LOS ANGELES -- If Thursday's NBA draft truly has a steep drop-off in talent beyond the presumed top two picks in Duke's Zion Williamson and Murray State's Ja Morant, somebody forgot to tell Vanderbilt's Darius Garland.

The 6-foot-2 guard, who left school after playing just five games his freshman season because of a meniscus injury in his left knee, said there's nobody better at his position in this draft.

"I humbly say this, I think I'm the best (guard) in the draft," he told ESPN. "I mean, I think I can do everything that an NBA team wants me to do."

The 19-year-old Garland averaged 16.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting (47.8 percent from 3) with the Commodores prior to the injury, with 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

"The game is going towards a pick-and-roll and a scoring point guard situation," Garland said. "So, I think I can do both of those really well. Just choose my spots on the floor and be able to show off the dribble."

After Garland pulled out of the NBA draft combine in Chicago last month and sat out his agency's (Klutch Sports) pro day in Los Angeles, draft pundits wondered whether he had received a promise from a lottery team. Garland and his agent, Rich Paul, lifted the smoke screen this week, however, as the guard granted private workouts to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers in L.A., sources told ESPN.

Both workouts occurred prior to the Lakers' blockbuster trade Saturday for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, which included Los Angeles sending the No. 4 overall pick to the Pelicans, sources said.

Garland impressed with his shot-making ability and deep range, according to sources present for the Lakers' workout.

The Cavaliers, who hold the No. 5 pick Thursday, could arrange another swap with New Orleans, of course, if they set their sights on Garland and feel the need to move up to secure him. Should New Orleans take Williamson at No. 1, as expected, and want Garland at No. 4, Garland could pair with the Duke phenomenon a year after choosing Vanderbilt over the Blue Devils. Garland was heavily recruited by Mike Krzyzewski to become part of Duke's heralded freshman class that included Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones. Kentucky also was interested in Garland, but he decided to play near his family in Tennessee.

"I got a chance to watch some Duke games (last season). I mean, it would have been a great fit, I guess. But I chose to stay at home, go to Vanderbilt. I always stick with my gut," Garland said. "I wanted to do something different."

Garland's father, Winston, played seven seasons in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Winston Garland's time in the league ended in 1995, five years before Darius was born.

Though Winston averaged a respectable 9.4 points and 4.7 assists in 511 career games at the point, his son is primed to man the position in the modern NBA.

"I think 10 years ago, everything was pass-first point guards, and now it's evolved into more scoring guards," Darius Garland told ESPN. "I also distribute the ball, as well. So, I think I came around at the right time."

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse confirmed Sunday that he plans to coach the Canadian national team, starting with the World Cup this summer.

At Toronto's first media availability since winning the NBA Finals, Nurse told reporters, "I'm getting ready to take another situation soon because I think it's going to make me a better coach."

Asked specifically whether he was talking about reports that he would become the coach of Team Canada for the World Cup, Nurse said a deal was "just about done."

"It's something I'm looking forward to doing," he said.

Nurse, 51, said his experience as an assistant coach with Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics was an impetus for wanting to coach Team Canada.

"I learned a lot as a coach in that run and I'm hoping this experience will do the same," he said.

He added that "there's some really good players" on the Canadian team. Among the players Nurse might be coaching are Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson, Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell and former Duke forward RJ Barrett, a likely lottery pick in this year's draft.

"It's a unique time with the World Cup and the Olympics within a short 13- to 14-month window. And it fits in OK. I'm just giving up some vacation time," he said.

Canada begins the 2019 World Cup in China on Sept. 1 when it plays Australia.

When the Raptors clinched the NBA title with their Game 6 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, Nurse became the ninth rookie coach to win a championship in NBA history.

He also won two titles in the NBA's D-League (now named the G League), with the Iowa Energy in 2011 and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2013.

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets put pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring, then saw Jason Vargas leave Sunday's start against St. Louis because of a cramp in his left calf.

The Mets also activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the IL and put him in the lineup against the Cardinals.

