COLLEGE FOOTBALL
William & Mary linebacker John Pius earned another national honor Wednesday when he was selected to the HERO Sports FCS Preseason All-America Team.
It is the third All-America team the junior from Arlington has made this preseason. Earlier this summer, he made the All-America teams of Athlon Sports and The Bluebloods.
Pius was the runner-up last year for the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the national defensive player of the year in the FCS. He also was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and the Virginia Defensive Player of the Year by VaSID.
He ranked fourth nationally in sacks (11.5) and fifth in tackles for loss (19) while leading the Tribe in tackles (72) and quarterback hurries (12).
BASKETBALL
HBCUnited falls in TBT opener
Cameron Young scored 16 points and Jalon Miller added 10 points and 10 rebounds as In The Lab rolled past HBCUnited 88-58 in a first-round game of The Basketball Tournament in Lubbock, Texas.
HBCUnited, coached by Norfolk State’s Robert Jones, was the third seed in the Lubbock Region. It trailed only 38-32 at the half, but In The Lab took control with a 30-12 third quarter.
Tajh Green paced HBCUnited with 16 points and five rebounds, while Stanley Davis Jr. added 10 points.
In the Lab, a team with no college affiliation, limited former NSU players Joe Bryant Jr. (6 points), Dana Tate (2) and Devante Carter (4) and former Norcom High and Hampton University player Malique Trent (5) in the contest.
Nuggets add another ex-UVA star
The NBA champion Denver Nuggets have developed a pipeline to the University of Virginia. The Nuggets signed guard Armaan Franklin to a training-camp contract.
Franklin will join former UVA stars and teammates Braxton Key and Jay Huff, whom the Nuggets signed to two-way contracts earlier.
Franklin, a 6-4 guard from Indianapolis, averaged 12.4 points and 4.1 rebounds a game for the Cavaliers last season.
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
VWU’s Ciano earns academic honor
Virginia Wesleyan’s Norah Ciano has been selected for the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Athletes must have a minimum GPA of 3.30 through the most recently completed grading period to be eligible.
LOCAL BASEBALL
Two Pilots win all-star skills titles
A pair of Peninsula Pilots players picked up victories in the Coastal Plain League’s All-Star Skill Championship on Tuesday.
Trey Morgan of VMI won the pitching competition, while Mason Dunaway of James Madison captured the bunting competition.
The CPL All-Star Game was Wednesday night.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Former Hokie signs with D-backs
Former Virginia Tech star outfielder Jack Hurley has signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks have recalled former Virginia Tech pitcher Joe Mantiply from Triple-A Reno. He went 3-0 with a 4.97 ERA in 11 games with Reno.
