![Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten runs the ball during practice Friday in Blacksburg. Tuten has made the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP) Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten runs the ball during practice Friday in Blacksburg. Tuten has made the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP)](https://www.pilotonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TVP-Virginia-Tech.jpg?w=439)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten is one of 87 players to make the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented to the nation’s most outstanding running back.
Tuten rushed for 863 yards on 173 carries (a 5.0 average) and 10 touchdowns last season. He also caught 27 passes for 239 yards and two scores.
Tuten was one of 15 ACC running backs to make the list. Among them were 2023 award finalist Omarion Hampton of North Carolina and semifinalist Damien Martinez of Miami.
Liberty’s Quinton Cooley, East Carolina’s Rahjai Harris and Navy’s Alex Tecza also made the list.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Former ODU star Pritchett dies
Former Old Dominion basketball star Bob Pritchett has died, the Monarchs’ basketball program announced on social media. He was 77.
He was a member of the ODU Hall of Fame and a recent inductee into the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Pritchett holds the ODU single-game scoring record with 67 points in 1968. He scored 1,168 points in two seasons.
Ex-HU stars make HBCU event
Former Hampton University standouts Marquis Goodwin and Cheyenne Talbot have been invited to play in the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic.
The men’s and women’s games will both be played on Saturday at historic Rucker Park in Harlem, New York. The women will play at 4:30 p.m. and the men at 6:30.
Goodwin played three seasons for the Pirates and collected 775 points and 196 rebounds. He started his career at Old Dominion before moving to Hampton.
Talbot was Hampton’s third-leading scorer (8.9 points) and second-leading rebounder (4.5) last season.
Ex-UVA player headed overseas
Former University of Virginia forward Jacob Groves has signed a contract with the Sheffield Sharks, a professional basketball team in England.
Groves averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9% from 3-point range for the Cavaliers last season.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UVA guard Brown out for season
UVA women’s basketball coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton announced Tuesday that guard Jillian Brown will miss the upcoming season due to an ACL injury suffered in May.
Brown, a transfer from Northwestern, averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds a game for the Cavaliers last season.
TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY
Hokies’ Cianelli inducted into Hall
The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has announced the addition of former Virginia Tech Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Dave Cianelli to the 2024 Hall of Fame class.
Cianelli announced his retirement from collegiate coaching before the 2023-24 seasons.
During his career, Cianelli coached 74 NCAA champions, 204 All-Americans, 390 individual conference champions, 32 World Championship qualifiers and 22 Olympic qualifiers.
He was a 20-time ACC Coach of the Year.
Cianelli started his coaching career at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, then was an assistant coach at SMU for 13 years before spending 23 years guiding the Hokies.
Briefly
- The Virginia Wesleyan women’s soccer team is ranked 12th in the United Soccer Coaches Division III preseason poll. The Marlins went 17-4-2 last season. They will open the regular season Aug. 30 against No. 5 Christopher Newport at home.
- The UVA women’s soccer team will open its preseason schedule with an exhibition match against Tennessee at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Charlottesville.
- The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for its 2024 Student-Athlete Achievement Awards scholarships. The nominating period runs through Oct. 18. It’s open to all high school senior student-athletes. Nominations and all supporting documents can be submitted through the online application, which can be found at www.VaSportsHOF.com.