Cueto threw 5 ⅓ innings, allowed seven hits — including a two-run homer to Rutschman — and struck out seven.The Sox had won eight straight against the Orioles dating to May 1, 2019. But they went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.“I would say we should win the game when you get nine hits and a lot of hard outs — you should mark something, right?” La Russa said. “So we hit a lot of balls hard and couldn’t break through.Added catcher Seby Zavala, who had two doubles: “We had three, four balls that were hit pretty good and thought we had a good chance to leave the yard or at least go off the wall. They were just dying out there.”One bright spot for the Sox was Lenyn Sosa’s major-league debut, which made a lasting impression on the infielder: “Step on the field and see the crowd, the stadium, the fans. I’ve never played in a stadium like this.“It was pretty amazing.”White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa fouls off a ball in the ninth inning against the Orioles on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The Orioles thought they had grabbed an early lead on Trey Mancini’s would-be RBI double in the third inning, but Cedric Mullins was tagged out sliding into home. The Orioles challenged, believing the left-field relay from A.J. Pollock to Tim Anderson to Zavala came too late, but the call was upheld.In the fourth, Ryan Mountcastle doubled to center and advanced to third on Leury Garcia’s error. Rutschman made the Sox pay for that mistake with a two-run homer.AdvertisementGavin Sheets, playing his first game in the majors since June 9, gave the Sox hope for a response with a double in the bottom of the inning, but right fielder Austin Hays threw him out at home after Leury Garcia’s line-drive single.Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman tags out White Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets at the plate in the fourth inning Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Sheets followed Jake Burger’s sixth-inning double with a walk and chased Orioles starter Dean Kremer, but reliever Felix Bautista struck out Zavala.Sheets worked a 3-0 count in the eighth, but the drama ended with a flyout to the center-field warning track.“Good at bats. Very good,” La Russa said.Injuries forced the Sox to shuffle the lineup for the series opener.Anderson, who turned 29 on Thursday, led off with backup shortstop Danny Mendick out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Anderson went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.AdvertisementChicago White Sox hitter Tim Anderson throws his bat down in frustration as he flies out in the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Thursday, June 23, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)La Russa opted to replace right fielder Adam Engel, who went on the 10-day IL with a strained right hamstring, with Sheets and kept Andrew Vaughn at first base.Luis Robert was dealing with a leg issue that arose during Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, so La Russa opted to sit him and inserted Leury Garcia in center.“It’s baseball. It’s part of the game,” Cueto said of all the injuries. “I think you have to be like a horse — just keep moving forward.”White Sox starting pitcher Johnny Cueto delivers against the Orioles in the first inning Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The Sox’s original plan for Sosa was for him to make his debut sometime during the four-game weekend homestand against the Orioles — just not Thursday. But Josh Harrison was shaken up after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth, and Sosa replaced him at second in the sixth. Sosa struck out in his first career at-bat, then walked in the ninth on a nine-pitch at bat.“I thought his first at-bat was all right,” La Russa said. “I thought his second at-bat was one of the highlights of the night. We were competing at that point. He drew a walk, fouled off a couple of tough pitches. I thought that was very impressive.“He has all the attributes of being a good hitter.”AdvertisementHarrison suffered a bruised right triceps, and X-rays were negative. He’s day to day.“He’s got a big ol’ knot in the back of his right throwing arm,” La Russa said. “It was a peculiar way to get hit.”

The Chicago Bulls selected Arizona guard Dalen Terry with the No. 18 pick in the NBA draft on Thursday, adding wing depth to their roster as the team looks to build around DeMar DeRozan for the 2022-23 season.The 19-year-old averaged eight points and 3.9 assists in his sophomore season with the Wildcats, serving a utilitarian role for the Wildcats that highlighted his ball movement and defense. Terry helped lead Arizona to a Pac-12 championship ahead of a Sweet 16 exit in the NCAA tournament. At 6-foot-7, Terry will add length to the Bulls around the perimeter, a factor the undersized roster was sorely missing.AdvertisementDespite early projections placing him further down on the draft board, the guard impressed teams throughout team workouts. After a workout with the Portland Trail Blazers, Terry didn’t hold back on confidence in his ability to perform in the NBA.“There’s going to be a redraft in 10 years and it’s going to be different,” Terry said.AdvertisementTerry will likely fill a rotational role for the Bulls in his rookie season. The Bulls are looking to return their starting core from the 2021-22 season, including star guard Zach LaVine as he navigates his first summer as a free agent.This story will be updated.

