Hansbrough is a preseason favorite

November 6, 2007

Tyler Hansbrough's junior year at North Carolina has begun much the same way his sophomore season did, as the leading vote-getter on the Associated Press preseason All-America men's basketball team. The 6-foot-9-inch forward was one vote shy of a unanimous pick yesterday and was joined by senior center Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, senior guard Chris Lofton of Tennessee, senior guard Drew Neitzel of Michigan State, and junior guard Darren Collison of UCLA. The team was selected by the 72-member panel that votes in the weekly Top 25 poll. Hansbrough averaged 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent last season . . . Connecticut junior forward Marcus Johnson plans to transfer and has asked for permission to talk to other schools, the school announced. Johnson played in 51 games in his first two seasons with the Huskies, averaging 4.9 points . . . Freshman Derek Rose had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists and No. 3 Memphis beat Tennessee-Martin, 102-71, in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Chris Douglas-Roberts tied his career-high with 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds for host Memphis (1-0). In the tournament's early game, David Gonzalez made two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining, lifting Richmond to a 44-42 win over Maine.

UMass (7-2) dropped from No. 3 to No. 8 in the Sports Network Championship Subdivision Football poll after its 12-6 loss to Rhode Island Saturday. Also sliding was UNH (6-3), which fell from No. 8 to No. 14 in the aftermath of a 31-13 loss to Northeastern. Yale (8-0) rose from No. 15 to No. 12. Northern Iowa (9-0) remained in the top spot, while North Dakota St. (9-0) and Montana (9-0) round out the top three . . . Boston College's game against Clemson Nov. 17 has been picked up by ESPN and will be aired at 7:45 p.m. on either ESPN or ESPN2. It will be the fourth consecutive prime-time game for the Eagles, ranked No. 8 in the country. BC will be at Maryland this Saturday with an 8 p.m. start on Channel 5 . . . Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan was named one of five finalists for the Unitas Award, given annually to the top senior quarterback in college football. The winner will be announced Dec. 3. Also, BC senior safety Jamie Silva is one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back . . . ESPN's "College Football GameDay" will broadcast live from Williamstown Saturday before the Williams-Amherst game. The telecast begins at 10 a.m.

Coach Bill Callahan sidestepped questions about his future at Nebraska, saying he's focused on preparing to play Kansas State Saturday. Callahan, whose team has lost five straight, declined to say whether he has been asked to resign with the promise of a settlement. If he's fired at the end of the season, Callahan's contract calls for Nebraska to pay him more than $3 million. Interim athletic director Tom Osborne has said he won't make a decision until after the season. The Huskers (4-6) are coming off a 76-39 loss at Kansas . . . Texas A&M will wait until the end of the season before deciding the future of coach Dennis Franchione, who was rebuked this year for allowing boosters to buy information about his players . . . UConn reserve tailback Lou Allen has been suspended indefinitely for an unspecified team rules violation, coach Randy Edsall announced.

BC (3-1-3), which tied Maine, 1-1, in its lone game this weekend, dropped from No. 5 to No. 7 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division 1 men's hockey poll. Miami of Ohio (8-0-0) remained in the top spot, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes. No. 4 Michigan State (6-1-0) earned the other No. 1 vote. UNH (4-1-0) is sixth, Maine (4-2-1) 11th, and UMass (3-2-2) 20th. Miami is also first in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll . . . Forward Mark Bell will make his debut for the Maple Leafs tonight at Ottawa after completing a 15-game suspension for a drinking and driving incident last season in San Jose . . . Former Bruins Landon Wilson and Eric Nickulas have been named to the 2007 US Men's Select Team that will compete at the Deutschland Cup from Nov. 8-11 in Hannover, Germany . . . Bruins legend John Bucyk and eight others will be inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame Nov. 14. Joining Bucyk in the 2007 class are Cap Raeder, Hilary Witt, Bobby Wheeler, Buddy Ferriera, Garret Reagan, Bob Barry, Tony Lucci, and Dick Gunn.

Justine Henin said she might not defend her tennis gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, fearing the city's air pollution could trigger her asthma. The top-ranked Belgian withdrew from the China Open in September because of her condition . . . Heat star Dwyane Wade reported no problems related to his left knee or left shoulder - both of which were operated on May 15 - after returning to practice . . . The ruler of Dubai paid $10.5 million to buy Playful Act at Keeneland's Breeding Stock Sale, a world record auction price for a broodmare. The bidding was another showdown between two titans of the horse breeding industry, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley Stud and Coolmore Stud. John Sikura, who sold the horse for Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock, said he was expecting a price topping $5 million and was surprised the bidding went so high . . . Gene Haas, the 54-year-old owner of NASCAR's Haas CNC Racing, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the government of more than $34 million in taxes.