Batting in the fourth inning, Vargas fouled off a ball and was clearly in pain. He was visited by Mets manager Mickey Callaway and an athletic trainer and promptly removed from the game. Pitcher Jacob deGrom pinch hit for Vargas and walked.

Vargas, 36, was sidelined from May 6-24 with left hamstring tightness but has been one of New York's most consistent pitchers since returning from the injured list. Entering the game, Vargas had allowed 11 earned runs over his last 45 innings and had won each of his past two starts.

Vargas allowed three runs -- two earned -- on just one hit over four innings against the Cardinals.

Syndergaard reached for his right hamstring after throwing a pitch in the seventh inning of New York's 8-7 victory Saturday night. He walked off the field with a bit of a limp.

Syndergaard (5-4, 4.55 ERA), 26, who is scheduled to undergo an MRI, has struggled at times in 2019, allowing four earned runs or more in eight of his 15 starts. He entered the season with a 2.93 ERA. Callaway noted that the decision to place Syndergaard on the IL was made because "it didn't seem like he would make his next start anyway."

Callaway said that the team had options, but declined to indicate who would take Syndergaard's spot in the rotation.

Cano, out since June 9 after aggravating a left quadriceps injury, was in New York's lineup, hitting fifth. It's the first time this season the 36-year-old has batted in any spot in the lineup other than third. A key offseason acquisition, Cano has appeared in just one game since May 22 and is hitting just .238 with three home runs and 14 RBIs.

Prior to joining the Mets, Cano never hit lower than .271 or failed to produce at least 50 RBIs in any of his 14 prior major league seasons. Callaway said Cano's workload would be monitored moving forward.

The Los Angeles Angels expect to activate Justin Upton on Monday to make his season debut, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters Sunday.

The Angels will play in Toronto against the Blue Jays on Monday.

Upton, who hit 30 home runs for the Angels last season, was placed on the injured list before the season because of turf toe in his left foot.

The 31-year-old outfielder has hit .333 with two homers and six RBIs in six games in a rehabilitation assignment.

"It'll be good to have him back," Ausmus said Sunday before the visiting Angels' 6-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Obviously, he's been an offensive performer for a long time. It's a big bat to add to our lineup."

The four-time All-Star is a career .268 hitter with 286 home runs and 897 RBIs in 12 major league seasons.

Teenager clocks 1:46.80 at the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix to improve a mark set by Steve Ovett

Halifax teenager Max Burgin opened his season in explosive style with a superb victory in the men’s 800m A race at the second British Milers’ Club Grand Prix event at Loughborough on Saturday, Kevin Fahey reports.

The 17-year-old destroyed the field with a front-running display to win in a personal best time of 1:46.80 which was not only a British Milers’ Club under-20 record but also a UK age-17 best and it improves Steve Ovett’s UK under-18 best.

The mark moves him to seventh on the UK under-20 all-time list.

In the 5000m, winner Emile Cairess of Leeds City recorded a PB of 13:50.58 to dip well inside the qualifying standard for the European U23 Championships. Cairess already has the qualifying mark for the 10,000m which he ran in Spain in April.

Morpeth Harrier Rory Leonard won the UK under-20 trials race, finishing third overall.

The Judd sisters impressed in the women’s 5000m with Jess racing to victory in a PB of 15:31.64 and younger sister Jodie finishing fourth in a PB of 16:04.56, just inside the European U23 qualifying standard of 16:05.00.

Newbury’s Izzy Fry was top junior smashing her PB with a time of 16:22.55, well inside the Euro U20 qualifying standard of 16:30.00.

Over at the AtletiCAGenève meeting in Switzerland, Charlie Myers impressed by clearing 5.71m in the pole vault, equaling the British under-23 record and adding 11cm to his PB for a Doha World Championships standard. Harry Coppell was third with 5.50m and Joel Leon Benitez fifth with 5.10m.

