Newsmakers: Kentucky’s Murray, Stanford’s Allen declare for NBA draft

Announced Kentucky guard Jamal Murray has announced that he will enter the NBA draft, becoming the first of several Wildcats who could follow him to the next level.

“It’s just the right decision,” Murray said at a Friday news conference attended by several teammates, including Skal Labissiere, who is also expected to enter the draft.

The 6-foot-6 Murray was the Wildcats’ top scorer at 20 points per game, the highest average of any Kentucky player under coach John Calipari. The Canadian also set several single-season program records for a freshman with 720 points and 113 3-pointers, the most ever by a Southeastern Conference rookie.

Stanford forward Rosco Allen has declared himself eligible for the NBA draft but will not sign with an agent.

The decision leaves Allen the option of returning to school after participating in the draft combine in May. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is May 25.

Allen was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection this season when he led Stanford in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds.

Allen has played 97 career games at Stanford, averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Extended South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin has received a four-year contract extension and a raise after tying the Gamecocks’ record for most wins in a season.

Martin received a raise of $350,000 and will make $2.45 million next season. The contract keeps Martin at South Carolina through 2021-22. He had two years remaining on the six-year contract he signed after arriving from Kansas State following the 2011-12 season.

Martin’s salary will increase by $50,000 each year through the life of the contract.

The Gamecocks started 15-0 this season, were 11-7 in the Southeastern Conference finished 25-9, matching the most-ever wins in program history. But South Carolina did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid.

Re-signed The Houston Texans have re-signed quarterback Brandon Weeden.

He joined the Texans late last season after several injuries at the position. He appeared in two games with one start and helped the Texans to wins in both games. His debut with the Texans came against the Colts after T.J. Yates was injured and Weeden helped Houston to its first win at Indianapolis.

Weeden started last season as Tony Romo’s backup with the Cowboys. He lost all three starts after Romo was injured, then was released.

Weeden spent five seasons playing minor league baseball before becoming Oklahoma State’s quarterback. He was 28 years old when the Browns selected him with the 22nd overall pick in 2012 draft.

Weeden will remain in a backup role with the Texans after they signed Brock Osweiler to a $72 million contract earlier this month.

Fined Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle was fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture after he hit a game-winning shot to beat the Miami Heat.

Randle was fined for his celebration after he spun into the paint and hit a tiebreaking hook shot with 1.9 seconds left in overtime Wednesday night.

“I was just having fun, but it’s all right,” Randle said after practice Friday. “It’s no big deal. Now the joke can be on me. On to the next one.”

The Western Conference-worst Lakers earned just their 16th victory of the season, beating the playoff-bound Heat 102-100.

The cathartic victory capped an emotionally draining day for the Lakers. Before the game, rookie D’Angelo Russell apologized profusely for taking an unflattering video of teammate Nick Young that had been leaked online.

The NHL has fined three players for diving/embellishment, including a combined $5,000 penalty against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri for being a multiple offender.

Kadri was cited for three separate instances over a seven-week span. The first drew a warning, and occurred against New Jersey on Feb. 4. The second happened against Ottawa on March 12, and triggered a $2,000 fine. He was cited a third time during a game against Calgary on March 21, which led to a $3,000 fine.

A fourth citation draws a $4,000 fine and each following would cost $5,000 apiece.

Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal and Oilers forward Nail Yakupov were each fined $2,000 for separate minor penalties for embellishment in Arizona’s game at Edmonton on March 12.

Died Eugene Parker, a renowned football agent who represented Hall of Fame players Emmitt Smith and Deion Sanders, has died. He was 60.

He died of cancer Thursday, his family said in a statement.

One of the first prominent African-American football agents, Parker presented Sanders for induction into the hall in 2011. He also had two other Hall of Famers for clients: Curtis Martin and Rod Woodson.

Smith said on Twitter that football lost one of the “most respectful agents” in the game. Sanders lauded him as the “best human being” he ever met, saying he’s crying as he’s writing his Instagram posting.

Parker was a tough negotiator and one of the more active NFL agents, with a current client list that included stars Larry Fitzgerald and Alshon Jeffery. His company, Relativity Sports, recently signed potential first-round picks Laquon Treadwell and Jaylon Smith for this year’s draft. Relativity represented three of the top seven picks in the 2015 draft.

Former Duke athletic director Tom Butters has died.

Duke spokesman Art Chase said the family told him Butters died Thursday night at age 77. The cause of death was not announced.

Butters was best known for hiring Mike Krzyzewski to coach the Blue Devils’ men’s basketball team in 1980. Butters stuck with Krzyzewski after consecutive 17-loss seasons and he went on to lead Duke to five national championships and set the Division I men’s record with 1,040 victories.

Krzyzewski says that “outside of my mom, no one believed in me more than Tom.”

Butters pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1962-65, coached Duke’s baseball team from 1968-70, served as the school’s AD for 20 years and founded the university’s Iron Dukes fundraising organization.