New Orleans studies shot 61 uncovers percent in the first half and led nearly all the first two periods, finishing the second quarter on a 6- 0 run that started with Smith sneaking under the hoop to grab Dickau' s airball and lay it in. Also making headlines is the Los Angeles Unified School District- second- largest in the nation- which faces a$ 596 million budget shortfall for the 2009- 10 school year. Indeed, Wangler took it to the next level- Associated Press At this point Michigan, which started the season with losses to Appalachian State and Oregon and lost its first conference game to Wisconsin last week, would gladly accept a trip to Pasadena in January If Michigan( 8- 3, 6- 1 Big Ten, No 21 BCS, No. Cuban said Wright could have been severely injured and that he was going to ask the league to suspend Smith. He has more rushing yards( 1, 314 yards this season compared to 1, 038 yards last season, more rushing touchdowns( 12 to 10) and more 100- yard games( seven to five He also has battled through bruised ribs and a virus. Umpire crew chief Gary Cederstrom said he thought otherwise " He threw three up and in on the guy " Cederstrom said[ Greinke hitting Swisher] was also deemed intentional, too " Earlier this season, White Sox reliever Octavio Dotel hit Olivo with a pitch. Coach Jim Tressel said he was awaiting word from doctors on the severity of the fracture.

16 Ford to his first victory of the season] EnlargeJason Smith/ Getty Images/ NASCARGreg Biffle will be seeking his first Sprint Cup win of the season from the pole position Sunday Kurt Busch was second at 153 971, and points leader Kyle Busch was third at 153 767 on the 1- mile concrete track . We' re concentrated on going to Oklahoma State and being as prepared as we can be and focused to play a really strong team . ESPN made several attempts to contact Pedro Bosch before publishing the story June 25, and although Bosch did not respond, a man who said he was Bosch' s attorney contacted an ESPN reporter . Brian Johnson will most likely start in his place Wednesday night when the Cardinals( 16- 9 overall, 4- 8 Big East) host DePaul( 10- 13, 3- 9 . Leinart is the second USC signal- caller in four years to win the award, which is presented annually to the nation' s top senior quarterback by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. Assistant coach Kurt Rambis will replace the 63- year- old Hall of Famer on Friday. The surprise with him is that he was able to make the transition to receiver as fast as he did " Carter coach Allen Wilson said Crabtree possesses a staunch work ethic and an enthusiastic charisma " You' ve got to have a drive and a want- to, and Michael has both of them " Wilson said " He tries to be the best at what he does " His quarterbacking history has helped him at receiver, too " He' s knows what I' m thinking " Harrell said " He kind of has a quarterback' s mind and knows where to go to get the ball " Crabtree also knows the importance of having a short memory.

Allen' s agent, Lon Babby, announced July 5 that an agreement had been reached, but the deal wasn' t signed until Wednesday " The importance of getting Ray done; that was our No . 15, USA Today ran a front- page story about UMass called " March Toward Perfection " Malcolm Moran, then of The New York Times, wrote four days later " No matter what happens in March, regardless of whatever future the coach may have at UMass or in the National Basketball Association, Calipari may well look back one day to a snowy winter in Amherst and a single- minded group that became the team of his life " The next day, Feb . The Spurs scored the last 13 points of the surge, seven by Duncan, and they went on to their sixth straight victory . Blazers guard Derek Anderson missed his 10th straight game with a sore back . Wright has anchored the defensive line for the 10- 0 Longhorns, who need two more wins to earn a berth in the Rose Bowl. I' d only be 28 or so " Busch was invited to do an F1 test for Toyota last year in Japan, but couldn' t work out the logistics. Minnesota sent 21- year- old right- hander Mark Hamburger to the Rangers, who will assign him to their Class- A club in Clinton, Iowa.

The Boston Red Sox cut the struggling Smoltz on Friday, a day after the New York Yankees sent the 42- year- old righty to yet another early exit . We hope we get guys to support us now that Jordan is gone and will be for a while " Farmar was hurt Friday in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 89- 87 loss to the Heat The former UCLA star was averaging 7 9 points and 2 4 assists in nearly 20 minutes backing up Derek Fisher . 7 points during the regular season and was the team' s second- best 3- point shooter( 39 percent . Updated: November 30, 2008, 12: 25 PM ET Croom resigns after five years at Mississippi State Comment Email Print Share ESPN news services Sylvester Croom came to Mississippi State with much fanfare, deemed by many a pioneer, the first black man hired to be the head coach of a Southeastern Conference football team . He broke open the game in the second quarter, running for 100 yards and two TDs, and throwing for a TD while operating as a shotgun quarterback taking direct snaps] EnlargeNelson Chenault/ US PresswireMcFadden has tossed two TD passes this season. However, Hurdle said Tulowitzki may make another stop at Colorado Springs before he' s activated " He actually wasn' t on fire when he left " Hurdle said of Tulowitzki, who' s hitting just. Afterward, Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said Thomas- Washington' s top big- man reserve, especially with forward Kwame Brown suspended for the remainder of the playoffs- may be done for the series " We' ll get an official announcement probably[ Wednesday " Jordan said.