Alastair Chalmers improved his British under-20 400m hurdles record to 50.07, with his previous best being 50.11. His older brother Cameron won his 400m race in 46.04.

Amy Allcock (52.21), Emily Diamond (52.27), Hannah Williams (53.20) and Ama Pipi (53.21) filled places two to five respectively in the women’s 400m, while in another one-lap race Amber Anning ran 52.64 to rank second best junior in Europe this season.

Amy Holder threw a PB of 56.42m to win the discus.

Full results can be found here.

A record nine athletes break 4:01 in the women’s 1500m at the Diamond League meeting in Morocco

World record-holder Genzebe Dibaba continued her winning ways at 1500m as the IAAF Diamond League series moved on to Rabat on Sunday.

The early pace seemed far too fast with the pacemaker leading them through 400m in 61.98 and 800m in 2:05.04. The Ethiopian kept the pressure up on the third lap and a 62.71 meant she passed 1200m in 3:07.75.

That was too fast for Gudaf Tsegay who had to let Dibaba go but Sifan Hassan moved up to the leader’s shoulder. Dibaba looked all-out and was grimacing and Hassan looked much stronger and more relaxed on the final bend but in the finishing straight, Dibaba was able to maintain the better form as she completed a painful 63.38 final circuit.

Her 3:55.47 was an African all-comers record and a world lead and Hassan had her best track race of a so far disappointing season as she set a Dutch record of 3:55.93.

“I am happy with my performance and it’s great running in Africa,” said Dibaba. “Based on my level and performance, I feel ready for the World Championships.”

A record nine athletes broke 4:01 and that included Eilish McColgan who continued her PB form with 4:00.97 which moved her up to ninth in the all-time UK lists and ahead of her mother Liz’s 4:01.38.

Moving up to 13th all-time was Sarah McDonald with 4:01.50 in 10th.

The women’s 800m saw a fast 57.20 first lap and they passed 600m in 88.41.

The runners paid for the too fast start as Nelly Jepkosgei won in 1:59.50 with Habitam Alemu also inside two minutes in second.

Lynsey Sharp easily had her best race of the year and she finished fourth in a season’s best 2:00.61 which puts her top of the UK outdoor 800m rankings.

There was also a world lead in the men’s steeplechase.

The race was the final event as the organisers expected Soufiane El Bakkali to send the home fans happy.

Despite a relatively modest 2:43.68 at 100m and 5:26.14 at 2000m, the Moroccan struggled and ended up a poor last in 11th place in 8:27.56.

Well ahead the win went in a fast finish to Ethiopian 18-year-old talent Getnet Wale and his 8:06.01 was also an Ethiopian record.

In second, his team-mate Chala Beyo ran 8:06.48 with Benjamin Kigen leading the Kenyan challenge in third.

There was a dramatic men’s 110m hurdles. Olympic and world champion Omar McLeod was a clear leader most of the race but lost his balance over the last hurdle and tripped and doing so brought down former world champion Sergey Shubenkov who was actually propelled forward and the Russian won in 13.12.

He said: “It was a dramatic race. The clash with Omar did not affect my time.”

Andrew Pozzi continued his good form with second in 13.30 as McLeod finished fourth in 13.48.

As expected, Salwa Eid Naser won the 400m in 50.13 but the margin was only a metre as Niger’s Aminatou Seyni closed fast at the finish and was second in a national record 50.24.

The women’s 100m saw a quick finish from Nigerian Blessing Okagbare who caught Marie-Josee Ta Lou almost on the line but was moving so fast she was given 11.05 to Ta Lou’s 11.09. There was a 0.6m/sec headwind.

Dafne Schippers was a below par fifth in 11.32.

In the men’s 800m, oblivious to the runners behind him, pacemaker Saul Martinez led through 400m in 49.96 with everyone else ignoring him and Jonathan Kitilit led through 600m in a modest 79.33.

The 2012 Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos finished strongly with a 26.0 last 200m to pip Emmanuel Korir on the line. Amos won in 1:45.57 to the Kenyan’s 1:45.60.