PITTSBURGH — Any momentum the Chicago Cubs built coming off a series win against the defending World Series champions quickly evaporated.The Cubs lost for the 14th time in 18 games Thursday, falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 in the finale of a four-game series.AdvertisementA five-run rally in the eighth inning positioned the Cubs to earn a series split when pinch hitter Alfonso Rivas delivered a two-out, two-run single to give them a one-run lead. But the comeback attempt didn’t even last a pitch. Michael Chavis took right-hander David Robertson deep for a tying home run, and the Cubs ultimately lost on a walk-off bloop single in the 10th.Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, bottom, scores as Cubs catcher Willson Contreras falls on top of him on a walk-off single single by Michael Chavis during the 10th inning Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Pirates won 8-7. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)In a scary moment one pitch into the bottom of the first, Cubs trainers trekked to the bullpen because of an apparent medical issue. Cubs bullpen coach Chris Young became lightheaded during the inning, prompting a visit from trainers, including medical staff from the Pirates, and a six-minute delay in the game.AdvertisementYoung went to a hospital, was checked out and is going to be all right, manager David Ross said after the game. Ross appreciated the umpires’ and Pirates’ patience.“Down in the bullpen you don’t know if it’s a player or a coach, kind of stopped everything — you see the worry on people’s faces,” Ross said. “There’s just a lot going on. The medical staff was on top of it.”The Cubs (26-44) head to St. Louis with the fifth-worst record in baseball. Here are three thoughts on the state of the team.Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts gets the sign from catcher Willson Contreras during a game against the Pirates on April 21, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The right-hander was one of the best stories coming out of spring training.The 24-year-old rookie’s camp performance earned him a spot on a major-league roster for the first time in his career behind a nasty slider. Roberts landed on the injured list in late April with right shoulder inflammation but was working toward rejoining the Cubs when his season took an unfortunate turn. He departed his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday after throwing one pitch and signaled in pain for a trainer.An evaluation revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Roberts needs season-ending Tommy John surgery. The procedure has not yet been scheduled.“Even going back to the last calendar year, what he did to put himself on the map and the reason we put him on the 40-man in the offseason because we believe in him and what he can do, and I think he showed really good glimpses of that early in the year,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. “It’s just unfortunate that he didn’t get the opportunity to really show us what he can do over the course of the year. It doesn’t change anything. We believe in him.“And no matter what happens the rest of this year, that moment in the dugout in spring training when we told him he made the team, it’s one of those things you’ll never forget.”AdvertisementHottovy said he didn’t have clarity as to whether Roberts’ injury occurred on the singular pitch or if something changed when possibly adjusting to the shoulder issue. Hottovy watched Roberts’ last live batting practice remotely and thought he looked great.“Everything that we got from the reports was it just kind of was one of those things,” Hottovy said.Roberts is the second young reliever the Cubs have lost to Tommy John surgery this year after trade-deadline acquisition Codi Heuer had the surgery in March. Although it’s an unexpected hurdle for Roberts, the Cubs clearly think highly of him, both as a pitcher and person, after seeing him in camp and nine appearances in April. He should have an opportunity to reestablish himself once he’s healthy.“We have a lot of confidence in Ethan, and he’s got real big league stuff in there,” Ross said. “I know he’ll work hard to get back.”The Cubs defense did not help their pitchers this week.After a four-error game Thursday, the Cubs committed 10 over the four-game series. The miscues forced more pitches for the Cubs and gave the Pirates extra chances offensively. Entering Thursday, five players on the Cubs’ active roster had negative runs prevented, led by infielder Jonathan Villar’s minus-6. Villar, who committed a fielding error in the loss, also ranks last on the team with minus-8 Outs Above Average. That also ties him for second-worst in the majors.AdvertisementThe Cubs’ 43 errors through 70 games are ninth-most in the majors. Ross said the Cubs need to “lock things down” defensively.