James, Curry lead All-NBA team picks

NEW YORK (AP) — Golden State’s Stephen Curry, the league MVP, and LeBron James are the only unanimous selections to the All-NBA first team.

New Orleans’ Anthony Davis and Memphis center Marc Gasol joined Curry as newcomers on the team. Houston’s James Harden rounded it out with his second straight selection.

Curry and James, who are three victories from meeting in the NBA Finals, each received first-team votes on all 129 ballots Thursday. James earned his ninth first-team selection in 12 years, tying Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson for third all-time.

Voting was done by a panel of writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, who voted for two guards, two forwards and one center to comprise a first, second and third team.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook led the second team, joined by Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, the Clippers’ Chris Paul, Chicago’s Pau Gasol and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins. The third team was the Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Golden State’s Klay Thompson.

 

Indiana eliminates OSU from tourney

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Scott Donley’s three-RBI double broke a tie in the eighth inning and sixth-seeded Indiana beat Ohio State 5-3 Thursday in an elimination game of the Big Ten tournament.

Kyle Hart pitched six scoreless innings for the defending Big Ten champion Hoosiers (33-21). Hart allowed six hits and no runs or walks. Indiana will play the loser of the Michigan vs. Iowa game on Friday.

The Buckeyes (35-20) didn’t get on the board until Nick Sergakis’ RBI groundout scored Ronnie Dawson in the seventh inning. Craig Nenning followed with an RBI single to tie it 2-2.

Brad Hartong gave Indiana a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Seventh-seeded Ohio State has lost five-straight games after losing to Iowa in their tournament opener on Thursday.

 

Former Ohio State SID Snapp dies

COLUMBUS (AP) — Steve Snapp, a longtime Ohio State athletics spokesman and sports information director, has died. He was 69.

The university confirmed his death on Thursday. Snapp had been ill a long time, battling cancer and suffering a stroke several years ago.

Snapp, who was a Marine during the Vietnam War, served Ohio State from July 1973 through July 2011.

He represented Ohio State at more than 30 bowl games, traveled to two men’s Final Fours with the Buckeyes and helped promote four Heisman Trophy winners. Additionally, he initiated the jersey retirement system to recognize former Ohio State athletes.

A 1973 graduate of Ohio State with a degree in journalism, he became assistant sports information director later that year. He served in several posts, most often as a spokesman for the athletic program, for the rest of his career.

Snapp is survived by his wife, Elaine, six children and four grandchildren.

 

Michigan regents OK $168M complex

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan Board of Regents has approved a design for a $168 million Division I Olympic sports complex on the Ann Arbor campus.

The board acted on the athletic department’s schematic design for the 280,000-square-foot facility on Thursday afternoon at a meeting in Dearborn.

The Stephen M. Ross Athletics South Competition and Performance Project will house men’s and women’s track and field, cross country and women’s rowing, with an indoor and outdoor track competition venue.

The university says students participating in recreational sports also can use the facility. The athletic department says it improves efficiency through sharing of facilities.

Regents approved the project in September.

The regents approved a $261 million biological science building Thursday but tabled a proposed $15 million golf clubhouse.