Guy Learmonth, a late addition, finished ninth in 1:47.51.

Canadian Andre De Grasse finished strongly to win the 200m in 201.19 as world champion Ramil Guliyev unusually faded and was second in 20.28.

In the field the best event was the men’s discus.

World leader Daniel Stahl of Sweden won with a fourth round 69.94m but was pushed hard by Jamaican Fedrick Dacres’ 69.50m.

Austrian Lukas Weisshaidinger was third with 68.14m.

There was a Cuban one-two in the women’s discus with Yaime Perez’s 68.28m meeting record giving her the edge over world leader Denia Caballero’s 65.94m.

Perez led throughout and already had it won with a 66.80m throw but she improved to 68.28m with her final throw.

World and Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic was again well below her best with just one legal throw – a 64.77m, which placed her third.

In the men’s long jump, Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria returned to top form with a 8.34m fifth round leap to defeat Luvo Manyonga’s 8.21m.

Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko won a modest high jump on countback with a 2.28m leap but better form was shown by American Sandi Morris who won the pole vault in a meeting record and season’s best 4.82m.

Holly Bradshaw was ninth with 4.57m.

In the non Diamond League events, a late burst by Kenyan’s Vincent Kibet won the 1500m in 3:35.80 as half a second covered the top five while Edward Zakayo Pingua won the 5000m in 13:11.49.

British number three Dan Evans has reached his second successive grass-court final with a 6-4 6-2 win over Japan's Go Soeda in Nottingham.

The top seed, 29, will face Russia's world number 148 Evgeny Donskoy later on Sunday as he attempts to add to his Surbiton success last week.

World number 70 Evans is already assured of a Wimbledon main draw slot.

France's Caroline Garcia and Croatia's Donna Vekic will meet in the Nature Valley Open final at the same venue.

Evans, who was banned from the sport for a year from April 2017 for cocaine use, came through qualifying to make the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Although behind compatriots Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie in the world rankings, which take into account the previous 12 months' form, he is Britain's best male player based purely on 2019's results.

Evans has won his two most recent matches against Donskoy, although his 29-year-old opponent came out on top in their first meeting back in 2010.

While the women's final at Nottingham is a Tour-level event, the men's draw is part of the second-tier Challenger series.

HANFORD, Calif. — D.J. Netto won the 30-lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour Series event at Keller Auto Speedway on Saturday night.

The hometown boy beat out Justin Sanders and Kyle Hirst in scoring a very popular win in front of his local fans. Netto drove his familiar Netto AG supported No. 88n.

Tim Kaeding and his brother Bud Kaeding filled out the top five. Seventeen of the 24 starters were running at the checkered flag in a marathon event lasting over an hour.

Colby Copeland and Hirst brought the field down for the start, but the racers did not make it through the third turn before the race’s first caution waved. Travis Coelho spun high off the turn’s banking. On the complete restart, Copeland would stutter and fade, losing several positions as the top runners were sorting out the fastest race groove.

It was Sanders, who had started in the second row, who would figure out the extremely wide Hanford groove and claim the top spot.

The race would slow again on lap 6 when an infield tire barrier got knocked on to the track in turn four by the group of cars that picked the bottom groove. On the restart, it was Sanders leading Hirst and Cole Macedo but it would be Macedo who would bring out the red when he jumped the turn-two cushion and flipped.

The race would restart less Macedo but would quickly go red once again when a rim riding Coelho caught the front stretch wall just past the flag stand and did a series of high flying flips, ending his night.

Netto had now made his way up to second and would restart alongside of leader Sanders on a double file restart.  But the race would have to once again be stopped on lap nine when Copeland spun around coming out of the fourth turn and got clipped by Andy Forsberg who was then side swiped by Craig Stidham who would take a hard flip.

Several cars ducked into the infield to avoid the nearly blocked track, avoiding what could have been a much more serious accident. Only Copeland would be able to restart after pitting for repairs.

