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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
SPORTS
2B
Thursday, December 20, 2018
NFL
Panthers plan to sit QB
Newton rest of season
Associated Press
MIKE MCCARN I Associated Press
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) looks
to pass against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of
Monday’s game in Charlotte, N.C.
COLLEGE BASKCTBALL
‘One-of-a-kind’ athlete
GERRY BROOME I The Associated Press
Duke’s Zion Williamson (1) and Princeton’s Ryan Schwieger (15) run up the court during the
second half of the game Dec. 18 in Durham, N.C.
Duke freshman Williamson
everything he was advertised
Associated Press
Cam Newton is headed
to the bench with a sore
shoulder.
The Panthers made the
decision to shut down the
2015 league MVP for at least
one game and possibly the
remainder of the season due
to a lingering right shoulder
problem.
Coach Ron Rivera said
Taylor Heinicke will make
his first career start when
Carolina hosts the Falcons
on Sunday. Kyle Allen will
be Carolina’s backup and
Newton will be inactive.
Rivera said he made the
decision to sit Newton after
meeting with owner David
Tepper, general manager
Marty Hurney, team doctors
and Newton on Wednesday
morning before practice.
“It was a good conversa
tion with Cam and he under
stood our thinking behind
this,” Rivera said. “He’s
disappointed and he’s frus
trated. You know him, he
wants to play.”
But Rivera said a “healthy
Taylor Heinicke” gives the
Panthers the best chance
to win this week. He hasn’t
made a decision about New
ton’s status for Week 17 at
New Orleans, saying the
Atlanta coach Dan Quinn
says running back Devonta
Freeman won’t make it back
for the final two games of
the season.
The Falcons were math
ematically eliminated from
the playoffs last week.
Even though Atlanta’s
chances were less than 1
percent, Quinn didn’t want
to rule Freeman out for the
rest of the year until he was
certain.
Quinn said Wednesday
FALCONS
■ Continued from 1B
likely be Jones against Pan
thers multipurpose back
Christian McCaffrey, who
focus is on the Falcons.
The Panthers (6-8) have
lost six straight games and
are all but out of playoff
contention as Newton has
struggled with an unknown
shoulder issue. He had sur
gery in March of 2017 to
repair a partially torn rota
tor cuff and has had prob
lems ever since.
The Panthers have lim
ited his reps in practice for
most of the season and it’s
rare when he throws a ball
more than 20 yards down
that the Falcons “were going
to keep all of our options
open in the hopes that the
season would keep extend
ing so he would have the
largest window if he could
come back. We know where
that window is closing, so he
won’t make it in time.”
Freeman, signed to the
NFL’s richest contract for
a running back before the
2017 season, has missed
14 games over the last two
years with head, knee and
groin injuries.
He is still not fully recov-
can be a nightmare to cover
man-to-man.
“That’s strength on
strength in that instance,”
Quinn said. “We’ll rely on
Debo quite a bit in that way. ”
Even if Jones has a slipup
similar to one he had against
Falcons at
Panthers
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
TV: Fox
the field in a game.
Newton started 14 games
and threw for 3,395 yards
with 24 touchdowns and 13
interceptions. However, he
has just nine TD passes and
nine interceptions during
Carolina’s six-game skid and
has looked uncomfortable in
the pocket.
ered from in-season groin
surgery and hasn’t practiced
since Week 5.
Tevin Coleman, Brian Hill
and Jeremy Langford will
handle the running duties
Sunday when Atlanta (5-9)
visits Carolina (6-8). The
Falcons, already with the
NFL’s second-worst rushing
attack, lost Coleman’s pri
mary backup, Ito Smith, to a
season-ending knee injury in
last week’s win over Arizona.
Atlanta ends its regular
season at Tampa Bay on
Dec. 30.
Arizona, Quinn likes his line
backer’s chances over the
course of a full game.
“It doesn’t happen that
often with him,” Quinn
said. “People try him a lot,
but he’s usually right there
ready to respond.”
Zion Williamson seems
comfortable as the star of
the show at No. 2 Duke.
That’s not easy at a pro
gram that has taken an
ensemble approach to its
collection of likely one-and-
done freshmen. But with his
mix of high-flying acrobatics
on the court and his charis
matic personality off it,
Williamson has emerged as
the natural face of the Blue
Devils (10-1) — and maybe
as college basketball as a
whole.
