Meeks sticking with NBA draft

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Meeks sticking with draft

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky's top scorer, Jodie Meeks, has decided to leave the Wildcats and remain in consideration for the NBA draft.

Coach John Calipari said Meeks had called to let him know about the decision. Meeks led the Southeastern Conference in scoring and was eighth nationally with 23.7 points per game. "He's excited and I'm excited for him," Calipari said.

Meeks started all 36 games and led the SEC in free throw percentage (90.2), 3-point field goal percentage (40.6) and 3-point field goals per game (3.25). His 117 3-pointers are a Kentucky record.

Other draft decisions:

• Wake Forest star Jeff Teague is staying in the NBA draft, ending his college career after just two seasons. Teague is the second sophomore to declare from the Demon Deacons, joining forward James Johnson. Teague was a second-team all-ACC pick.

• Gonzaga forward Austin Daye will remain eligible for the draft, skipping his final two seasons. Daye averaged 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore.

• Georgia Tech has more reasons to be optimistic about its season after learning that Gani Lawal will remain at the school. Lawal has withdrawn from the draft and will return for his junior season. Lawal, a 6-9 forward, averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds.

• Forward Luke Harangody is withdrawing from the draft and returning to Notre Dame for his senior season. Harangody became the third straight Irish player to return to school after initially declaring for the draft. Chris Thomas in 2003 and Torin Francis in 2005 also returned after putting their names in the draft.

• The University of Connecticut said freshman player Ater Majok has removed his name from the raft.

WNBA

Laimbeer quits; Shock elevates Mahorn

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Bill Laimbeer resigned as coach of the WNBA champion Detroit Shock three games into the season in hopes of landing an NBA job.

Assistant Rick Mahorn, a teammate of Laimbeer's from their Detroit Pistons days and a former Hampton University star, was promoted to coach. Cheryl Reeve will remain an assistant and become the general manager.

Laimbeer was hired as coach of the Shock in 2002 and led the team to three titles in six years.

BOXING

Mayweather injured rib cartilage

LAS VEGAS - Floyd Mayweather Jr. has damaged cartilage in his ribs and will stop training for his comeback fight until a doctor says he can resume.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, told The Associated Press that Mayweather has been in tremendous pain since suffering the injury during training on Thursday.

Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Schaefer said both fighters have committed to rescheduling and a September date has been mentioned. But promoters and the fighters won't agree to a date without the OK of doctors.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

News organizations sue FSU, NCAA

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Associated Press and other Florida news organizations sued the NCAA and Florida State University, saying they violated open-government laws by not making public correspondence about an academic cheating scandal at the school.

The dispute is over a response the NCAA gave Florida State on its appeal of sanctions resulting from an academic cheating scandal. The school would be stripped of wins in 10 sports, including football. That would seriously hurt Bobby Bowden's bid to become college football's all-time winningest coach.

ELSEWHERE

• Connecticut basketball star Renee Montgomery is among five finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup. Montgomery helped lead the Huskies to the third undefeated season in school history and was the No. 4 draft pick in the WNBA by the Minnesota Lynx. Colorado's Jennifer Barringer (track and field), Penn State's Nicole Fawcett (volleyball), Georgia's Courtney Kupets (gymnastics), and Washington's Danielle Lawrie (softball) also are finalists for the collegiate woman athlete of the year award. The winner will be announced June 22 at Columbia University in New York.

• Roger Penske and Will Power are getting back together. A team spokesman confirmed that Power will run five more races for the team with which he started this season. Power opened the season with Penske's team as a temporary replacement for Helio Castroneves. When Castroneves was acquitted of tax evasion charges in April, Power's job was in jeopardy. But Penske kept Power on the team for two more races.

• Sprint specialist Mark Cavendish won the third stage of the Tour of Switzerland as Fabian Cancellara retained the overall lead in Lumino.

AROUND THE STATE

Class of four to enter FUMA shrine

Fork Union Military Academy's Sports Hall of Fame will induct four new members Thursday, including Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde. Joining Testaverde, who came from Elmont, N.Y., to be a post-graduate student at FUMA 1981-82, are former FUMA football coach "Red" Pulliam, former NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben, and former NBA guard Shammond Williams.

In other state news:

• Old Dominion senior tennis player Aleksandr Seleznev was selected as the CAA male scholar-athlete of the year, and James Madison junior field hockey player Kelsey Cutchins was chosen for the female honor.

• Virginia Tech will be the host for an NCAA men's golf regional in 2011. The school's Pete Dye River Course is located in nearby Pulaski County.

• George Mason has extended the contract of Athletic Director Tom O'Connor through 2013. O'Connor is in his 15th year at GMU.

- From Staff and Wire Reports