LOS ANGELES — The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly are settled on selecting Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick in next month’s NBA draft, ESPN reported Wednesday night.

The expectation is that the New Orleans Pelicans will use the No. 1 overall pick on Zion Williamson — or that another team will trade up and take the Duke forward before the Grizzlies pick second.

ESPN reported that Grizzlies officials are telling other teams that Morant, a Murray State point guard, will be their choice.

In the Tuesday night NBA draft lottery, the Pelicans and the Grizzlies jumped above the teams with the worst records this year to snag the No. 1 and No. 2 picks. The New York Knicks landed at No. 3, the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 4, the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 5 and the Phoenix Suns at No. 6.

Morant burst into national consciousness this year when he became the first NCAA player to average both 20 points and 10 assists per game in a single season. However, assists have only been an official stat since 1983-84.

He wound up averaging 24.5 points and a nation-leading 10.0 assists per game. In the Racers’ win over Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Morant produced 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds.

Incumbent Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is still under contract for 2019-20 at $32.5 million and for 2020-21 at $34.5 million. Conley, 31, averaged 21.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.

After Williamson at No. 1 and Morant at No. 2, multiple draft analysts view Duke forward RJ Barrett as the third-best prospect. That could mean he winds up with the Knicks. — Reuters

THE RP Blu Girls bowed to Chinese Taipei, 10-0, to finish fourth in the 2019 Asia Cup Women’s Softball Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Despite the loss, the Cebuana Lhuillier-backed softbelles still made it to the WBSC Softball Asia/Oceania 2019 Qualifying Event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which will be held in Shanghai, China from Sept. 24 to 29.

“I am happy with the result of our performance as we are able to reach the Olympic qualifying tournament in Asia/Oceania later this year, and we still have time to work on our improvement areas to do better in that event,” said Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Meanwhile, world no. 2 Japan dominated China, 9-2, to capture its fifth straight Asian championship and seventh overall title. Coming in at fifth is Korea followed by Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, and India.

NEW YORK — Tiger Woods should be a contender at this week’s PGA Championship and June’s US Open as he chases Jack Nicklaus’s record haul of major titles because of his familiarity with the venues, longtime associate Greg McLaughlin has told Reuters.

Woods stunned the sports world by winning the Masters at Augusta National last month to end an 11-year major drought and claim his 15^th major title, moving within three victories of Nicklaus’s long-standing record.

The American will tee off in competition for the first time since his Masters triumph on Thursday at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, where he won the 2002 US Open.

With year’s edition of the US Open back at Pebble Beach in California, where Woods won the title by a record 15 strokes in 2000, McLaughlin believes the 43-year-old will have a distinct advantage at the second and third majors of the year.

“Familiarity with courses is key for him,” McLaughlin, who spent 14 years as chief executive of the Tiger Woods Foundation and now runs the World Golf Foundation, said in a recent interview.

“That’s how he wins at Firestone six times, he wins Bay Hill six times. There’s the term horses for courses and it’s true,” he said.

“So I would assume he’ll be in contention certainly in the next two majors.”

Another long-standing record on the horizon is Sam Snead’s 82 PGA Tour wins — a mark Woods now needs just one more title to match.

“I think he’s particularly focused on Snead’s record, which is a milestone in anyone’s career,” said McLaughlin, who also manages the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“That record I fully believe he will achieve. That’s important to him as well because it shows a long career of success across several eras of golf.

“So I’m saying Snead’s record for sure, and quite possibly Jack’s record if he can remain healthy and he seems to be doing well with his health.”

Although recovering his health was key to Woods’s success after four back surgeries, McLaughlin felt it was just as important he was in a good space emotionally.

“He seems to be in a great place and I think he feeds off of the support of the crowds and the sponsors and he seems very happy in his life,” he added.

Despite the abundance of talent in the professional game, McLaughlin said Woods, who he first met when he was a 13-year-old kid from Southern California, was a one of a kind.

“We will never see anything like that again in our lifetimes,” he said.

“You are not going to see a dominating person with that much influence on the game.” — Reuters

HUNDREDS of footballers from all over the Philippines and their coaches are gearing up for the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) Cup 2019, the fourth and biggest edition of the nationwide tournament dedicated to grassroots players, boys whose ages are 12 years old and below. The NOFA Cup matches will hold from May 29 to June 2 this year, at the Sta. Maria Football Field in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

For more than a decade now, the development of grassroots football has been a major concern of football stakeholders worldwide, ever since the sport’s international governing body, FIFA, advised member associations (MAs) that there can be “no strong National Team without a Grassroots Program.”

The NOFA Cup, as envisioned by NOFA President Mr. Ricky Yanson, is the association’s contribution to uplift the technical skills and knowledge of young Filipino players. Mr. Yanson declares, “We believe that to improve football in the Philippines, grassroots is the long-term solution.”

What makes the NOFA Cup a standout among similar competitions is its 9-a-side format, which prepares participants for the 11-a-side games for older age groups.

The NOFA Cup tournament dates back to when NOFA established the Dynamic Football League to offer quality games to grassroots players based in Negros Occidental. In 2015, NOFA expanded these games by launching their first ever NOFA Cup and inviting teams from other parts of the archipelago.

More than a battle of abilities, the NOFA Cup seeks to create a positive atmosphere where aspiring athletes can thrive. NOFA Cup organizer Mr. Andrew Infante expounds, “I can still remember the reaction of one of the parents whose son joined NOFA Cup for the first time last year. He said, ‘Wala nang registration fee, meron pang subsidy!’”

Aside from not requiring teams to pay a fee in order to join and providing as much as Php 500 financial subsidy per match day to each participant, NOFA also hosts a welcome dinner for all players and team officials on the eve of the opening. “We make sure that they feel and enjoy the Negrense hospitality,” says Mr. Infante.

The combination of competitive tournament and friendly environment has contributed to the growth of NOFA Cup. From only 12 participating teams in 2015, to 18 in 2017 and 2018, there are now 24 teams vying for the coveted NOFA Cup 2019 championship. The tournament is also a venue for scouting potential national players as national coaches are also invited to witness the games. “We are hoping to see the best U13 players in the country play at NOFA Cup. This might give them greater chances of making it to the U14 and U15 national boys team,” Mr. Infante said.

For updates about the NOFA Cup, visit Negros Occidental Football Association on Facebook.