C6 SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 ••• RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH SPORTS BRIEFS COLLEGE BASKETBALL Wake Forest moves on from Manning RALEIGH, N.C. — Danny Manning never built a winner at Wake Forest. Now the school is looking for a new coach and direction. Wake Forest fired Manning on Saturday after losing seasons in five of his six years with one NCAA tour- nament appearance. The move came more than six weeks after the Demon Deacons lost to Pittsburgh in the opening game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, ending the season shortly before the coronavirus pandemic led to a shutdown of college and professional sports. The decision came after what athletic director John Currie called an “overall evaluation” of a program with two winning seasons in the past decade going back to the days of Jeff Bzdelik. Manning, a former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, went 78-111 in Winston-Salem with a 30-80 mark in ACC regular-season games. Those league struggles included a 6-49 mark in league road games and 1-6 in the ACC tournament. NBA Players allowed to return to team facilities ANDREW SHURTLEFF/THE DAILY PROGRESS MIAMI — NBA players will be allowed to return to Virginia forward Jay Huff threw down a reverse alley-oop from Kihei Clark in a 60-42 victory over Columbia in team training facilities starting Friday, provided that Charlottesvile. The 7-foot-1 forward averaged 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2 blocks this past season. their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part Teel big star.” of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Huff’s star turns in February and Any workouts that take place would be voluntary From Page C1 March were years in the making. and be limited to individual sessions only, according He scored 16 points in his UVA to a person familiar with the league’s decision. The basketball career that has tested his debut, a November 2017 rout of person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on patience and faith. Family, team- Austin Peay, but only 25 the rest of condition of anonymity because the directives from mates, friends and coaches are the season. He appeared in a scant the league were not released publicly. among those he has leaned upon 12 games and logged just 13 min- Group practices would not be allowed yet, and whether riding the bench against utes in four ACC cameos. teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person North Carolina Greensboro in 2017 Huff’s potential was much more workouts. or blocking 10 shots against Duke evident during his redshirt sopho- But as certain states and municipalities began loos- two months ago. more season. He scored in double ening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA The reigning national champi- fi gures three times against con- decided it was time to let players return to their prac- ons ended this past regular season ference opponents, most notably tice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and on an eight-game winning streak, at Louisville, where his 12 points, Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed transforming from January enigmas seven rebounds and two blocks some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida to March contenders. Huff was a helped the Cavaliers overcome a 10- are expected to loosen their stay-at-home policies centerpiece, averaging 14.3 points, point halftime defi cit. in the coming days, even though health officials are 7.7 boards and four blocked shots in But Huff did not start a game, warning that such moves are being made too quickly. closing victories over Duke, Miami and when Bennett shortened his For those teams in cities where stay-at-home or- and Louisville. rotation during the NCAA tourna- ders still make such a return impossible, the NBA said His emergence wasn’t shocking. ment, Huff’s minutes virtually van- it would work to find “alternative arrangements,” the Indeed, during the 2016-17 season ished. As always, life away from person with knowledge of the matter said. an NBA scout projected that Vir- the court, intellectual and spiritual This move does not mean that a resumption of ginia’s two best NBA prospects were pursuits, trumped any basketball games is imminent. Still, the decision to let teams freshmen sitting out the year as red- disappointments. back into facilities is a significant step. shirts: De’Andre Hunter and Huff. A national championship ring Hunter was the fourth overall didn’t hurt either. BASEBALL pick of last year’s draft, and Huff, a “Putting Christ fi rst has