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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Newsmakers

Granted Arizona State forward Shaquielle McKissic has been granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA and will return to the Sun Devils next season. McKissic had been designated a senior last season by the NCAA because he graduated in 2009 but he spent two years out of basketball.

Announced Freshman guard Elijah Brown is transferring out of Butler’s basketball program, coach Brandon Miller announced. The son of Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown was one of the prized recruits in Butler’s 2013 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 guard is the fourth Butler player to transfer since mid-February, following freshmen Nolan Berry and Rene Castro, and sophomore Devontae Morgan. Neither Brown nor the Bulldogs indicated where Brown may land.

• Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. Hood announced in a statement that playing for the Blue Devils and coach Mike Krzyzewski “helped me grow and develop as a player and a person” to prepare him for the NBA. Hood was part of a 1-2 scoring punch with freshman Jabari Parker, who declared for the draft Thursday as a strong candidate for the No. 1 overall pick.While Parker and Hood are gone, Duke is bolstered by the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, led by top overall recruit Jahlil Okafor along with top 10 prospects Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow.

Promoted Duke has promoted assistant Jeff Capel to associate head coach and Jon Scheyer to assistant coach. The changes come after the departure of longtime assistant Steve Wojciechowski, who is now head coach at Marquette.

Hired Tulsa has hired Frank Haith as its men’s basketball coach after he spent the last three years at Missouri. The 48-year-old Haith said he was particularly interested by the school’s upcoming move to the American Athletic Conference. Haith was 76-28 at Missouri, which plays in the SEC.

Recommended Student-athletes who seek transfers due to “difficult life circumstances” might have to sit out a season but gain an extra year of eligibility starting in 2015-16. The NCAA Division I Leadership Council has recommended the elimination of immediate eligibility for players approved for hardship waivers. The NCAA says the proposed change would give athletes a year to focus on academics and the circumstance that led them to seek such a transfer in the first place. The NCAA’s Board of Directors will rule on the proposal on Thursday.