The passing of Johnie Kirton brought feelings of shock and sadness to his family, friends, teammates and coaches on Tuesday. The former Washington Husky football player was found dead in his hotel room on Monday night in Santa Clara, Calif., he was a member of the San Jose SaberCats, an Arena Football League team. Kirton attended Jackson HS in Mill Creek before joining the Huskies. Here is his obituary from the Seattle Times.

Read more Seattle sports links and news after the jump.

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The Los Angeles Lakers hold only one pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and it happens to be the very last pick: No. 60 overall. While this pick likely does not hold any long-term implications for the Lakers' success on the court, the Lakers would be smart to do their homework.

In the 2011 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings selected Isaiah Thomas with the final pick of the draft. Thomas became the Kings' starting point guard was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and averaged 11.5 points and 4.1 assists per game.

NBADraft.net has the Lakers selecting power forward/center Greg Mangano out of Yale. Mangano played four years at Yale and averaged 18.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this past season. While Mangano will not battle for starters minutes as a Laker, he could turn out to be a solid role player.

Here is a snippet of Mangano's scouting report from NBADraft.net:

Face the basket bigman with range out to 3 point ... Has a great stroke showing the ability to catch and shoot with a quick, fluid motion ... Prolific scorer for a bigman

To discuss whether Mangano would be a good pick with Lakers fans, head on over to Silver Screen and Roll.

Chad Ford's latest NBA mock draft has the Phoenix Suns taking Austin Rivers with the No. 13 overall pick. Steve Nash's future in Phoenix is uncertain, and even if the two-time NBA decided to re-sign this summer, the Suns will have to find a replacement for the aging point guard. Austin Rivers is not a pure point guard, but he is easily one of the most talented point guards in the draft and could be available at No. 13 if the Suns stay at that draft position.

Here is a snippet of Ford's analysis on Rivers' game:

The Good: He's a big time scorer who thrives with the ball in his hands. Has a sick crossover that allows him to get seperation on his jump shot. Gets to the line a lot.

The Bad: He's not an elite athlete and is a bit undersized as a two guard. He struggles when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He can be a streaky shooter from long distance and is just a so-so free throw shooter. (Via: ESPN)

Along with Ford, SB Nation's Tom Ziller also has the Suns taking Rivers at No. 13. If the Suns want a pass-first point guard, Kendall Marshall is the No. 1 the alternative to the score-first mentality of Rivers. North Carolina's Marshall arguably contains the best passing vision among this year's draft class of guards.

For more news on the Phoenix Suns check out SB Nation's Bright Side of the Sun.

Mariners 2, Rangers 4 [box]: I'm sick of losing! Nelson Cruz led Texas in game one of the three-game set, he went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the second inning and he also stole a base. Kevin Millwood's scoreless inning streak of 17 innings ended when Cruz hit his home run. Mike Napoli also homered for the Rangers in sixth inning off of the Mariners' Steve Delabar. Next game: Today, Seattle (21-30) vs. Rangers (31-18), 5:05 p.m. PT, ROOT Sports, 11 games back.

Read more Seattle sports news and links after the jump.

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Barry Bonds told reporters on Monday that he is seriously pursuing a coaching position with the San Francisco Giants organization.

The all-time home run leader began discussions with Giants President and CEO Larry Baer in April. According to USA Today MLB writer Bob Nightengale, the Giants plan on hiring Bonds after all of his legal proceedings are over. Bonds' lawyers are appealing Bonds' conviction for obstruction of justice when he lied under oath over eight years ago.

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Manny Ramirez's 50-game drug ban ends on Wednesday, but the Oakland Athletics will not immediately call the veteran slugger up to the major leagues.

#Athletics announced that Manny Ramirez will remain with Triple-A Sacramento for the time being and will be monitored on a day by day basis

— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) May 29, 2012

The Sacramento Rivercats play on Tuesday, but according to the Oakland A's official twitter account, Ramirez is not allowed to play and can only workout. Ramirez went 2-for-4 and drove in one run in the Triple-A Sacramento's game on Monday. Ramirez has a .250 batting average with eight hits in 32 at-bats for the Rivercats.

Earlier on Monday, A's manager Bob Melvin said there was a 50-50 chance Ramirez would join the Athletics this week. Ramirez's last action in the big leagues was in April 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays before abruptly retiring.

For more Oakland A's news and analysis, head over to Athletics Nation.