“It’s like a movie,” Wil
liamson said. “You say you
want to be a part of it, but
when you’re actually here,
it’s a movie. Ups and downs.
Hard practices. Hard games.
But for me, somebody like
me, I always want to have
fun, no matter what I’m
doing, so it’s been like a
movie for me.”
Put simply, there’s
nobody else like him in the
sport.
With a rare blend of physi
cal size and freakish ath
letic ability, Williamson has
helped turn those otherwise
humdrum home-court routs
of mid-major schools into
must-see events with moves
he jokingly described as
“poetry in motion.”
“For somebody like me,
coming down on a fast
break, an in-and-out cross
over, and that moment
where I jump and glide to
the rim and lay it in, for me,
it’s like poetry in motion,” he
said. “I feel like I was in slow
motion, and it’s just poetry. ”
At 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds,
he’s larger than both start
ing defensive ends on the
Blue Devils’ football team
— yet he also set a Duke
record over the summer
with a 45-inch vertical leap.
He’s the Atlantic Coast Con
ference’s second-leading
scorer at 20.4 points per
game, ranks fourth with a
9.0 rebounding average and
is blocking two shots per
game heading into Thursday
night’s game against No. 12
Texas Tech (10-0) at Madi
son Square Garden.
Williamson has drawn
comparisons to Charles
Barkley — who played at
an inch shorter and some 30
pounds lighter — both for
his style of play and for his
playful personality.
But according to Hall of
Fame coach Mike Krzyze-
wski, those comparisons are
pointless.
“You can’t say he’s like
somebody,” Krzyzewski
said. “He’s not like anybody.
He’s like Zion.”
That became clear from
his first college game, when
he scored 28 points in a
34-point rout of then-No.
2 Kentucky. In seemingly
every game since, the high
light package has included
at least one can’t-miss play
from Williamson.
There was his breakaway
windmill dunk against Indi
ana that was reminiscent of
Dominique Wilkins in his
prime. There was the alley-
oop lob from Cameron Red
dish that seemed headed for
the pep band until he skied
for it — with both his eyes
and armpits above the rim
— and slammed it home
against Eastern Michigan.
And when he came
down on a 2-on-l break
against Hartford, everyone
expected another William
son dunk — so he bounced
an alley-oop pass off the
backboard to RJ Barrett,
who finished with the slam.
Williamson said his favor
ite dunk so far was the lob
from Reddish.
And he played coy when
asked how many more
dunks he still has in his rep
ertoire, saying there are
more he wants to show off —
but only at the proper times,
of course.
NORTH CAROLINA’S
WILLIAMS GETS NEW
8-YEAR DEAL: North
Carolina has given basket
ball coach Roy Williams an
eight-year contract exten
sion that runs through the
2027-28 season.
Williams’ deal headlined
the list of 11 contracts or
extensions for Tar Heels
head coaches announced
Wednesday by athletic direc
tor Bubba Cunningham.
He also announced a
10-year extension of the
school’s contract with
Nike that’s worth more
than $10 million annually
and a 12-year extension of
its media rights deal with
Learfield Communications
that has an average annual
guaranteed value of $12.6
million.
Falcons will sit Freeman
final two games of season
Associated Press
Football/NFL
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
New England
9
5
0 .643
374
310
Miami
7
7
0 .500
295
374
Buffalo
5
9
0 .357
215
333
N.Y. Jets
4
10
0 .286
292
359
South
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
Houston
10
4
0 .714
352
281
Indianapolis
8
6
0 .571
372
300
Tennessee
8
6
0 .571
268
254
Jacksonville
4
10
0 .286
225
289
North
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
Pittsburgh
8
5
1 .607
384
316
Baltimore
8
6
0 .571
341
253
Cleveland
6
7
1 .464
309
348
Cincinnati
6
8
0 .429
337
413
West
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
x-Kansas City
11
3
0 .786
499
380
x-L.A. Chargers
11
3
0 .786
395
298
Denver
6
8
0 .429
306
299
Oakland
3
11
0 .214
260
418
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
Dallas
8
6
0 .571
276
269
Philadelphia
7
7
0 .500
311
318
Washington
7
7
0 .500
265
310
N.Y. Giants
5
9
0 .357
307
348
South
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
y-New Orleans
12
2
0 .857
459
292
Carolina
6
8
0 .429
333
344
Atlanta
5
9
0 .357
356
381
Tampa Bay
5
9
0 .357
344
403
North
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
y-Chicago
10
4
0 .714
383
264
Minnesota
7
6
1 .536
323
308
Green Bay
5
8
1 .393
332
331
Detroit
5
9
0 .357
284
333
West
W
L
T Pet
PF
PA
y-L.A. Rams
11
3
0 .786
448
343
Seattle
8
6
0 .571
363
292
San Francisco
4
10
0 .286
301
373
Arizona
3
11
0 .214
192
367
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
Saturday’s Games
Washington at Tennessee, 4:30 p.m.
