Football

Beavers land 22 on Pac-12 all-academic team — Oregon State’s Timmy Hernandez capped a stellar off-field career when the Beavers’ senior receiver was named first team on the Pac-12 all-academic team Monday. Hernandez, a mechanical engineering major who is working on a minor in aerospace engineering, is one of 22 Beavers to land a berth on the team. To qualify for the all-Pac-12 academic team, players must have a 3.0 grade-point average and play significantly in at least half of the team’s games during the 2018 season. First-year players at their institution are ineligible. Hernandez is a second-time Pac-12 award winner. The remaining 21 Oregon State players earned honorable mention awards, including center Sumner Houston, who landed on the all-academic team for the fourth time in his career. Other Beavers making a repeat appearance are Blake Brandel (third), Jordan Choukair (second), Jalen Moore (second) and Artavis Pierce (second).

Hunt linked to another assault in Kansas City — A man told Kansas City police that former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was among a group of men who punched him and temporarily knocked him unconscious during an altercation at a nightclub in the Power and Light District in January. The incident happened about 2 a.m. Jan. 7 inside of Mosaic, a nightclub in Kansas City, Missouri. The 38-year-old victim said he suffered a broken rib, a broken nose and numerous cuts and bruises. He reported the incident on Jan. 11. No criminal charges were filed in the Mosaic incident. The report became publicly known Monday, days after video surfaced of Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in the hallway of his Cleveland hotel residence in February. The Chiefs released Hunt after that video became public. No NFL teams claimed Hunt on Monday and he became a free agent. The assault is the third violent incident linked to Hunt in a five-month span beginning in January and stretching to a June altercation in which Hunt allegedly punched a man in the face at an Ohio resort. The Chiefs did not have a comment about the Mosaic incident.

Soccer

Modric, Hegerberg named players of the year — Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or award, which goes to the international player of the year, for the first time on Monday, ending the 10-year dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Modric won the Champions League with Real Madrid and then guided Croatia to the World Cup final in July. He was voted player of the tournament. “As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies,” Modric said. Ronaldo was second in the Ballon d’Or followed by France forward Antoine Griezmann. France’s teen star, Kylian Mbappe, was fourth in the polling. Brazil star Neymar, who was third last year, was a lowly 12th despite a domestic treble with Paris Saint-Germain. Messi was fifth. Also, Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or. Hegerberg is a three-time Women’s Champions League winner with French side Lyon and scored a tournament-record 15 times last season. “I want to say thanks to France Football. It’s a huge step for women’s football,” Hegerberg said. “I want to end this speech with a message to all young girls in the world. Believe in yourselves.”

Basketball

Bulls fire coach Hoiberg — The skidding Chicago Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday and promoted associate head coach Jim Boylen in hopes of turning around a miserable season. Chicago is averaging 103.4 points — 28th in the NBA — and is getting outscored by 9.6 per game. They are a woeful 5-19, better than only Cleveland and Phoenix. Hoiberg, who had to deal with a veteran roster that did not fit his style early on and then injuries to key players starting in training camp, never found his footing in Chicago. It added up to a 115-155 mark with one playoff appearance in three-plus seasons. Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said the Bulls are committed to Boylen as their long-term head coach and that general manager Gar Forman is “absolutely safe.”

— From wire reports