Douglas Auckerman, spoke on multiple occasions May 8, during which the racer admitted to becoming increasingly agitated about having to provide more details of potential drug use . Updated: April 15, 2008, 5: 25 PM ET Millwood leaves after five innings with bruised left shin Comment Email Print Share Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas- Rangers starter Kevin Millwood left Tuesday' s game against the Los Angeles Angels after five innings because of a bruised left shin . Updated: December 27, 2008, 9: 57 PM ET Deng could miss up to a week Comment Email Print Share Associated Press DengATLANTA- Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng could miss up to a week with a sprained left ankle, although he did not appear to be limping when he was held out of Saturday night' s 129- 117 loss to the Atlanta Hawks . In 1992, Knight kicked a chair on the bench while son Pat, then a player for him at Indiana and now his assistant and successor- to- be at Texas Tech, was sitting in it . He also said that his job status had become too big a distraction as the Hoosiers prepare for the final weeks of the regular season. The chant has also been heard at recent Red Wings and University of Michigan games. Davis and Laettner helped lead Duke to NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992.

Derek Fisher and Mickael Pietrus combined for 10 points during a decisive fourth- quarter run, and the Warriors ended a six- game losing streak with a 90- 82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night " We' ve taken a lot of blows this season . Abbott: The question at the beginning of the series was, are the Heat the returning champions who are finally healthy or a team with too many broken parts trying to make a good impression? Early indications are it' s the latter( By the way, this series has been no surprise to the stat geeks) 3 . He' s expected to bolster the Sharks' front line, which has been depleted by injuries to Mike Grier and Jeremy Roenick Both could be out until the playoffs . Skinner got fresh tires late in the race and felt he could have won had there not been yellow flags during laps 161, 173 and 187 " Right there at the end, the cautions kept coming out " he said " Those four fresh Goodyear tires, it wouldn' t have even been a contest " Hornaday held on in part because Skinner chose not to force the issue . McCann was cleared to appear as a pinch- hitter or even catch in an emergency situation in the weekend series against Milwaukee, but he remained on the bench as he sat out seven straight games since suffering the concussion in a collision with Shane Victorino on July 27 " Sitting there on the bench for a week, just watching, is hard to do " McCann said " I feel great. The way you find out is you let them play and the answers become self- evident, not just to us but to everybody- the fans, the media, our coaching staff, the players That' s one of the beauties of this deal. D' Antoni said he is unconcerned about the problems Thomas had with the Bulls " Kurt Thomas played with him for two years in New York and says he' s a great guy " D' Antoni said " We' ve got a unique team with a great environment and I think it will work out fine " Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press.

Milwaukee managed just 24 runs while going 3- 4 on its recent homestand, and nine came in a win over St Louis . Updated: September 19, 2009, 5: 53 PM ET Peavy activated from 15- day DL Comment Email Print Share Associated Press Peavy CHICAGO- Right- hander Jake Peavy has been activated from the 15- day disabled list and is expected to make his Chicago White Sox debut against the Kansas City Royals . Three plays that Carroll joked left him wondering if his quarterback might need a neck brace for the following week . Updated: December 3, 2008, 9: 36 PM ET Former players among hundreds to remember Newell Comment Email Print Share Associated Press BERKELEY, Calif- Pete Newell made sure 6- foot- 8# 189; Darrall Imhoff had a bed to fit his lanky frame when he arrived at California as a walk- on freshman . Thankfully, I was wrong on that one " He hasn' t been wrong about much else, winning 16 of his first 17 games, something only three other Big Ten coaches have done, and none since 1945. But it' s something that I did to back up my team and deliver a message " Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. Updated: November 21, 2008, 7: 49 PM ET Florida' s Newton faces felony counts after fellow student' s laptop stolen Comment Email Print Share Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla- Florida Gators backup quarterback Cameron Newton was charged with stealing another student' s laptop computer after being arrested Friday.

Heat coach Stan Van Gundy was surprised Jones was able to play after spraining his ankle in practice Thursday " He couldn' t move around this morning " Van Gundy said . Victor Mateo and Domingo Toribio also were terminated after a two- month investigation by Major League Baseball' s Department of Investigations, the team said " It' s very disappointing . Once he got to the rim, he sometimes missed lay- ups he normally makes . Interesting part comes tonight- can the Heat even make this a series? Sheridan: I am way, way, way down on the Heat . Did I supply Andy Pettitte' s dad? I probably could have " Blair told Fish " In court, it' s going to be a yes or no question. Wise had an MRI exam last week that showed no structural damage " To me, I was looking forward to him being a big part of our bullpen " manager Willie Randolph said. Hill said he learned of Weisbrod' s resignation the night before, but added that had no effect on his decision whether to take the job Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.