The race would restart once the wrecked cars were removed from the track and would stay green until Scott Parker stopped on the track coming out of turn two.

Another caution would come out for Kyle Offill who spun in the second turn. Offill had been a flip victim in his heat but after repairing a heavily damaged car, Offill started the B Main picking up a transfer spot with a high finish which put him in the main event.

Sanders, Netto and the remaining top five in the running order all picked the high groove around the King’s County Fairgrounds oval.  It would be a slide job by Netto on Sanders on lap 24 which would put him in the front.

Two laps later, it would be Tim Kaeding trying the same move as Netto, however Sanders would have no part of it and rammed the back of Kaeding’s No. 42x sending him nearly off the banking and out of third place.

Offill’s turn-two problems continued when he spun around on lap 27 bringing out yet another caution.  It was under this caution that Kaeding would show his displeasure with Sanders as the two cars nearly locked up.

But it was Netto who enjoy the win at his home track. The Sanders-Kaeding feud continued on the cool down lap with some more bumping before Kaeding would head to the pits while Sanders joined the front stretch ceremonies.

The finish:

D.J. Netto, Justin Sanders, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Tony Gualda, Sean Becker, Mitchell Faccinto, Willie Croft, Colby Copeland, Grant Duinkerken, Danny Faria, Kaleb Montgomery, Tucker Worth, Blake Carrick, Kyle Offill, Landon Hurst, Dustin Freitas, Scott Parker,  Steven Kent, Andy Forsberg, Craig Stidham, Travis Coelho, Cole Macedo

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — Ryan Gustin battled mechanical gremlins from the time he left his home in Marshalltown, Iowa, on Thursday afternoon through early Saturday evening, but when the big money was on the line Saturday night ‘The Reaper’ exorcised the demons and bolted to his second Masters title in three years.

After a tight three-way battle between early leader Jake Timm and Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Jimmy Mars, Gustin finally passed Mars with ten laps remaining and then drove away to score another crown jewel victory and a $10,000 winner’s check at Cedar Lake Speedway.

“It feels good,” Gustin said in victory lane. “Any time you can outrun Jimmy Mars at his home race track you’ve done something right.
Mars led the opening lap but conceded the top spot to Timm the second time around the high-banked three-eighths-mile clay oval.

Timm set a torrid pace for the next 18 circuits while Mars and Gustin used every inch of the race track to keep pace with the second-generation speedster.

Mars zoomed ahead of Timm on lap 20 and Gustin followed into second place three laps later, setting up a two-car battle between one of Cedar Lake Speedway’s most decorated and experienced racers and the 28-year-old two-time USMTS national champion.

Gustin snuck past Mars briefly to lead the 27th lap but jumped the cushion in the ensuing corner to give Mars the advantage the next time around.

Mars remained in control through heavy lapped traffic and 39 laps, but Gustin proved to be too much with his patented rim-riding exhibition and snagged the lead as they completed lap 40.
The rest of the 50-lapper was all Gustin.

“It was a blast, man. That’s the most fun I’ve had in a race car in a long time. It was an up-on-the-wheel deal. Jimmy could pull down on the race track better than we could, but we just let it all hang out up on that cushion and it worked out.”

The hefty paycheck will also come in handy to keep Gustin rolling down the road with his No. 19r Spike Hardcore Energy Hughes Chassis which is powered by nearby Tri Star Engines. En route to the race on Thursday, Gustin’s hauler blew out two tires and he barely made it in time for hot laps.

The finish:

Ryan Gustin, Jimmy Mars, Rodney Sanders, Jake O’Neil, Jake Timm, Zack VanderBeek, Dereck Ramirez, Terry Phillips, R.C. Whitwell, Adam Hensel, Michael Truscott, Clayton Wagamon, Jacob Bleess, Brad Waits, Dustin Sorensen, Tyler Wolff, Travis Saurer, Adam Ayotte, Darrell Nelson, Darron Fuqua, Jason Hughes, A.J. Diemel, Cory Crapser, Hunter Marriott.