Newsmakers

Resigned A Rutgers assistant men’s basketball coach has resigned amid a scandal over the way his former boss treated players. A Rutgers athletic department spokesman confirmed Thursday that assistant coach Jimmy Martelli had left the program. Coach Mike Rice was fired on Wednesday after a video was made public showing him shoving and kicking players, throwing basketballs at them and berating them with gay slurs.

• Western Kentucky has announced that former Hilltoppers assistant Jake Morton has resigned as director of basketball operations. The NCAA in February said Morton committed three recruiting violations as a Miami assistant between October 2008 and April 2009. The NCAA also said he accepted at least $6,000 in supplemental income from convicted felon and Miami booster Nevin Shapiro between October 2007 and October 2008. Western Kentucky hired Morton as a Hilltoppers assistant in June 2011.

Released The Baltimore Ravens have terminated the contract of reserve linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, a three-time Pro Bowler on special teams. Ayanbadejo has played 10 seasons in the NFL, the last five with Baltimore. He started four games at linebacker for the Ravens, but his main contribution was on special teams. Ayanbadejo started his career with Miami in 2003.

Declared Memphis forward-guard Adonis Thomas plans to forego his final two seasons with the Tigers to sign with an agent and declare for the 2013 NBA draft. The Commercial Appeal first reported Thomas’ decision. Memphis coach Josh Pastner subsequently confirmed Thomas’ decision in a text to The Associated Press.

Sidelined Connecticut Sun forward Asjha Jones says she will sit out the upcoming WNBA season to recover from nagging injuries. The 6-foot-2 Jones, who played for the U.S. Olympic team, missed 14 games with the Sun last year because of a strained left Achilles tendon. She returned to average 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in five playoff games.

Fined San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been fined for slashing Minnesota’s Dany Heatley. The NHL fined Vlasic $8,378.38 for the infraction at the end of Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the Wild.