In brief: Kentucky wins, remains undefeated
College basketball: Eric Bledsoe scored a career-high 25 points, Patrick Patterson added 15 and No. 2 Kentucky stayed unbeaten with an 89-77 victory over Florida in Gainesville, Fla.
John Wall chipped in 19 points, including the team’s final seven points.
The Wildcats (17-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) ended the game with a 17-5 run and snapped a five-game losing streak in Gainesville.
Erving Walker led Florida with 20 points, and Alex Tyus added 17 points. But the Gators (11-5, 0-2) are off to their worst start in conference play since 1996 – the year before coach Billy Donovan took over.
•Ohio State knocks off No. 6 Purdue: Evan Turner scored 23 of his career-high 32 points in the second half, and Ohio State rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat No. 6 Purdue 70-66 in West Lafayette, Ind.
Turner scored 14 of Ohio State’s final 18 points.
Grizzlies rally late, edge Clippers
NBA: Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each scored 24 points, Zach Randolph added 20, and the Grizzlies snapped the Los Angeles Clippers’ four-game winning streak with a 104-102 victory in Memphis, Tenn.
The Grizzlies overcame Baron Davis’ triple-double, an 18-point deficit and a 36-minute delay caused by a water line break in the fire sprinkler system at FedExForum for their sixth straight home win.
Cardinals’ Boldin hopes to play
NFL: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin says he feels much better and is optimistic about his chances of playing in Saturday’s divisional playoff game at New Orleans.
Boldin said he “was able to move around a little bit” for the first time since he injured his left ankle and knee in the regular-season finale against Green Bay on Jan. 3.
The three-time Pro Bowler sat out Sunday’s 51-45 wild-card overtime victory over the Packers because of a high left ankle sprain and a sprained left knee.
He was hopeful he could practice today or Thursday.
•Redskins reach deal with Haslett: Jim Haslett has agreed to become the Washington Redskins’ defensive coordinator, the second major hire for new coach Mike Shanahan.
Haslett was head coach in New Orleans from 2000-05 and interim coach in St. Louis in 2008 after Scott Linehan was fired.
•Buffalo looks at Arizona assistant: Arizona assistant coach Russ Grimm has been given permission by the Cardinals to talk to the Buffalo Bills about their head coaching job.
Grimm said, however, that no interview has been scheduled. He says the Bills are working through his agent Eric Metz.
Coaches’ salaries called into question
Miscellany: Some administrators point to the nearly $10 million combined salaries of the head coaches in last week’s BCS championship game as proof college athletics are in need of financial reform.
Others point to the estimated payout of $17.5 million per team as good reason to pay the big salaries to the coaches.
There were no solutions offered despite the fact only a reported six Division I athletic programs have made a profit each of the past five years.
Texas coach Mack Brown recently had his salary increased to $5.1 million a year. Alabama’s Nick Saban, who won the national championship, has a new extension that makes his deal worth $4.7 million annually.
Because university presidents and athletic directors can’t seem to exercise financial restraint when seeking to hire or a keep a top coach, Southern Methodist University president Gerald Turner said change must come at a national level.
“Change will require a national effort,” Turner said. “It can’t be done just at the conference level and certainly not at the institutional level.”
•Vonn falls but maintains overall lead: Lindsey Vonn of the United States fell during the first run of a World Cup slalom at Flachau, Austria, but was not hurt in the night event won by Marlies Schild of Austria.
She straddled a gate halfway down the course after losing her right ski. Despite the fall, Vonn kept the lead in the overall standings.
•Former boxing champ Taylor takes time off: Jermain Taylor withdrew from the Super Six World Boxing Classic, although the former middleweight champion stopped short of announcing his retirement.
The decision had been widely expected after Taylor was knocked out in the 12th round by Arthur Abraham in October, his second straight late-round stoppage.
“I’m going to take some time off from the sport of boxing,” Taylor said. “I plan on keeping myself in shape and making a return to the sport sometime in the future.”
•Texas track standout changes course: Destinee Hooker, the reigning indoor and outdoor national champion in the women’s high jump, has signed a contract to play professional volleyball in South Korea.
The Texas standout has given up her college track career. Hooker won four NCAA track titles and had one season of eligibility left.