PRESS BOX: Trickett transfers to WVU, Kentucky Derby field set
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Quarterback Clint Trickett is headed from Florida State to West Virginia and will be eligible this fall, ESPN reported Wednesday. Trickett announced last month that he was leaving Florida State after the Seminoles appeared to be leaning toward making redshirt freshman Jameis Winston the replacement for departing quarterback E.J. Manuel.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Trickett plans to start classes at West Virginia on May 20. He will earn a degree from Florida State in May, making him eligible right away with the Mountaineers. As a backup in two seasons at Florida State, Trickett completed 66 of 106 passes for 947 yards and seven touchdowns with
Trickett has ties to West Virginia, having lived there for seven years while his father, Rick, served as the offensive line coach. He said he chose West Virginia over Auburn and South Florida because he liked the Mountaineers' style of offense.
West Virginia has an opening at the quarterback position after Geno Smith departed for the NFL. Trickett will vie with junior Paul Millard and freshman Ford Childress for the starting job.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Miami appears to have a replacement for departed guard Shane Larkin who brings plenty of experience. Angel Rodriguez will transfer to Miami from Kansas State for his final two years, according to multiple reports.
The 5-foot-11 guard is hoping to attain a hardship waiver to play immediately because of health issues with his family, CBSSports.com reported. Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, wants to be closer to his family. He played high-school basketball in the Miami area.
Larkin left the Hurricanes last week to enter the NBA Draft, which will leave the 2013 ACC champions without their top six scorers heading into next season. With Kansas State last season, Rodriguez averaged 11.4 points and 5-2 assists per game.
---Guard Braxton Ogbueze is leaving Florida after his freshman season to transfer to another program, the school announced. The 6-foot Ogbueze did not indicate which schools he's considering.
Ogbueze saw limited duty this past season at Florida, playing in 23 games despite being a top-100 recruit coming out of high school. Playing time could have been sparse again next year for Ogbueze with Rutgers transfer Eli Carter arriving along with top-10 recruit Kasey Hill.
HORSE RACING
Unbeaten Todd Pletcher-owned colt Verrazano leads a 21-horse field officially entered in the 2013 Kentucky Derby field. The field, capped at 20 horses, includes two more starters for four-time Derby-winning owner D. Wayne Lukas. Will Take Charge and Oxbow are entries 46 and 47 all-time from the Lukas stable.
Orb, trained by Shug McGaughey, and Goldcents, is a speed horse who thrilled with a victory at the Santa Anita Derby, are thought to be the strongest contenders alongside Verrazano. Fear the Kitten can only become eligible if one of the first 20 is scratched by Friday.
Verrazano won the Wood Memorial and is the son of More Than Ready, a fourth-place finisher in the 2000 Kentucky Derby, Pletcher's first since he began as a trainer in 1996.
Verrazano, named after the twin-deck bridge in Brooklyn that connects to Staten Island, has overcome shin problems and debuted in January and won the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR rejected an appeal Wednesday by Penske Racing of sanctions imposed against the teams of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano after the NRA 500 on April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The National Car Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel upheld the penalties after approximately five hours of arguments and deliberations.
Team owner Roger Penske plans to appeal the decision to National Stock Car Racing chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, USA Today reported. Penske's final appeal will be heard next Tuesday.
Penske cars driven by Keselowski and Logano failed a pre-race inspection at Texas and rear suspension parts were confiscated by NASCAR.
Keselowski and Logan were docked 25 points in the drivers' championship standings. Keselowski's crew chief, Paul Wolfe, and Logano's crew chief, Todd Gordon, each received a six-race suspension, a $100,000 fine and probation. Car chiefs Jerry Kelley and Raymond Fox and engineers Brian Wilson and Samuel Stanley also were suspended for six races.
