Sports - Page 22

Michael Jordan now gets a chance to hire a coach for his basketball team. Jordan, part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, said Tuesday that Bernie Bickerstaff will not return as coach next season, although he will complete this one. He will be invited to stay with the team and remains an "integral part" of the franchise. More Info...  

Latest news and information from the world of sports. PHOENIX – Eric Gagne is in camp with the Texas Rangers trying to regain his health and recapture his glory years. More Info...  

Texas women's basketball coach Jody Conradt resigned Monday after her team failed to reach the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. The 65-year-old Conradt is the second on the Division I college basketball victory list, behind only Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt. "The easiest thing to change is the leadership," Conradt said as she addressed the media with her team immediately after... More Info...  

Duke, Tennessee, Connecticut and North Carolina were selected Monday as the No. 1 seeds for the women's NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils, who went 29-0 in the regular season and then lost to N.C. State in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals, will open up against No. 16 Holy Cross on Sunday in Raleigh. More Info...  

Even Meaghan Francella found it hard believe: She actually beat Annika Sorenstam in a playoff for her first LPGA Tour victory. "Words can't describe how I feel right now," the 24-year-old New Yorker said Monday after winning the rain-delayed MasterCard Classic in only her sixth LPGA Tour start. "Annika is the best player in the world. More Info...  

Isiah Thomas delivered "evident progress" sooner than needed. Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan planned to wait all season before deciding on Thomas' future with the Knicks. But when New York fought through a few recent injuries to move into playoff position, Dolan concluded he no longer needed to wait. More Info...  

Tubby Smith has good reason to believe Kentucky wants him to return next season. "Tubby's our basketball coach," athletic director Mitch Barnhart told The Associated Press on Monday. "He's done a great job of representing the platform of Kentucky basketball. We'll always look to make adjustments to the things we've got to do to get better. More Info...  

Former NBA player John Amaechi became the first openly gay male athlete to sign an endorsement deal with a mainstream company. HeadBlade Inc., creators of a popular head-shaving razor, announced Monday it had signed Amaechi to a multiyear deal. Financial terms were undisclosed. "I think it's fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand," said Amaechi in a statement. More Info...  

Udonis Haslem doesn't get many plays called for him, and certainly not in game-deciding situations. So when his chance arose Sunday night, Miami's power forward took advantage. His 10-footer in the lane with 0.3 seconds left capped a wild back-and-forth game and gave the Heat a 106-104 victory over Washington -- moving the NBA champions one game behind the Wizards in the Southeast Division race. More Info...  

The only sure win in Las Vegas these days is betting on Jimmie Johnson. More Info...  

So much for the little guy. Big boys like defending champion Florida and No. 1-ranked Ohio State are among the top-seeded favorites, while the darling mid-major teams get surprisingly few chances to turn the NCAA tournament into a free-for-all for underdogs. March Madness officially began Sunday when the pairings were announced, kicking off office and online pools and triggering debate about... More Info...  

Yao Ming had 37 points and four blocked shots in his biggest game since returning to the lineup, leading the Houston Rockets to a 103-92 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Yao, who also had seven rebounds, was playing his fourth game since returning from a broken right leg that caused him to miss 32 games. More Info...  

Before the game, Allen Iverson vowed to help end Denver's league-worst losing streak in Sacramento. After taking care of that key matter, A.I. promised to appeal what he considers the most absurd technical of his career. Iverson had 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals to spoil Ron Artest's return to the Kings' lineup, and the Nuggets snapped a 20-game losing streak in Arco Arena... More Info...  

Welcome to the big leagues, Dice-K. Boston's $103 million pitcher with the winning smile allowed homers to two non-roster players, struggled with his control and even threw away a potential double-play grounder in his home debut against a major league team. Daisuke Matsuzaka's impressive spring training hit its first bump, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Red Sox 5-3 on Sunday. More Info...  

Latest news and information from the world of sports. Here's my projection for the field of 65. More Info...  

If Chris Simon plays again for the New York Islanders, or for anyone else in the NHL, it won't be until next season. And it might not even be on opening night. The NHL hit back hard Sunday, suspending the rugged Islanders forward for a league-record 25 games. Simon will miss the rest of the regular season and playoffs as punishment for his two-handed stick attack to the face of Ryan Hollweg of the... More Info...  

Donte' Stallworth will be catching passes from Tom Brady instead of Donovan McNabb next year. Stallworth and the New England Patriots agreed Sunday on a multiyear contract. The deal was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. More Info...  

Kevin Durant already has put together the most impressive freshman season in Big 12 history. With one more victory, it'll be a championship season, too. Durant had 26 points and hit the decisive 3-pointer in the final minute to help No. 15 Texas hold off the Cowboys 69-64 Saturday in a Big 12 semifinal. More Info...  

Bryce Taylor scored a career-high 32 points, making every shot he took, and No. 16 Oregon routed Southern California 81-57 Saturday to win the Pac-10 tournament title. The Ducks (26-7) head into the NCAA tournament on a six-game winning streak. They haven't been there since 2003, also the last time they won the conference tourney. More Info...  

Nothing fazed Alando Tucker. It didn't matter that he was constantly twisting like a contortionist, trying to elude his defender. Tucker showed why he is the Big Ten's player of the year. He set the school's career scoring record and finished with 21 points to lead No. 3 Wisconsin past Illinois 53-41 in the semifinals of the conference tournament Saturday. More Info...