Gonzaga moves up two in Top 25 polls

Duke, Texas and Connecticut, winners of the biggest early season tournaments, held on to the top three spots in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll Monday while Gonzaga moved up two spots from eighth to sixth.

(In the coaches poll, GU also moved up two places, from ninth to seventh.)

Villanova and Oklahoma, who play Saturday, stayed fourth and fifth, respectively, then came a slew of changes in the Top 25.

Ten ranked teams lost a total of 14 games last week, but 11 of the losses were to other members of the Top 25. So only two teams dropped out – West Virginia from 13th and Syracuse from No. 17.

The teams that replaced them were North Carolina State at No. 24 and LSU at 25th.

Gonzaga, which beat Michigan State 109-106 in the semifinals at Maui then lost 65-63 at the buzzer to Connecticut in the title game, replaced Louisville, which didn’t play last week, and dropped to seventh.

Boston College, Memphis – which both moved up two spots – and Kentucky – which fell three spots – round up the top 10.

“Duke (5-0) edged Tennessee (5-0) by seven points in the media voting to lead the women’s AP Top 25 poll for the third straight time. But Tennessee, which had two wins over Top-10 teams among four victories last week, held a 22-21 lead in first-place votes.

LSU was third and Ohio State fourth, followed by Baylor, Rutgers, North Carolina and Connecticut. LSU received two first-place votes and Baylor had one.

Maryland and Minnesota completed the Top 10.

“Jim Boeheim, Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan were hired as assistant coaches for the U.S. men’s basketball team. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was hired last month to lead the team in international play through the 2008 Olympics.

“Keith LeGree, an assistant basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati, resigned after his second arrest on drunken driving charges.

tennis

Replay likely in 2006

Instant replay probably will be used at next year’s U.S. Open to resolve disputed line calls.

Tournament committee member Jim Courier put the chances of the Open using the technology at “90 percent,” and said implementation of the replay is overdue in the sport.

“I think that’s what we need to do to catch tennis up to the rest of the world of sport,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

The “Hawk-Eye” technology uses cameras to track a tennis ball’s trajectory to help check disputed line calls. It’s been used in TV broadcasts but not as an officiating aid.

Miscellany

Funeral set for Best

Soccer great George Best will be buried Saturday in his native Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a ceremony expected to attract more than 100,000 mourners.

The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland star died Friday in a London hospital after decades of alcohol abuse. He was 59.

“Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball as European player of the year, another honor for the Brazilian following his FIFA player of the year award last year.

“Futuristic performers zipping around on roller blades with flames shooting from the back of their helmets will be the star attractions of the opening and closing ceremonies at the Turin Olympics.

The display by the “Sparks of Passion” bladers, “will represent the Turin and Italy of the future,” producer Marco Balich said, comparing the skaters to the “Children of Light” performers at the 2002 Salt Lake City ceremonies.

“Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Ernie Whitt was selected to manage Canada’s team at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March.

“Target Chip Ganassi Racing has signed Dan Wheldon. Wheldon won the Indy Racing League title in 2005 with Andretti Green Racing but couldn’t come to terms with team owner Michael Andretti.