He understands why Wright doesn' t want him to rush back, but the pull of making a legitimate championship run is difficult to ignore " He does make sense, but I do want to go out there and play " Sumpter said " I just don' t know Those guys are playing well . Westbrook has been out since April 22 with a strained muscle near his left ribcage . Rodriguez was at Petco Park on Sunday but was not expected to suit up Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . The union did not immediately comment on the NBA' s ensuing lawsuit . These Wolves are much younger and still early in the rebuilding process after Garnett was traded to Boston in July 2007. Garcia, who hasn' t pitched in the major leagues since June 2007, is to start at Texas on Sept 17. Yao broke his troublesome left foot in Game 3 of the second- round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the eventual champions.

Shawn Taggart, the 6- foot- 10 Iowa State transfer, started in his place . Robbie Loomis " I always like to be honest " he said " Do I have to answer that " Nobody likes to answer that question . Now, though, he appears to be back at full strength " I feel like I' m continuing to get better every day at practice and every game, and just really kind of showing my teammates what I can do " said Hill, who has declared this comeback his last " And doing it, hopefully, day in and day out " Hill put together a vintage performance against the Jazz- shaking and baking before a fadeaway, the stop- pop- and- drop jumper, driving for a dunk or a dish . A five- run ninth inning, however, sent the Nationals to a 6- 0 win and Smoltz to his first loss of the season . In an April 1 story from The Associated Press on ESPN, it was incorrectly reported that England, Wales and Scotland compete individually in basketball' s world championships They currently compete as a combined British team. Replied Ilgauskas " It' s a long story " Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. Three days later, Busch wasn' t eager to rehash it " We have a week off " he said " We' ll sort it out when we get to Indy " Hamlin said he corresponds regularly with Gordon, Tony Stewart and other top drivers to keep the lines of communication open " I text them and ask them what do they expect from me as a competitor " Hamlin said " You know' How can I make your job easier? How can I make my job easier? So that way, when I come up on you, I don' t dread racing you because you' re going to race the crap out of me' I want them to feel the same way.

Alexander grew up in Florence, Ky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, and was a big fan of the Bengals growing up " I was in sixth grade when they went to the Super Bowl " Alexander said " That' s the time when you' re really paying attention Boomer Esiason and those guys, they were my heroes " . Phillips was expected to join the Blue Jays in case Barajas' condition deteriorates and he does wind up on the DL Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . But he' s sore " Boggs was set to be recalled even though he struggled in his last minor league start, allowing seven earned runs in five innings on Aug 6 Boggs, 6- 4 with a 4 . The Rockies get Contreras and cash for Triple- A right- hander Brandon Hynick Hynick is 10- 9 with a 3 . Maybe his first mistake was ordering his father' s tiny, 30# 189- ounce bats. The Bucks led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but Charlotte chipped away and cut it to 87- 86 by the end of the period. He knew Shane Victorino was getting loose, ready to replace him So Dunn told his teammates he wanted to go out with a bang.

Texas State( 10- 2) trailed 35- 23 at the end of the third quarter before Nealy threw two touchdowns in the final quarter to key the comeback . He' ll be the 29th player in NBA history to reach that milestone Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press . It was an ironic bookend to a day that started with far more hope for the Venezuelans . The 7- foot- 1 Chandler, who leads the Bulls with 54 blocks, was surprised that Mohammed was coming at him " I thought they were going to go to( Stephon) Marbury " Chandler said " When I saw he was coming at me, in my mind I knew he only had 3 seconds so he had to put it up . And he' s desperate for his first title " We have 14 more games to win " Mourning said " And I' m counting them down " Game notesDamon Jones hit his first four 3- point tries, meaning he opened the series with 11- for- 13 shooting from behind the arc The Nets have led for 7. A CT scan scheduled Friday could determine whether Allen, who missed Thursday' s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, will need season- ending surgery from an injury that has plagued him for the past two months, The News Tribune in Tacoma reported. Butler/ NBAE via Getty ImagesKobe Bryant dishes in Team USA' s rout of Venezuela.

Votto " That was the plan a few days ago " Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said before the Reds game against the Atlanta Braves . There were 68 ejections during Saturday night' s loss to Arizona State, police Lt Tim McGraw said Monday . The Tar Heels are likely safe for an anticipated NCAA tournament No 1 seed, which makes resting Lawson a sensible move . and made the 2 1/ 2- hour drive to Yankee Stadium, arriving at about the sixth inning of the opener " A lot of traffic " he said " The Delaware Water Gap is pretty clogged up " Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . Without a cigar, he walked into the office of Mike Uline to tell him he was the man to coach his new Washington Capitols in the Basketball Association of America for the 1946- 47 season " I don' t know why, but Mike bought my brag " Red recalls. 57 ERA and four saves in 16 games for the Blue Jays " There' s no use complaining because that won' t help " manager John Gibbons said " We' ll try to play our best with the players we have. Krystkowiak said he didn' t necessarily blame players' poor conditioning for the rash of injuries this season, but still called on them to take better care of themselves in the offseason " I don' t know enough about what guys do during the summer, but I know that based on what we' ve just experienced, it should be on everybody' s shoulders to make sure they' re in better shape coming into fall camp " Krystkowiak said.