BASKETBALL
The director of the Blue Wave AAU basketball program in Portland was arrested earlier this month by Scarborough police on three charges, including unlawful sexual contact, a Class C felony.
Robert Pillsbury
Robert Pilsbury, 40, was arrested and charged with domestic violence, obstructing the report of a crime and unlawful sexual conduct in the early morning hours of April 3, according to Scarborough Detective Sgt. Rick Rouse. The alleged victim was an adult female, he added. The domestic violence and obstructing the report of a crime charges are both Class D misdemeanors.
He was arraigned later that day on those charges, according to Tamara Getchell, a spokeswoman for the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office. Bail was set at $2,500, which Pilsbury posted. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 25 for a dispositional conference.
According to Getchell, Pilsbury was to have no contact with the victim and to not be at her residence except for the one time with police to get property.
Pilsbury is a 1999 graduate of Portland High and won the Mr. Maine Basketball Award his senior year.
WNBA: Sabrina Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, going to the New York Liberty in an Oregon sweep of the top two picks.
Ionescu, who set the NCAA record for triple-doubles and was the first college player to have more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, was one of three first round picks for New York.
Her Oregon teammate Satou Sabally, went second to Dallas. It’s the third time in the history of the draft that the top two picks were from the same college team.
Lauren Cox went third to Indiana and Chennedy Carter was the fourth pick by Atlanta. Dallas took Bella Alarie with the fifth pick. South Carolina players Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Tyasha Harris went sixth and seventh to Minnesota and Dallas.
Chicago chose Oregon’s Ruthy Hebard with the eighth pick – marking the fifth consecutive season and ninth overall that three college teammates were taken in the opening round.
New York took UConn’s Megan Walker with the ninth pick. Phoenix picked Jocelyn Willoughby of Virginia 10th. Seattle took former South Florida star Kitija Laksa with the 11th pick and New York closed out the first round by drafting Jazmine Jones from Louisville.
COLLEGES: Malachi Flynn, a consensus All-American and the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, will forgo his senior season at San Diego State and enter the NBA draft.
Flynn became the most decorated player in Aztecs history in his one season at San Diego State after transferring from Washington State and sitting out a year. He averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds, leading the Aztecs to a 30-2 record.
• North Carolina freshman point guard Cole Anthony is entering the NBA draft.
The 6-foot-3 Anthony – son of former UNLV and NBA player Greg Anthony – averaged a team-high 18.5 points.
HIGH SCHOOLS: Isaiah Todd has become the second player to jump from high school to the G League this week, signing with the league with the intent of joining its new elite program.
Todd’s signing was announced one day after Jalen Green became the first in the elite program.
Todd was a forward at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was a McDonald’s All-American.
FOOTBALL
NFL: The New England Patriots re-signed restricted free-agent defensive lineman Adam Butler.
Butler has spent the past three seasons in New England after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He has appeared in 48 regular-season games with eight starts, making 62 tackles and 11 sacks.
He had a career-high 26 tackles and six sacks in 2019.
• The Chicago Bears released veteran tight end Trey Burton after an injury-riddled season.
Burton dealt with a groin injury all last season and went on injured reserve in November. He had 14 receptions for 84 yards in eight games.
HOCKEY
NHL: The Columbus Blue Jackets signed All-Star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract worth a reported $5.6 million.
• Dustin Byfuglien and the Winnipeg Jets agreed to mutually terminate his contract, potentially marking the end of his playing career.
The agreement ended a lengthy dispute between Byfuglien and the organization over his absence this season. Because there was no financial settlement as part of the termination, the defenseman walked away from the $14 million remaining on his contract with no guarantee he’ll play again.
Agent Ben Hankinson told The Associated Press by email that Byfuglien doesn’t have anything to say and “will take some time to decide” on his future.
The 35-year-old Byfuglien patrolled the ice at multiple positions for 14 NHL seasons with a rare blend of size, skill and power. But he hasn’t played since Winnipeg’s first-round playoff series last April.
SOCCER
Bob Hermann, the soccer executive who launched the Hermann Trophy given annually to the top college soccer players in the United States, has died at age 97.
His family said he died Monday at his home in the St. Louis suburb of Ladue, Missouri.
A key figure in the rise of professional soccer in the U.S. in the 1960s, Hermann was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.
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