“We’ve got to continue to go back to work,” Ross said.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.For a Cubs team lacking stars, fundamentals must be executed. Too many times this season, particularly over their four games in Pittsburgh, the Cubs made careless plays in the field, ranging from not hitting the cutoff man and failing to feel the ball cleanly. And given how many one-run games they have played and been on the wrong side of, the defense can be a game-changer. In the Cubs’ case, it’s contributing to the loss column.Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele delivers during the first inning against the Pirates on Thursday in Pittsburgh. Steele allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings in the Cubs’ 8-7 loss in 10 innings. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)Steele did not shy from attacking the zone against the Pirates on Thursday.He finished with a 78% strike rate, largely relying on his slider to try to neutralize them. His slider accounted for 42% of his 100 pitches thrown in the loss, significantly higher than his 25.9% season average with the pitch. Steele got 10 whiffs on his slider, a pitch he was able to use in any situation against the Pirates.Steele’s slider usage is an encouraging development, a sign he feels comfortable going to it often when it’s on while also generating some positive results.Advertisement“I felt like I was putting it for a strike whenever I wanted to, putting it in the dirt when I wanted to and backdooring it on the backside when I wanted to so when you have command of a pitch like that and you need a strike or you need something for chase, that’s what you go to,” Steele said.Steele’s pitching line — six runs (five earned) and seven hits in 5⅔ innings with no walks and eight strikeouts — was not fully indicative of how well the left-hander pitched.“He was as clean and efficient as I’ve seen him yet,” Ross said. “His stuff was playing well, hung a breaking ball 0-2 that cost him a homer. But for the most part, he played really well. We didn’t give him any breaks.”

The opportunity came early for Quentin Ruff, while Philip Church had to wait.Regardless, both coaches are excited for the opportunity to lead their own boys basketball programs.AdvertisementSo is Kyle Anderson, who is going home to succeed Rick Tollefson, his successful high school coach at Newark.The coaching carousel continues to spin with both Ruff and Church taking the jobs in District U-46 at Streamwood and South Elgin, respectively.AdvertisementThey will coach in the Upstate Eight Conference, a familiar place for both.Ruff, 26, is a Larkin graduate who played under coach Deryn Carter.Despite his age, Ruff feels he’s ready for the challenge. He’s replacing Kent Payne.“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Ruff said. “I have playing experience and I’ve been through it. Since college, I’ve had my head down pursuing this path.“I think as long as you know the game and can relate to kids, you can do this job.”Delaware’s Kyle Anderson, left, defends against William and Mary’s Tim Rusthoven (22) during a game on Monday, March 10, 2014. (Evan Habeeb / USA Today Sports)Ruff graduated from Larkin in 2013 and played two seasons in college at Olive-Harvey, averaging 18 points his sophomore year in leading the Bulldogs to the national tournament.He played two more seasons for Ferris State on teams that made it to the NCAA Division II Tournament, advancing once to the Sweet 16.“All of us as players wanted to go out and play professionally, whether it was overseas or the G league,” Ruff said. “It didn’t work out for me, but I wanted to make sure I was still around basketball.”AdvertisementHe returned home and coached with Carter for a year at Larkin before spending two years as a college assistant at Wisconsin-Stout. Ruff, who has coached AAU teams, most recently assisted Todd Allen at Elgin.“I’ve been all over the place and have a feel for what it’s all about,” Ruff said. “I’m young, active and will still get out on the floor with my kids. It will be a small rivalry when we play Larkin.”His former coach thinks Ruff can handle it.