The official Los Angeles Angels twitter account tweeted a picture of a punching bag before the start of Monday's game against the New York Yankees. According to the tweet, just down the stairs from their third-base home dugout at Angel Stadium, the Los Angeles Angels have a punching bag set up.

Has this punching bag always been set-up? Or has it been employed strategically by Angels manager Mike Scioscia to help his frustrated players deal with their anger in a constructive manner, by punching this bag instead of anyone else on the team. Or it could just be a useful workout tool for players to keep warm.

It's been a frustrating year for the Angels and its star Albert Pujols so far, although the team is currently riding a six-game win streak and Pujols is finally starting to raise his batting average.

See the tweet of the punching bag after the jump.

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According to a tweet by SB Nation Seattle's Scott Enyeart, Utah State has offered Santa Margarita quarterback prospect Johnny Stanton. The dual-threat quarterback currently holds offers from Washington, California, San Diego State, Navy and Air Force.

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UCLA comes in at No. 4 in the latest USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll. The Bruins (42-14, 20-10 Pac-12) ended their regular season on fire, winning 14 of its final 16 games. The Pac-12 co-champions with Arizona (38-17, 20-10 Pac-12) were rewarded with a No. 2 overall national seed in the College World Series on Monday.

Starting on Friday, UCLA will host the Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The other three teams in the Los Angeles Regional are: Creighton (28-26), No. 23 San Diego (40-15) and New Mexico (36-22).

UCLA begins its postseason against Creighton on Friday, June 1st at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Other Pac-12 teams ranked include No. 10 Oregon (42-17, 19-11), No. 11 Arizona, No. 13 Stanford (38-16, 18-12) and No. 17 Oregon State (38-18, 18-12).

UCLA's ranking in other polls:

• No. 2 in Baseball America's College Top 25
• No. 7 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll
• No. 5 in NCBWA

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The latest USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll ranked Stanford No. 13 in its latest poll. Stanford (38-16, 18-12 Pac-12) moved down two spots from last week's poll after dropping two of three games to California (29-25, 12-18), including an 18-inning marathon that the Cardinal lost 5-4 on Friday. The Wildcats finished tied with UCLA for first place in the final Pac-12 standings.

Stanford hosts one of the 16 regionals, as a top seed in the Palo Alto Regional, the Cardinal welcome Pepperdine (34-21), Michigan State (37-21) and Fresno State (30-26).

Stanford starts its postseason on Friday against Fresno State at 6:00 p.m. PT.

Other Pac-12 teams ranked include No. 4 UCLA (42-14, 20-10), No. 10 Oregon (42-17, 19-11), No. 11 Arizona (38-17, 20-10) and No. 17 Oregon State (38-18, 18-12).

Stanford's ranking in other polls:

• No. 19 in Baseball America's College Top 25
• No. 12 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll
• No. 13 in NCBWA

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The Arizona Wildcats moved up two spots and are ranked No. 11 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll. Arizona (38-17, 20-10 Pac-12) earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA baseball tournament and will host the Tucson Regional. New Mexico State (35-22), No 25 Louisville (39-20) and Missouri (32-26) are the other three teams competing in the Tucson Regional.

The Wildcats finished their season winning eight of their final ten games, with series wins against California, USC and Arizona State. Arizona faces Missouri in their first game of the Tucson Regional on Friday June, 1st at 4:00 p.m. MST.

Arizona has benefitted from the superb play from the league batting champion Johnny Field and starting pitcher Kurt Heyer. In the league's final week, Field earned Pac-12 player of the week, while Field was awarded pitcher of the week. Field ended the regular season with a .379 batting average, while Field has posted a 2.03 ERA and an 11-2 record.

Arizona's ranking in other polls:

• No. 13 in Baseball America's College Top 25
• No. 8 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll
• No. 13 in NCBWA

To talk about Arizona baseball, head on over to Arizona Desert Swarm.

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The Huskies failed to upset No. 1 Cal in the Super Regional in Berkeley, Calif. on Sunday evening. Entering Pac-12 play ranked No. 3 in the nation, the Huskies compiled a dismal 7-16 record, losing their final seven games of their regular season and finishing second to last in the conference standings. Nevertheless, the Huskies appeared in its 19th straight postseason appearance, earning a No. 16 overall seed. The team only loses four seniors, and the amount of youth on the roster promises for another competitive season next year. Read postgame quotes from the loss to No. 1 Cal at GoHuskies.com

Read more Seattle sports news and links after the jump.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are not in prime position to draft any high-profile prospects this year, but their front office is doing its best to find some diamond in the roughs that could help the major league ball club in the future.

