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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Bjorklund, Vandersloot, Bouldin chosen

Basketball: Gonzaga University senior guard Matt Bouldin, above, has been named an Associated Press honorable mention selection on the 2010 men’s basketball All-America squad.

Tennessee junior Angie Bjorklund (University HS) and Gonzaga junior Courtney Vandersloot were given honorable mention on the Associated Press All-America women’s team.

Connecticut’s Maya Moore and Tina Charles, along with Nebraska’s Kelsey Griffin, Virginia’s Monica Wright and Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender make up the women’s first team.

Four Cougars leave program

Basketball: Four men’s basketball players have officially been granted their release from Washington State University this week and are free to accept basketball scholarships at other NCAA institutions.

Freshmen Xavier Thames, Anthony Brown and John Allen and sophomore Michael Harthun will transfer at the end of the school year. All but Allen, from Mountlake Terrace High, were on scholarship.

“We support the decisions … and wish them nothing but good things,” WSU coach Ken Bone said Tuesday in a press release.

Vince Grippi

Floyd will coach at Texas-El Paso

Basketball: UTEP officials said former USC coach and one-time Miners assistant Tim Floyd to the late Miners coach Don Haskins will be their new coach.

The 56-year-old coach, who most recently has been an assistant for the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, left USC after the 2009 season amid allegations of recruiting violations involving player O.J. Mayo. Floyd has denied any wrongdoing and has said he expects to be cleared in an ongoing NCAA investigation.

Floyd replaces Tony Barbee, who left UTEP last week to take the head position at Auburn.

In four seasons at USC, Floyd went 85-50, taking the Trojans to the NCAA tournament three times, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2007.

Floyd was an assistant to Haskins from 1978-86. After leaving UTEP, Floyd coached at Idaho, New Orleans and Iowa State before taking over the Chicago Bulls in 1998. He later led the Hornets before taking the top job at USC.

Associated Press