Baltimore at L.A. Chargers, 8:20 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Atlanta at Carolina, 1 p.m.
Houston at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m.
Buffalo at New England, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville at Miami, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Dallas, 1 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Chicago at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m.
Kansas City at Seattle, 8:20 p.m.
Monday’s Games
Denver at Oakland, 8:15 p.m.
Football/college
Bowl schedule
Wednesday’s game
Frisco (Texas) Bowl
San Diego State (7-5) vs. Ohio (8-4), late
Today’s game
Gasparilla Bowl
At St. Petersburg, Fla.
Marshall (8-4) vs. South Florida (7-5), 8
p.m. (ESPN)
Friday’s games
Bahamas Bowl
Nassau
Toledo (7-5) vs. FIU (8-4), 12:30 p.m (ESPN)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Boise
Western Michigan (7-5) vs. BYU (6-6), 4
p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday’s games
Birmingham (Ala.) Bowl
Memphis (8-5) vs. Wake Forest (6-6), Noon
(ESPN)
Armed Forces Bowl
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston (8-4) vs. Army (10-2), 3:30 p.m.
(ESPN)
Dollar General Bowl
Mobile, Ala.
Buffalo (10-3) vs. Troy (9-3), 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Hawaii Bowl
Honolulu
Louisiana Tech (7-5) vs. Hawaii (8-5), 10:30
p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Dec. 26
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Dallas
Boston College (7-5) vs. Boise State (10-3),
1:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Quick Lane Bowl
Detroit
Minnesota (6-6) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5), 5:15
p.m. (ESPN)
Cheez-lt Bowl
Phoenix
California (7-5) vs. TCU (6-6), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Thursday, Dec. 27
Independence Bowl
Shreveport, La.
Temple (8-4) vs. Duke (7-5), 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Pinstripe Bowl
Bronx, N.Y.
Miami (7-5) vs. Wisconsin (7-5), 5:15 p.m.
(ESPN)
Texas Bowl
Houston
Baylor (6-6) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6), 9 p.m.
(ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 28
Music City Bowl
Nashville, Tenn.
Purdue (6-6) vs. Auburn (7-5), 1:30 p.m.
(ESPN)
Camping World Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
West Virginia (8-3) vs. Syracuse (9-3), 5:15
p.m. (ESPN)
Alamo Bowl
San Antonio
Iowa State (8-4) vs. Washington State (10-2),
9 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 29
Peach Bowl
Atlanta
Florida (9-3) vs. Michigan (10-2), Noon
(ESPN)
Belk Bowl
Charlotte, N.C.
South Carolina (7-5) vs. Virginia (7-5), Noon
(ABC)
Arizona Bowl
Ihcson, Ariz.
Arkansas State (8-4) vs. Nevada (7-5), 1:15
p.m. (CBSSN)
Cotton Bowl Classic
Arlington, Texas
CFP Semifinal, Notre Dame (12-0) vs.
Clemson (13-0), 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Orange Bowl
Miami Gardens, Fla.
CFP Semifinal, Oklahoma (12-1) vs. Alabama
(13-0), 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Dec. 31
Military Bowl
Annapolis, Md.
Cincinnati (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6), Noon
(ESPN)
Sun Bowl
El Paso,Texas
Stanford (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (7-6), 2 p.m.
(CBS)
Redbox Bowl
Santa Clara, Calif.
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Oregon (8-4), 3
p.m. (FOX)
Liberty Bowl
Memphis, Tenn.
Missouri (8-4) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6), 3:45
p.m. (ESPN)
Holiday Bowl
San Diego
Northwestern (8-5) vs. Utah (9-4), 7 p.m.
(FS1)
Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, Fla.
NC State (9-3) vs. Texas A&M (8-4), 7:30
p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Jan. 1
Outback Bowl
Tampa, Fla.
