OU football releases plans for Kyler Murray statue unveiling at spring game

OU football releases plans for Kyler Murray statue unveiling at spring game

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will be in Norman on April 22 for his public Heisman Trophy statue unveiling during a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at Heisman Park on the east side of Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Following the ceremony, Party Pics will take photos of fans next to Murray's statue until 2 p.m.

Murray won the Heisman Trophy for the 2018 season with the Sooners after passing for 4,361 yards with 42 touchdowns and rushing for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Fans attending the spring game will also want to stay in their seat at halftime, as Murray will be honored on the field for his OU accomplishments and for claiming his permanent spot at Heisman Park.

Tickets for OU's spring game are on sale at SoonerSports.com.

More:OU football's Jeff Lebby praises freshman Jackson Arnold. 'He understands what it means.'

Wichita State hires ORU's Paul Mills to lead hoops program

Wichita State hired Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts on Wednesday to turn around its languishing men's basketball program, landing what has been one of the hottest names among mid-major coaches.

The 50-year-old Mills led the the Golden Eagles to two of the past three NCAA Tournaments, engineering upsets of Ohio State and Florida as a No. 15 seed in 2021 before going 30-5 this past season and losing to Duke as a No. 5 seed.

He replaces Isaac Brown, who was fired after three seasons as the Shockers slowly slipped toward mediocrity.

"My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State,” said Mills, who will be introduced during a news conference Thursday at Charles Koch Arena. “The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the greatest fans in all of college basketball.”

Mills got his break in coaching when he joined Scott Drew's first staff at Baylor in 2003, working alongside future Kansas State coach Jerome Tang in helping to turn around a program that had been mired in controversy. Mills stayed for 14 years, helping to reach seven NCAA Tournaments, before replacing Scott Sutton at Oral Roberts before the 2017 season.

North Texas earns 65-59 overtime win over OSU in NIT

Tylor Perry scored five of his 23 points in overtime and North Texas took down Oklahoma State 65-59 on Tuesday night to advance to the NIT semifinals in Las Vegas.

Perry also contributed five rebounds for the Mean Green (28-7). Moulaye Sissoko had 12 points and 15 rebounds. Kai Huntsberry was 4 of 16 shooting (2 for 6 from 3-point range) to finish with 11 points, while adding six rebounds.

The Cowboys (20-15) were led by Caleb Asberry, who posted 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Oklahoma State also got 13 points and seven rebounds from Moussa Cisse. In addition, Woody Newton finished with seven points.

More:Tramel's ScissorTales: Oklahoma State softball riding high as Big 12 play starts

Notre Dame closing deal with PSU's Shrewsberry

Notre Dame is finalizing a deal to make Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry its new men’s basketball coach, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details were still being completed and needed school approval. Shrewsberry, in his second season at Penn State, led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and a tournament victory for the first time since 2001. He will replace Mike Brey at Notre Dame. Shrewsberry grew up in Indianapolis and his first head coaching job was at an NAIA school in South Bend, Indiana, where Notre Dame is located.

More:'Let’s lock in': Why Oklahoma State football's Collin Oliver excited by move to linebacker

Williamson out for at least 2 more weeks amid playoff push

All-Star forward Zion Williamson will not return for at least two more weeks, jeopardizing whether he will be a part of the New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff push. The Pelicans announced Wednesday that Williamson, who has not played since straining his right hamstring Jan. 2, “has been cleared to return to on-court activities” and “will be re-evaluated in two weeks.” Going into Wednesday, New Orleans was tied with the Lakers, a half-game behind Utah and Minnesota, which are tied for the final two play-in spots. The Pelicans have 10 games remaining.

More:Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing back-to-backs 'on the table' for OKC Thunder star

Extra points

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: New Oklahoma head volleyball coach Aaron Mansfield announced Tuesday the addition of transfer Lydia Burts for the 2023 season. Burts, a 6-3 middle blocker, will join the Sooners after playing the last three seasons at Liberty.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Suspended Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell drove over 141 mph while trying to evade deputies before his arrest on drug charges in the Florida Panhandle last week, authorities said. Mitchell and another man, who was a passenger in Mitchell's car, were arrested last week and charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The other man also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit. Holmes County is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Panama City and shares its northern border with Alabama.

NFL: The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back defensive end Dante Fowler and running back Rico Dowdle while adding two outside free agents for depth in running back Ronald Jones and lineman Chuma Edoga. Fowler signed with Dallas last year, reuniting with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from when Quinn was Atlanta's head coach. The 28-year-old finished with six sacks. It was his most since a career-high 11½ with the Rams in 2019. The signing of Jones comes after the Cowboys released two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard is expected to be the lead back.

BASEBALL: Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out in a matchup the whole baseball world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion United States 3-2 Tuesday night for its first World Baseball Classic title since 2009. Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two continents, beat out an infield single in the seventh inning as a designated hitter, then walked down the left-field line to Japan’s bullpen to warm up for his third mound appearance of the tournament. Trout, the U.S. captain and a three-time MVP, struck out on a full-count pitch.

—Staff and wire reports

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football sets plans for Kyler Murray statue party at spring game