Winning top expresses rookie honors conclude was a huge step, coach Bernie Bickerstaff said " For all of us, the city, the organization and Emeka especially this is a tremendous honor " Bickerstaff said " It was not an easy selection because of the quality of talent in this rookie class " I wanted it to happen for Emeka because he was a very professional young man who had presence and a routine and it was really special " Okafor became the first former college player to win the award in four years. The 6- foot- 3, 210- pound native of East Palo Alto, Calif, received all- conference honors as a sophomore at Grossmont Junior College and helped lead the Griffins to a Foothill Valley Conference championship The Associated Press contributed to this report. It motivated me to go out in the second half and just be a general " Emeka Okafor had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Primoz Brezec and Jason Kapono added 14 each Hart had 13 points and 10 assists. Although injuries keep mounting for the Cubs- a team in the thick of a divisional race- Piniella refuses to read too much into it " You can' t complain about it. Baker said Hatcher' s success at Valdosta State and recruiting ties in the area made it easy for the Football Championship Subdivision school to move quickly. 12 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings released Sunday.

They should have known this was going on " In her suit, Grant claims she was referred to as " Nappy Headed Mo " and " Queen Sheba " by co- workers, was often told she worked on " colored people time " and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan . Clark has 1, 188 hits, 251 home runs and 824 RBIs in 15- plus major league seasons with Detroit, Boston, the New York Mets, the Yankees, Arizona and San Diego . Simmons, who made eight of his first 10 shots and finished 10- for- 15, powered Los Angeles to a 54- 48 halftime lead with 18 points . But Selig said it will up to the team to release its books to potential bidders " We sent it back to them, they' ll look at it, we' ll have an agreement, then they' ll go out to the bidders " Selig said Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . After two weeks of rest, Bell' s knee will be re- evaluated by Bucks orthopedic physician Dr John Heinrich Bell has averaged 7 6 points, 2 5 rebounds and 3 1 assists in 68 games this season, including five starts. They said they learned last fall about some of the records including the Trainer B interview from the university' s Office of Sexual Harassment, but did not review them or turn them over to the women' s attorneys because they believed the material could not be disclosed under an order by the state attorney general.

He took over in 2001, after Dean Demopoulos left to become an assistant for the Seattle SuperSonics Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press . He has allowed seven earned runs and 12 hits in 5 2/ 3 innings Opposing hitters are batting . My only regret is that I' m not going to be able to bring my son who is a junior in high school, but he has a game that day and won' t be able to make it . A once- doubtful fifth straight bowl appearance now is a strong possibility for Utah, which is tied for third place in the Mountain West The Utes' streak includes road wins at Louisville and TCU . Casey said Minnesota focused on setting up Szczerbiak, a dangerous perimeter shooter who' s led the Wolves in scoring in 11 of 13 December games. Under the stars in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, we were all the same " Can' t let the people down, buddy.

The team originally planned to wait until game time to determine McCarthy' s status, but announced this evening that the junior would not play- a surprising announcement, since McCarthy was not even listed on the injury report released one day earlier . Wedge said that he has not discussed his job security with general manager Mark Shapiro or anyone in the ownership group " Mark and I continue to talk daily like we always have " Wedge said " We' ve had conversations about everything, but I don' t think they' re ever any guarantees in this game, that' s kind of the way I look at it " Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . In 2000, Paul Westphal was let go after a 6- 9 start, replaced by McMillan In 1992, K C . Kahne returned team co- owner Richard Petty to Victory Lane for the first time in over a decade with a much- needed win- on a road course, of all places- at Infineon Raceway on Sunday . Hammond began his coaching search " immediately " and expected to move quickly " There' s no reason not to react quickly " Hammond said " That doesn' t mean there' s a timetable, but we' re going to react as quickly as possible " Hammond said the Bucks had potential, despite their record " We have some things to work with within this team " Hammond said " I don' t know how quickly we can get better, but we' re going to get better " Players cleaning out their lockers at Bucks headquarters before Thursday' s announcement seemed to be working under the assumption that their coach wouldn' t be back " It' s just a situation that didn' t work out " guard Michael Redd said " I' m sure he tried his best, no doubt about it We tried our best. Baker has been shuffling his infield all season because of injuries and illness.