Mississippi State (8-4) vs. Iowa (8-4), Noon
(ESPN2)
Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Fla.
Kentucky (9-3) vs. Penn State (9-3), 1 p.m.
(ABC)
Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, Ariz.
LSU (9-3) vs. UCF (12-0), 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, Calif.
Washington (10-3) vs. Ohio State (12-1), 5
p.m. (ESPN)
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans
Texas (9-4) vs. Georgia (11-2), 8:45 p.m.
(ESPN)
TODAY ON TV
BASKETBALL
FOOTBALL
■ G-League: Vipers vs. Nets, 3 p.m., ESPNU
■ G-League: Lakers vs. Swarm, 5 p.m., ESPNU
■ Texas Tech vs. Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN2
■ G-League: Stars vs. Mads Ants, 8 p.m., FS1
■ Coe at Creighton, 8 p.m., FS1
■ NBA: Rockets at Heat, 8 p.m., TNT
■ G-League: Warriors vs. Magic, 10:30 p.m., ESPNU
■ Gasparilla
Bowl: Marshall
vs. South
Florida, 8 p.m.,
ESPN
MEN’S COLLEGE
BASKETBALL TOP 25
Bone carries No.
3 Tennessee to
win over Samford
Jordan Bone set career
highs with 24 points and
11 assists, and No. 3 Ten
nessee beat Samford 83-70
on Wednesday night for its
fifth consecutive victory.
Bone shot 11 of 16 and
committed only two turn
overs. Admiral Schofield
scored 18 points and Grant
Williams had 13 of his 16
points after halftime to
help the Volunteers (9-1)
snap Samford’s three-game
winning streak. Kyle Alex
ander added 10 points.
Ruben Guerrero had 16
points and eight rebounds
before fouling out for Sam
ford (10-3).
NORTH CAROLINA
STATE 78, No. 7 AUBURN
71: Markell Johnson had
career highs of 27 points
and five 3-pointers to help
North Carolina State upset
No. 7 Auburn on Wednes
day night.
Devon Daniels scored all
15 of his points after half
time for the Wolfpack (10-
1), who led nearly all night
before pushing ahead for
good in the final 10 minutes.
N.C. State shot 58 per
cent after halftime behind
Johnson and Daniels. John
son stood out with 19 points
after the break, including
a run of 10 straight points
— a 3-pointer, a four-point
play and pullup 3 in transi
tion — during one critical
75-second sequence.
By the time Daniels
scored twice followed by
Johnson’s layup, the Wolf-
pack had pushed the lead
to a dozen near the four-
minute mark on the way
to another big upset under
second-year coach Kevin
No. 22 INDIANA 86,
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
53: Devonte Green scored
19 points, freshman Romeo
Langford recorded his sec
ond double-double and No.
22 Indiana beat Central
Arkansas 86-53 on Wednes
day night.
The Hoosiers (10-2) have
won five straight, though
this was their first victory
by more than three points
during the streak. They’ve
also won eight straight
home games.
Associated Press
Top 25 results
Men’s Top 25
Wednesday
1. Kansas (10-0) did not play. Next: at No. 18
Arizona State, Saturday.
2. Duke (10-1) did not play. Next: vs. No. 12
Texas Tech, Thursday.
3. Tennessee (9-1) beat Samford 83-70. Next:
vs. Wake Forest, Saturday.
4. Michigan (11-0) did not play. Next: vs. Air
Force, Saturday.
5. Virginia (10-0) beat South Carolina 69-52.
Next: vs. William & Mary, Saturday.
6. Nevada (11 -0) did not play. Next: vs. Akron,
Saturday.
7. Auburn (9-2) lost to N.C. State 78-71. Next:
vs. Murray State, Saturday.
8. Gonzaga (10-2) did not play. Next: vs.
Denver, Friday.
9. North Carolina (8-2) did not play. Next: vs.
No. 19 Kentucky, Saturday.
10. Michigan State (9-2) did not play. Next:
vs. Oakland, Friday.
11. Florida State (10-1) beat North Florida
95-81. Next: vs. Saint Louis, Saturday.
12. Texas Tech (10-0) did not play. Next: vs.
No. 2 Duke, Thursday.
13. Virginia Tech (10-1) beat N.C. A&T 82-60.
Next: vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, Friday, Dec.
28.
14. Buffalo (11-0) did not play. Next: at No. 20
Marquette, Friday.