In last year's draft, the Diamondbacks drafted a pair of right-handed pitchers, Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley at No. 3 and No. 7 overall respectively.

Here are the team's pick positions in the 2012 MLB Draft, taking place on June 4th through June. After the first three rounds and the two compensation pick rounds, the Diamondbacks will hold the 25th pick in rounds 4 through 40. Arizona does not have any picks within the compensation rounds.

• First round, No. 26 overall
• Second round, No. 90 overall
• Third round, No. 120 overall
• Rounds 4 through 40, No. 153 overall (25th pick)

• The 2011-12 high school sports season wraps up this weekend. The state's track and field championship meets for 2A, 3A, and 4A is taking place at Mount Tahoma Stadium. Results and information on the meet can be found at the meet's website. The state golf champions have been decided, see the individual and team champions on the WIAA's website. Baseball, tennis, boy soccer and softball playoffs all conclude this weekend as well.

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The Seattle Mariners announced on Thursday that Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels will host the largest King's Court to date. The Mariners opened up a fourth King's Court section as a result of the high demand for tickets in the special cheering section.

Saturday's King's Court promotion will give out limited edition King's Court t-shirts in conjuction with the team's Turn Back the Clock Day promotion. Fans sitting in the King's court will receive a red King's Court t-shirt and a red "K" card as well.

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In NBADraft.net's latest 2012 NBA mock draft, the website has the Sacramento Kings selecting North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes at No. 5 overall. The Kings will not know their exact draft position until next Wednesday, but if the lottery goes as expected, they will most likely have a top six pick. They have a 7.6 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

Picking Barnes is not a bad idea as small forwards Donte Green and Terrence Williams are both unrestricted free agents this summer. The former North Carolina Tar Heel is one of the best small forward prospects this year's draft class has to offer alongside Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from Kentucky.

In his sophomore season at North Carolina, Barnes averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game under Head Coach Roy Williams.

Here is an excerpt from NBADraft.net's profile on Barnes:

Barnes has a high basement, in that worst case scenario he serves as an outside threat that can slash and defend ... He's proven that his game is better suited complimenting a top scoring option then being one himself

Barnes joins teammates Kendall Marshall and John Henson in declaring for the draft as underclassmen. The trio helped lead the Tar Heels to the Elite Eight before being eliminated by Kansas.

For more news on the Sacramento Kings, head over to SB Nation's SacTown Royalty.

According to a breakdown done by the staff at Sporting News, the Golden State Warriors have a 3.6 percent chance at obtaining the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The Warriors are most likely to have the No. 7 overall pick, however there are some special circumstances involved.

As a result of conditions of a previous trade with Utah Jazz, if a team ranked below the Warriors wins a top three lottery pick, then the Warriors would be knocked out of the top seven and would be required to give their pick to the Jazz. There is a 28 percent chance of a team ranked below the Warriors obtaining a top three pick.

The NBA draft lottery takes place next Wednesday in New York and will be televised on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Warriors also hold the last pick in the first round at No. 30 overall.

For more in depth discussion and analysis of the Golden State Warriors, make sure that you check out Golden State of Mind as well as SB Nation Bay Area. For more on the NBA Draft in general, make your way over to SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.

The latest 2012 NBA Mock Draft on HOOPSWORLD.com has the Phoenix Suns selecting Baylor's Perry Jones at No. 13 overall in the first round.

Perry Jones is a sensible pick for the Suns. The small forward/power forward prospect will add immediate depth behind Jared Dudley, Channing Frye and Grant Hill. Jones is leaving Baylor after his sophomore season, the 6'11" prospect averaged 14 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Bears last season. Jones was an essential piece to a team that advanced to the Elite Eight in March before falling to the eventual-champion Kentucky Wildcats.

There is a possibility Jones will not be available when the Suns pick at No. 13. Some mock drafts have Jones going as low as No. 8. DraftExpress ranks Jones as the No. 3 best sophomore behind projected lottery picks Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes.

Jones impressed ESPN's Chad Ford at a workout in Santa Barbara on Thursday:

Perry Jones is killing it in this workout. Playing as a 3. Speed, skill, explosiveness, soft jumper. Energy. Another Paul George?

— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 24, 2012

For more news on the Phoenix Suns check out SB Nation's Bright Side of the Sun.

Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld.com conducted a video interview with former Washington Huskies guard Terrence Ross at Impact Basketball in Los Angeles on Thursday. Ross told Hoopsworld that his main strength is his ability "to get to the basket and create [his] own shot." Ross also mentioned improvement in his ball handling skills, a concern by some NBA scouts and evaluators.

This past season, Husky fans became accustomed to Ross pulling up and firing away shots from behind the three-point line and in the mid-range, but rarely saw Ross drive to the basket — though he claims he has the ability to do so. Surely Ross could have been more aggressive and attacked the basket more often, but that seemed to be Wroten's role while he was playing.

See Ross' silky smooth jump shot and his interview with Hoopsworld in the video below:

Terrence Ross - 2012 NBA Draft Prospect - Impact Basketball (via hoopsworld)

The second oldest player in the NBA plans on lacing up his sneakers again for his 18th season. Grant Hill told Stefan Swiat on Suns.com, that he is focusing on his health this coming summer in order to be a solid contributor for the Phoenix Suns in the 2012-13 season. Hill will work with the Suns training staff all throughout the summer.

Hill missed 17 games this past season due to knee issues. He underwent surgery on his right knee this past March and returned at the end of the season alas not at 100 percent.

Despite his long tenure in the league, Hill is only playing for his third team in his career. Before joining the Suns in 2007, Hill played for the Orlando Magic from 2000-2007 and the Detroit Pistons from 1994-2000.

Hill is a day younger than the NBA's oldest player, Kurt Thomas. The two players will turn 40 in early October during training camp.

For more on the Phoenix Suns, check out SB Nation's Bright Side of the Sun.

Day two of the WAC Baseball Tournament is in the books. Louisiana Tech, Sacramento State, and Fresno State came away with victories in Thursday's games at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona.

Louisiana Tech's Justin Gordey went 4-for-4 and led his team to a 9-6 victory, eliminating Hawaii from the tournament in the first game of the day.

In the winner's bracket, Nevada's five runs was not enough for Sacramento State's offense which exploded for 15 runs and 19 hits. Every starter in the Sacramento State lineup recorded at least one hit. Sacramento State third baseman Will Soto went 3-for-4, scored three runs and drove in two runs.

Fresno State completely dominated New Mexico State in the night cap of Thursday's action. The Bulldogs' 15-8 victory, sent New Mexico State to the loser's bracket. The Bulldogs exploded for ten runs in the second inning, but New Mexico State's offense came alive late. New Mexico State scored six runs in the sixth inning and added two more runs in the eighth inning, but Fresno State answered with three runs in the game's last three innings as well.

See an updated bracket of the WAC Baseball Tournament hhere.

Jimmy Brookman, a junior javelin thrower from Redmond, Wash. advanced to the NCAA Track and Field championships on Thursday after finishing fifth for the Washington Huskies in the West Preliminary championships in Austin, Texas. Brookman threw a personal record distance of 233 feet and 11 inches.

This will be Brookman's first ever trip to the NCAA Finals, a fortunate occurrence as he initially considered redshirting this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011. Thanks to a successful rehabilitation, Brookman all of a sudden finds himself reaching personal bests in his third meet of the season.

See who else advanced past the first round of the West Preliminary championships at the University of Texas after the jump.

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Mariners 5, Rangers 3 [box]: The Mariners have won five out of their last six games and are 1.5 games back from second place after taking two out of three games from the first place Texas Rangers. Alex Liddi's grand slam did not look like a grand slam until it barely made it over the left field fence, but a grand slam is a grand slam. What was the most exciting part of the first game of the season I've attended at Safeco Field? I did not know souvenir helmet nachos existed. Lookout Landing has the smart postgame recap. Next game: Today, Seattle (21-25) vs. Los Angeles (20-25), 7:10 p.m. PT, ROOT Sports, 6.5 games back.

Read more Seattle sports links after the jump.

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Mariners 1, Rangers 3 [box]: Hector Noesi pitched eight innings, but his three run and seven strike out performance was wasted by the Mariners' offense. A two-out RBI single by Justin Smoak in the first inning was the only run driven in by the Mariners on Tuesday. Lookout Landing has your postgame analysis. Next game: Today, Texas (27-17) at Seattle (20-25), 12:40 p.m. PT, ROOT Sports, 7.5 games back.

Read more Seattle sports links after the jump.

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