College Basketball: Oden, Durant make Wooden final five

Freshmen Greg Oden of Ohio State and Kevin Durant of Texas are among the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, presented to college basketball’s outstanding player.

Others invited for the April 7 presentation at the Los Angeles Athletic Club are North Carolina sophomore Tyler Hansbrough, Texas A&M senior Acie Law, and Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker.

Also honored Wednesday as Wooden All-Americans were UCLA junior Arron Afflalo, Oregon senior Aaron Brooks, Nevada senior Nick Fazekas, Florida junior Joakim Noah, and Kansas sophomore Brandon Rush.

The award ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club will include the presentation of the men’s and women’s Wooden Award, the All-American teams and Legends of Coaching award to former Purdue coach Gene Keady. The top five women’s finalists will also be invited.

The Wooden Award was created in 1976 – a year after the former UCLA coach retired after guiding the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year span. Among the previous male winners were Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan.

Lowe asks for support

North Carolina State coach Sidney Lowe asked Wolfpack fans for “support and understanding” after his son was charged with crimes ranging from armed robbery to drug possession.

“This is a difficult time for my son, myself and my family,” Lowe said in a statement issued by the school. “We appreciate the support and understanding of the Wolfpack family.”

On Tuesday, University of North Carolina at Greensboro police said 21-year-old Sidney R. Lowe Jr. was charged with nine counts, including a felony of aiding and abetting attempted armed robbery in connection with the shooting of a man in a campus dorm Saturday.

Locke Clifford, Lowe Jr.’s attorney, said Greensboro police also filed 13 charges against his client in connection with an incident March 16.

Arkansas awaits word

Arkansas was waiting to hear from Texas A&M’s Billy Gillispie about the Razorbacks’ opening for a head coach, though media reports in Texas had the Aggies coach set to stay put.

Stanley Reed, the chairman of the University of Arkansas board of trustees, said that Gillispie is a candidate for the job and there were others in the running. The position came open Monday when athletic director Frank Broyles fired Stan Heath after five years.

Around the nation

Georgia gave coach Dennis Felton a two-year contract extension and a small raise. The extension gives Felton a four-year contract worth $760,000 annually, a raise of $50,000. … Connecticut assistant coach Tom Moore is leaving to become head coach at Quinnipiac University, an official with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press. … Iona has agreed to buy out the final two years of men’s coach Jeff Ruland’s contract. Ruland, a former NBA All-Star, led the Gaels to three NCAA tournament berths in his nine-year tenure as head coach at the New Rochelle, N.Y., school.