He said he was excited to receive the news Monday, but tried to maintain an even keel " We' re focused on USC and focused on winning, so we need to get back on track " he said . When he makes good pitches, you' re dead " For all the drama that Richard Michael Gossage created in his 22 years in the big leagues, for all the fear he inspired by his scowling, snorting presence on the mound, the central irony is that his art was simplicity itself No masks No mirrors No artifice No tricks . True enough, I didn' t get it' cause my doctor didn' t give it to me I asked him for it, and he wouldn' t give it to me . Williams, who had a$ 68 million contract with the Nets, was convicted of trying to cover up the 2002 shooting death of his driver Costas " Gus " Christofi at his mansion in Alexandria Township, N J . In the hours leading up to the race, a plane pulled a " Free Jeremy " banner around the track in an apparent nod of support to the first driver suspended under NASCAR' s toughened drug policy. Drew Gooden sat out with a sore knee and Larry Hughes was sidelined by a sprained finger on his right hand Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.

Last season, the NFL had 50 players from Michigan on rosters, and 14 of them were from Detroit The Detroit metro area is well represented again this year Wisconsin is home to the nation' s No 2- ranked offensive tackle, Josh Oglesby, and the No . He had six points and five rebounds in 17 minutes after Kurt Thomas got in early foul trouble . I hope he' s an All- Star " He played like one on Wednesday, but the Pacers had too much depth and balance . Updated: May 17, 2009, 2: 08 PM ET Indians call up two pitchers Comment Email Print Share Associated Press ST . Black Saturday in the Big Ten ended with Texas beating then- No 4 Ohio State 25- 22. But student Scott Alonso said the ban is needed to prevent fights like the one that happened in 2002 when Hawaii played Cincinnati, and in 2003, when the Warriors faced Houston " I think it' s the right message " said Alonso, who is also sports editor for the school' s student- run newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawaii " Sports is not about alcohol.

Sanchez Wilson Discussions could resume if the players' agents make counter proposals, but Pirates general manager Neal Huntington cautioned the team will not move far off the two- year offers made last week . said " We' re thrilled to be a part of[ their] team, and we' re looking forward to Buffalo being a part of that legacy " The Mets will now have three of their minor league affiliates located in New York, with the Bisons joining Binghamton( AA) and Brooklyn( A . He won the championship in Florida then spent five seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Yankees for the second half of last season He signed a$ 1 . A lot of it is mental preparation, I believe, and physical preparation . Los Angeles Dodgers- Joseph Paxson, RHP, Western Kentucky 398. Before Saturday' s flogging, Fresno State had lost its previous four games by an average of 5 25 points.

The team took a slow approach in easing Torrealba back into action following the incident, waiting until Torrealba felt fully comfortable before shipping him out for a stint in the minors . The total for the quarter was also Carter' s best in his seven- year career, four better than his previous high, last done against Golden State on Nov . He' ll be back in the mix this week " Strong was penalized for celebrating excessively when he ran toward the stands beyond the end zone in the fourth quarter and gestured toward the South Florida crowd Both he and Wannstedt apologized after the game Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press . LOS ANGELES( AP- LeBron James missed every jumper he attempted from 15 feet and beyond, further highlighting the No . 281 in 32 games for the White Sox, his fourth organization, before he was designated for assignment on July 8 " He hasn' t played a lot of second base, but he looks in good shape " said Dodgers manager Joe Torre " He' s got foot speed He gives us an upgrade, experience- wise " Maza hit 228 in 45 games for Los Angeles Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. He was injured in the Clippers' 108- 90 loss at Detroit on Friday night.

