Newsmakers

Named San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday that Tim Duncan will replace Yao Ming in the Western Conference’s starting lineup for Sunday’s NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles. The 34-year-old Duncan was picked as a reserve by coaches. The longtime San Antonio star will make his 12th consecutive All-Star start. Popovich, who will coach the West, said “it’s totally appropriate and obvious” that Duncan should start the game at Staples Center. Houston center Yao was voted in by the fans but is injured.

Reversed The NCAA reversed its ruling that North Carolina’s Devon Ramsay is permanently ineligible and has cleared the fullback to return next football season. In a release, the school said the NCAA determined Ramsay committed no violation of NCAA rules after receiving new information from the school. The school hadn’t specified a reason for the original ruling, though privacy laws would’ve prevented it from discussing any player’s involvement in the NCAA’s investigation of academic misconduct.

Died A former University of Tulsa football player who was recognized for the courage and optimism he showed while battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma has died. Tulsa’s athletics department announced that 22-year-old offensive tackle Wilson Holloway died Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The Football Writers Association of America voted him the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award winner.

Suspended Nine players have been suspended by the Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference following a Feb. 14 fight between the women’s basketball teams of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Bethune-Cookman. The suspensions came after an internal investigation that included a review of the game’s video footage and statements from the game’s officials and a neutral observer.