Vols reach peak of AP poll for first time

Tennessee surged to the top of the Associated Press men's poll for the first time on the strength of its victory over Memphis in a Nos. 1-vs.-2 matchup. The Volunteers (25-2) were a runaway choice, receiving 69 first-place votes and 1,797 points from the 72-member national media panel after a 66-62 victory at Memphis Saturday. Memphis (26-1) had been ranked No. 1 for the past five weeks, the last three as a unanimous choice. The Tigers fell to No. 2 and received 1,682 points, followed by North Carolina, UCLA, and Texas . . . Former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson's separation agreement with the university requires him to continue cooperating with the NCAA investigation and bars him from interfering with any team activities. Sampson took a $750,000 buyout Friday in return for his immediate resignation after the NCAA accused him of five major rules violations . . . Ted Kjolhede, the winningest men's basketball coach in Central Michigan history, died Sunday at his Mount Pleasant, Mich., home. He was 84. Kjolhede won 216 games in 15 seasons with the Chippewas starting in 1956 . . . Connecticut remained the top choice in the AP women's poll, earning 39 of 50 first-place votes.

Reggie Bush failed to show up for a scheduled deposition in San Diego, the latest twist in the civil lawsuit against the former Heisman Trophy winner who allegedly accepted cash and gifts from sports marketers during his sophomore and junior seasons at Southern California. "He literally ran from his deposition," said Brian Watkins, the attorney for sports marketer Lloyd Lake, who is suing Bush. Watkins said he received a fax from one of Bush's attorneys saying the New Orleans Saints' running back wouldn't be coming. Bush's attorney, David Cornwell, declined to comment . . . The Bears and quarterback Kyle Orton agreed on a one-year contract extension that runs through the 2009 season . . . Veteran cornerback Fernando Bryant was released by the Lions after four seasons with the team. Bryant started in 38 games for the Lions, including all 16 games last season . . . Vikings coach Brad Childress said he hasn't determined yet whether he will punish left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who was charged with a felony following a confrontation at a Miami night club over the weekend. . . . Former Dallas Cowboy Ron Springs, who has been in a coma since fall following surgery to remove a cyst, is listed among the 11 plaintiffs challenging Texas's medical malpractice cap in a lawsuit filed yesterday. The law limits awards for pain and suffering to a maximum of $750,000 per claimant.

The Flyers bolstered their banged-up lineup by acquiring high-scoring forward Vaclav Prospal from the Lightning for minor-league defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional pick in the 2009 draft. Prospal, an 11-year veteran in the final season of his contract, has a career-best 29 goals, along with 28 assists in 62 games . . . The Lightning also re-signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year contract extension worth $40 million . . . Predators forward David Legwand has been charged with driving under the influence, police said. Legwand was pulled over near downtown Nashville Feb. 15 after a police officer clocked him going 51 miles per hour in a 35-m.p.h. zone in his 2006 Range Rover . . . The Blues signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a four-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed . . . Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov is expected to miss 3 to 4 weeks after surgery to repair a foot fracture . . . Oilers forward Ethan Moreau will miss the rest of the regular season after fracturing his left tibia Sunday against Colorado . . . Darren McCarty has returned to the Red Wings, signing a one-year contract with the team four years after he left . . . Boston University, which has won six straight games after a weekend sweep of Northeastern, has entered the USCHO.com/CSTV Division 1 men's poll at No. 16 this week. The Huskies slipped four spots to No. 18. No. 3 New Hampshire, No. 8 Boston College, No. 19 Providence, and No. 20 Harvard are the other ranked New England schools. Michigan is No. 1.

Zab Judah was cleared to reapply for a license to fight in Nevada, a move that paves the way for a bout against Shane Mosley in Las Vegas in the next few months. The Nevada Athletic Commission reinstated Judah nearly two years after a melee during a welterweight title fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The panel said it was satisfied that the 30-year-old Judah has behaved well in four recent fights in other states . . . University of Massachusetts officials say three lacrosse players who were charged after an off-campus fight are no longer enrolled in the school. Christopher Casey, Christian Haggerty, and Ryan Marcus have all pleaded not guilty to charges including assault and battery in connection with the Feb. 1 incident in Amherst . . . Police said Pacers guard Marquis Daniels is not a suspect in an alleged rape at his home in Carmel, Ind. Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Carter said a woman reported the rape to police Sunday after going to a hospital in Indianapolis . . . Defending champion Tommy Haas won his opening match of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, defeating Diego Hartfield, 6-3, 6-2, in Memphis. Earlier, James Blake withdrew from the tournament, citing a sore right knee . . . Fourth-seeded Fabrice Santoro quit his first-round match because of an injured right shoulder while trailing Olivier Rochus, 6-3, 2-0, at the Zagreb Indoors in Croatia . . . Eighth-seeded Elena Dementieva beat Patty Schnyder, 7-5, 6-0, to advance to the second round of the Dubai Championships . . . The US will host France in the Davis Cup quarterfinals April 11-13 at Winston-Salem, N.C.