Running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells were at the spaghetti dinner fund- raiser Saturday night in Akron when Wells' mother called Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman to explain the situation . I certainly accept the responsibility " the manager said " This is something that we work hard on every day . It' s been a nightmare " MacFenerstein said Thursday that based on his review, his main issue with Mayfield' s failed drug test is that both the " A " and backup " B " sample were tested by the same laboratory . The Suns permitted the Raptors to begin discussions with Colangelo more than a week ago " There was some discussion of what the future might look like There was never a contract offer . Kevin Durant, who played at Texas, is also vying to be the top draft pick, was working out for the Blazers on Friday. A " It' s time for me to move on " he said " And the Lakers are the team I want Indiana to trade me to " O' Neal added that he has made his intentions clear to Pacers management over the course of several offseason conversations " I love Indiana and the fans and we have a lot of nice young talent " he said " but obviously[ the Pacers are] in a situation now where they' re rebuilding I told them I can' t be in a rebuilding mode right now.

He spent the entire fourth quarter cheering on Cleveland' s reserves " That was very strange " said James, who is averaging 36 . When he loped into second, Angels first baseman Mark Teixeira alertly trailed the play, caught a one- hop throw and slapped a tag on Upton . It missed five shots and committed a turnover during a 2- minute scoring drought that allowed Uruguay to cut it to 79- 78 with 1: 40 left on a 3- pointer by Leandro Garcia- Mormes . Instead, Gilbert told CNBC on Monday that this is more an instance of perception than reality . An NFL advisory committee estimates where, or if, a player might be taken in the draft. If he says something to a guy, they listen because they know he' s all about winning He' s telling them what' s going on. He hurt his shoulder in a win over Cleveland on Saturday " That' s been our backbone somewhat " Redd said of the play by the team' s reserves " Starting five' s not going to be able to do it throughout the season.

The strategy worked briefly as Cleveland went on an 11- 2 spurt, capped by Snow stripping Carter and feeding Marshall for a layup to tie it 87- all with 6: 49 remaining . R, shortly after he signed in July 2007 " It was certainly happening for a while " says the MLB official with knowledge of the skimming probe " With Wilder, it appears this has been going on for several years, and he has made hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more " Former White Sox scout Victor Mateo, who was fired for his part in the scheme, tells " Outside the Lines " that Wilder directed him to overstate the talent of certain players, thus boosting their value and potential signing bonuses . RCR, Penske Racing and Petty Enterprises were among the teams that courted him David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN He can be reached at dnewtonespnaol . Watching his client mug for the cameras, agent Scott Boras said Ramirez and L A . He said the Indiana opening is as good as any, despite any perceived image problems stemming from the brawl between Pacers players and Detroit fans in November 2004, and off- the- court problems that led to the gutting of much of the team' s roster " We' re not that far away as a team " Davis said " We got right down to the wire in terms of making or missing the playoffs " The Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference finals six times since the start of the 1993- 94 season. But, this time, putting the engine from the primary car into the backup before the rainout was announced, Stewart was not penalized for changing cars or for the engine change. Story Mavs trade Mullens to Thunder for BeauboisThe Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder have swapped the 24th and 25th picks in Thursday night' s draft The Mavericks drafted Ohio State' s B J.

The 27- year- old Miles was alone in his car Wednesday night in suburban Fairview Heights, Ill, when an officer pulled him over for allegedly failing to use a turn signal, police Sgt Steve Evans said . although three titles in four seasons by this time next June changes my mind . With just three reserves, Brown complained to official Bill Kennedy midway through the second quarter about the way the game was called " We' ve got eight guys and you' re going to foul everybody out " Brown shouted . The 29- year- old attempted show off his newfound speed in the second inning on a pitch that got away from White Sox catcher A J Pierzynski . Lee began the season behind Weatherford, but replaced him during Florida State' s 21- 14 win over Alabama. WVU coach Bill Stewart said he' s looking into the situation, but hasn' t made a decision yet Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. McGrady then drilled a 3- pointer over Vladimir Radmanovic with 1 second on the shot clock and 1: 13 left Allen scored and Yao made two free throws with 34 7 seconds to go, putting Houston up 100- 96.