“I’ve been here 13 years and was 29 when I got my first head coaching opportunity,” Carter said. “Quentin has all the things you need to turn a program around.“Talent is going to come and go — that’s the nature of 95% of the programs in the state. You’re really trying to establish a type of culture, so when you have a nice group, you can take advantage of it.”For Church, 41, leading the Storm marks a return to coaching and teaching.AdvertisementHe spent 14 years teaching and working on Jim Wolfsmith’s staff at Bartlett before moving into administration the past three years as an elementary school assistant principal.Seeing the South Elgin posting, Church decided to give it one more try. Three times before, Church had applied for the Storm job.He and wife Jennifer have a 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son.“I worried if I didn’t make one more attempt I might regret it,” said Church, who got the encouragement he needed from his family. “I definitely bring a different perspective than someone who is 25.”Don’t look for Church to be yelling and screaming on the sidelines, however. And Wolfsmith is a strong believer in his former assistant.“Phil was my freshman head coach my first year but then moved up,” Wolfsmith said. “He was there for some of the best seasons we’ve had while I was here, and he had a big role in our success.Advertisement“I think he missed the daily contact with the kids and athletes. He was a Golden Apple Award nominee and the best teacher I’ve known in 30 years of teaching. He’s that good.”Their rivalry, too, should be good.Delaware guard Kyle Anderson (13), who is Newark’s career scoring leader, can’t stop Towson guard Mike Burwell (23) from dunking the ball in a game played during the 2014-15 season. (Doug Kapustin / Baltimore Sun )Anderson, a 6-foot-3 guard and four-year starter at Newark, is the school’s all-time leading scorer. He’s married to the former Laura Johnson, the career scoring leader for the girls program.The 29-year-old Anderson led the Norsemen to the Class 1A state title in 2011, then went on to play four years at Delaware. He was the team captain and led the Blue Hens to the NCAA Tournament as a senior before playing professionally for two years in Portugal.“I wish I were still playing but I just get hurt too easy,” Anderson said. “Rick had a run not many coaches have. I doubt I can live up to his record, but we’ll do the best we can.”Anderson has held camps and coached players individually in recent years. He spent three seasons as an assistant at Plano.Advertisement“We’ll get up and down and I’ll be stressing defense, which may surprise some people,” Anderson said. “In college, I had that drummed into me.”

The Chicago White Sox continued to get hit hard on the injury front Thursday with the news infielder Danny Mendick suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during an outfield collision Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.Mendick was placed on the 10-day IL along with Adam Engel, who suffered a strained right hamstring one inning after Mendick went down.AdvertisementThe Sox on Thursday recalled first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets from Triple-A Charlotte, and selected the contract of Double-A infielder Lenyn Sosa. Eloy Jiménez was transferred to the 60-day IL and was eligible to be reinstated as early as Thursday. Jiménez is rehabbing at Charlotte.Engel’s injury was not considered severe, but the loss of Mendick for at least the rest of the season is another crushing blow to the Sox, who’ve suffered a string of injuries since Garrett Crochet and Lance Lynn went down during spring training.AdvertisementMendick, 28, was hitting .289 with 15 RBIs in 31 games, earning more playing time from manager Tony La Russa and respect from Sox fans for his gritty play.The left-handed hitting Sheets batted .270 with two home runs in nine games at Charlotte after being demoted June 10. He hit .204 in his first stint with the Sox this season, regressing from last year’s promising rookie season.Sosa, 22, can play short, second or third, and has been one of the Sox’s top prospects this season. He led the Southern League Thursday with a .331 average, 85 hits and 48 RBIs, while posting a .933 OPS at Double-A Birmingham. The Venezuelan infielder, signed as an international free agent in 2016, was set to make his major-league debut and wear No. 50.The Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles Thursday in the start of a four-game series.

