Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie declares for the NBA draft after leading the ACC in scoring

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Stanford star guard Ebuka Okorie will enter the NBA draft after leading the ACC in scoring as a freshman.

Okorie developed from an under-the-radar recruit out of New Hampshire into one of the top freshmen in the country in his one season with the Cardinal under coach Kyle Smith.

Okorie thanked Smith and the coaching staff on Thursday in his announcement on social media to enter the draft.

“A year ago you guys took a chance on a kid from New Hampshire with zero high major offers, welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to be the best version of myself on and off the court,” Okorie said.

Okorie made a major impact right from the start, scoring 26 points in his debut against Portland State, setting a Stanford freshman record with 36 points in an upset win over North Carolina in January and scoring 40 points in a home win over Georgia Tech.

Okorie finished eighth in the country in scoring at 23.2 points per game with the only freshmen ahead of him being projected lottery picks AJ Dybantsa of BYU and Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas. His eight games on the season with at least 30 points broke the freshman record in the ACC set by Duke’s Marvin Bagley III.

Okorie excelled at getting to the basket with penetration and drawing fouls. His outside shot also improved all season and he shot 46.9% from 3-point range in his final 12 games. He is projected to be a late first-round pick.

Okorie's 719 points scored in his lone season at Stanford are the third most ever for a Cardinal player in a season, trailing only Adam Keefe's 734 in 1991-92 and Chasson Randle's 724 in 2014-15.

Okorie was a first-team all-ACC pick and was an honorable AP All-American, averaging 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The last time any player hit the per game marks Okorie had in points, rebounds, assists and steals came in 2018-19 when Ja Morant of Murray State and Jermaine Marrow of Hampton did it.

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FILE - Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie (1) drives to the basket against Clemson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs lost a no-hit bid Thursday with one out in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees when he allowed a single to Ben Rice.

Springs walked Giancarlo Stanton after catcher Austin Wynns lost an ABS challenge on the previous pitch that was called a ball. On his 84th pitch, Rice hit an 83 mph slider for a clean single to right field.

The A's held a 1-0 lead when Springs allowed Rice's hit.

Springs allowed two baserunners in the third and ended the inning by getting a called third strike on Aaron Judge with his changeup. He ended the fifth by getting José Caballero on a flyball to deep left field.

In the sixth, Springs won an ABS challenge that resulted in a called third strike to Ryan McMahon. He ended the sixth at 73 pitches after Judge softly grounded out to third.

The A’s have thrown 13 no-hitters in franchise history. The last was achieved by Mike Fiers on May 7, 2019, in Oakland against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Yankees have been no-hit eight times in team history. The last was a combined no-hitter by Houston’s Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly on June 25, 2022, at Yankee Stadium.

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Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)