been the 7-foot-1, 243-pound forward, could focus for him,” Weiglein said, “and I Official says Manfred tried to blackball ump well be a fi rst-rounder in 2021. think he’s cared a lot about his wit- “I’ve always thought that was the ness on the team and at UVA in gen- NEW YORK — A major league official testified he goal,” Huff said of the NBA, “and felt eral, regardless of how much playing suggested Ángel Hernández be removed from consid- like I had a chance at that.” time he was getting.” eration for the 2015 World Series because he did not Little wonder, given his size, DANIEL SANGJIB MIN/TIMES-DISPATCH With four starters departing from think Commissioner Rob Manfred would approve the bounce and shooting touch. But the title group, Huff had ample op- umpire to work baseball’s premier event. though Huff’s self-confi dence never “He gets it. He gets that portunity to earn additional minutes Hernández sued Major League Baseball in 2017, al- wavered, there were long stretches there’s this outward in 2019-20. He took full advantage, leging race discrimination and cited his failure to be when he played sparingly and/or starting 18 of 30 games and averag- assigned to the World Series since 2005 and MLB’s ineffectively. expression of our faith ing 24.9 minutes, 8.5 points, 6.2 re- failure to promote him to crew chief. He lacked strength, consistency bounds and two blocks. Documents and depositions from pretrial discov- and defensive acumen. But he ... We take those church Huff recorded his fi rst UVA dou- ery were filed late Friday night and early Saturday in didn’t lack support, the essential ble-double with 11 points and 12 U.S. District Court in Manhattan as part of Hernán- reason he didn’t join the legions of walls into a community.” rebounds in an opening victory at dez’s motion for a partial summary judgment. college athletes who transfer at the Youth pastor Brad Turnage, Syracuse. He fi nished a rebound shy A member of the big league staff since 1993, the fi rst hint of adversity. on Jay huff ’s outreach in the community of a triple-double with 15 points, Cuba-born Hernández worked the World Series in “Stay ready,” UVA coach Tony nine boards and the aforemen- 2002 and 2005. He was not picked after Joe Torre was Bennett tells reserves, a mantra that nator of sports performance at the tioned 10 blocks against Duke. His hired in 2011 to head baseball operations. can grow stale. Duke human performance lab that fi nal rejection, of Vernon Carey Jr., Steve Palermo, an umpire supervisor, sent an email “I would not say I’m a naturally carries Krzyzewski’s name. preserved the Cavaliers’ 1-point lead on Oct. 16, 2015, to Randy Marsh, the director of um- patient person,” Huff said. “I get But Huff was sold on the Cava- in the waning seconds. piring, recommending Hernández for the World Se- road rage in traffi c, just like most liers, in large measure because he Four nights later, Huff scored Vir- ries along with Phil Cuzzi, Gerry Davis, Marvin Hudson, people.” and Bennett bonded over faith. ginia’s fi rst 17 points at Miami and Dale Scott, Bill Welke and Jim Wolf. Palermo copied Older teammates who had red- “That’s obviously everyone’s own added nine rebounds. Though he Torre and Peter Woodfork, the senior vice president shirted — Devon Hall, Jack Salt and individual journey,” Bennett said, didn’t score again, his contributions of baseball operations. Mamadi Diakite — offered encour- “what they believe in their faith walk, were vital in a 46-44 win. Woodfork forwarded the email to Matt McKendry, agement, as did Bennett and his staff. but … for both of us, that is obviously “He’s always had the talent and senior director of umpire operations, and wrote on Huff’s parents helped immeasur- the most important thing in our life.” athletic ability,” Salt said. “To see top: “Four new umpires and the guy in the middle of ably, their counsel rooted in not only Huff quickly found spiritual homes him put those together this year has the largest debacle.” love but also experience. Kathy Huff at UVA’s Chi Alpha Christian Fellow- been awesome to watch. It’s hard Woodfork sent a text message to Torre, the chief played college basketball at West Vir- ship and Charlottesville’s Meadows here. You don’t play straight away baseball officer, on the afternoon of Oct. 16 that read: ginia, Mike Huff at Pacifi c Lutheran, Presbyterian Church. He met his girl- usually, and you really have to put in “Angel is going to be a no for Rob.” and they instilled in Jay abiding de- friend, Lindsay Knights, through Chi the hours, and Jay’s done that.” Rich Rieker, director of umpire development, sent votion to God and basketball.