The rights of LGBTQ students would become enshrined in federal law and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections under new rules proposed by the Biden administration on Thursday.The proposal, announced on the 50th anniversary of the Title IX women’s rights law, is intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.AdvertisementPresident Joe Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, said that even though there have been significant strides toward gender equality, discrimination and sexual violence persist.“Even as we celebrate all the progress we’ve achieved, standing up for equal access and inclusion is as important as ever before,” he said.AdvertisementThe proposal is almost certain to be challenged by conservatives, and it is expected to lead to new legal battles over the rights of transgender students in schools, especially in sports. It now faces a public feedback period before the administration can finalize any changes, meaning the earliest that the policy is likely to take effect is next year.The step meets a demand from victims rights advocates who wanted Biden to release new rules no later than the anniversary of Title IX, which outlaws discrimination based on sex in schools and colleges. Advocates say DeVos’ rules have gone too far in protecting students accused of sexual misconduct, at the expense of victims.As a presidential candidate, Biden had promised a quick end to DeVos’ rules, saying they would “shame and silence survivors.”In announcing its proposal, Biden’s Education Department said DeVos’ rules “weakened protections for survivors of sexual assault and diminished the promise of an education free from discrimination.”For the first time, the rules would formally protect LGBTQ students under Title IX. Nothing in the 1972 law explicitly addresses the topic, but the new proposal would clarify that the law applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.It would make clear that “preventing someone from participating in school programs and activities consistent with their gender identity would cause harm in violation of Title IX,” according to the department. More specific rules dealing with the rights of transgender students in school sports will be released later, the department said.Biden marked the anniversary of Title IX by acknowledging the impact the law has had in advancing equity but acknowledging there was more to do.“As we look to the next 50 years, I am committed to protecting this progress and working to achieve full equality, inclusion, and dignity for women and girls, LGBTQI+ Americans, all students, and all Americans,” he said in a statement.AdvertisementMany of the proposed changes would restore Obama-era rules that DeVos’ policy replaced.The definition of sexual harassment would be expanded to cover a wider range of misconduct. Schools would be required to address any allegation that creates a “hostile environment” for students, even if the misconduct arises off campus. Most college employees, including professors and coaches, would be required to notify campus officials if they learn of potential sex discrimination.In a victory for victims rights advocates, the proposal would eliminate a rule requiring colleges to hold live hearings to investigate sexual misconduct cases — one of the most divisive aspects of DeVos’ policy. Live hearings would be allowed under the new policy, but colleges could also appoint campus officials to question students separately.Biden’s action drew praise from victims rights groups, LGBTQ advocates and Democratic lawmakers.“These proposed regulations demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting educational opportunities for all students including LGBTQ students,” said Janson Wu executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. “Especially in light of ongoing state legislative attacks, we are grateful for the administration’s strong support of LGBTQ youth.”Republicans in Congress were quick to denounce the proposal. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, said the rules will “demolish due process rights and the safety of young women and girls across the country, with promised regulations still to come to undermine women’s access to athletic opportunities.”AdvertisementIf the proposal is finalized, it would mark the second rewrite of federal Title IX rules in two years. DeVos’ rules were themselves intended to reverse Obama-era guidance. The Obama policy was embraced by victims advocates but led to hundreds of lawsuits from accused students who said their colleges failed to give them a fair process to defend themselves.The whiplash has left many schools scrambling to adopt ever-changing rules. Some have pressed for a political middle ground that will protect students without prompting new rules every time the White House changes power.“It doesn’t serve anybody’s interest to have this ping-pong effect of changing rules every five years,” said S. Daniel Carter, a campus security consultant and president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses. “That’s just not a good way to get things done. It’s very difficult for everyone involved.”DeVos’ rules dramatically reshaped the way colleges handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment, with an emphasis on ensuring the constitutional due process rights of the accused.Under her rules, accused students were given wider rights to review and respond to evidence against them, and students had the right to cross-examine one another through a representative at live hearings.The live hearing requirement was applauded as a victory for accused students, but it drew intense backlash from other advocates who said it forced victims to relive their trauma.AdvertisementDeVos also reduced colleges’ obligations in responding to complaints. Her policy narrowed the definition of harassment and scaled back the types of cases colleges are required to address. As a result, some campuses have seen steep decreases in the number of Title IX complaints coming in from students.Under her rules, for example, colleges are not required to investigate most complaints that arise off campus, and they do not have to act on any complaint unless the alleged misconduct is “severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.”The overhaul was partly meant to lighten the burden on colleges as they mediate complex cases, but some say it ultimately added more work.Leaders of some colleges have said the DeVos rules are too prescriptive and force them to turn campus discipline systems into miniature courtrooms. Many schools have continued to address all sexual misconduct complaints even if they do not meet the narrowed harassment definition, but they have had to set up separate discipline processes to handle those cases.Advocates on both sides say that can be confusing for students.“It shouldn’t be that way. It should be, if anything, more uniform — that’s the whole reason the Title IX regulations were put into place,” said Kimberly Lau, a New York lawyer who represents students in Title IX casesAdvertisementBiden’s proposal is a major step in keeping his promise to reverse DeVos’ rules. He started the process last year when he ordered the Education Department to review the rules, but the agency has been bogged down by a slow-moving rule-making process.