15. Ohio State (10-1) did not play. Next: vs.
UCLA, Saturday.
16. Wisconsin (9-2) did not play. Next: vs.
Grambling State, Saturday.
17. Mississippi State (9-1) vs. Wofford. Next:
vs. Wright State, Saturday.
18. Arizona State (8-2) did not play. Next: vs.
No. 1 Kansas, Saturday.
19. Kentucky (8-2) did not play. Next: vs. No.
9 North Carolina, Saturday.
20. Marquette (9-2) did not play. Next: vs. No.
14 Buffalo, Friday.
21. Houston (10-0) did not play. Next: vs. Utah
State, Thursday.
22. Indiana (10-2) beat Central Arkansas
86-51. Next: vs. Jacksonville, Saturday.
23. Iowa (9-2) did not play. Next: vs.
Savannah State, Saturday.
24. Furman (12-0) did not play. Next: at
LSU, Friday.
25. Nebraska (9-2) did not play. Next: vs. Cal
State Fullerton, Saturday.
Associated Press
Transactions
BASEBALL
American League
CHICAGO WHITE SOX—Agreed to terms with
C James McCann on a one-year contract.
DETROIT TIGERS — Agreed to terms with
RHPs Eduardo Paredes and Chris Smith and
LHP Nick Ramirez on minor league contracts.
HOUSTON ASTROS — Agreed to terms with
OF Michael Brantley on a two-year contract.
National League
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Named Joe
Garagiola Jr. special adviser to the president
and CEO.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Signed RHP Chris
Dula to a minor league contract.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
SACRAMENTO KINGS — Assigned F Harry
Giles to Stockton (NBAGL). Transferred F Troy
Williams to Stockton.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
ARIZONA CARDINALS — Released OL Justin
Evans from the practice squad. Signed LB Pete
Robertson and S Fish Smithson to the practice
squad. Claimed WR Pharoh Cooper off waivers
from the L.A. Rams.
BUFFALO SABRES — Placed F Patrik
Berglund on unconditional waivers for the pur
pose of terminating his contract.
DENVER BRONCOS — Placed CB Chris Harris
Jr. on injured reserve. Signed CB Craig Mager.
DETROIT LIONS — Placed RB Kerryon
Johnson on injured reserve. Released G Salesi
Uhatafe from the practice squad. Activated CB
Jamal Agnew from injured reserve. Signed RB
Justin Stockton to the practice squad.
MIAMI DOLPHINS — Placed RB Frank Gore
on injured reserve. Signed DT Kendrick Norton.
NEW YORK GIANTS — Placed DB Antonio
Hamilton on injured reserve. Activated WR Cody
Latimer from injured reserve.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Signed DT
Jeremiah Ledbetter from the practice squad
and DEs Farrington Huguenin and Alec James
to the practice squad.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Placed CB Danny
Johnson on injured reserve. Signed DB Jeremy
Reaves from the practice squad and DB Jack
Tocho to the practice squad.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
NHL — Fined St. Louis D Vince Dunn
$1,942.20 for cross-checking Edmonton F
Jujhar Khaira.
ARIZONA COYOTES — Assigned G Adin Hill
and F Conor Garland to Tucson (AHL).
DALLAS STARS — Reassigned D Joel Hanley
to Texas (AHL).
NEW YORK ISLANDERS — Recalled D Devon
Toews from Bridgeport (AHL).
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING — Signed C Gabriel
Fortier to a three-year, entry-level contract.
American Hockey League
LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS — Signed F
Steven Swavely to a professional tryout agree
ment.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
LA GALAXY — Re-signed M Chris Pontius.
ORLANDO SC — Traded G Earl Edwards Jr. to
D.C. United for a 2019 second-round draft pick.
PHILADELPHIA UNION — Traded D Keegan
Rosenberry to Colorado for general and targeted
allocation money.
COLLEGE
CHATTANOOGA — Named Rusty Wright foot
ball coach.
CLARKE — Named Marq Hicks men’s and
women’s bowling coach.
MICHIGAN — LB Devin Bush will enter the
NFL draft.
NEW MEXICO — Announced the contract
of volleyball coach Jeff Nelson will not be
renewed.
NORTH CAROLINA — Signed men’s bas
ketball coach Roy Williams to an eight-year
contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
YALE — Named Brendan Faherty women’s
soccer coach.
Associated Press
