Basketball Capsules: Kansas overwhelming No. 1 in AP preseason poll

For the second time in its storied basketball history, Kansas is No. 1 in The Associated Press’ preseason Top 25.

The Jayhawks were a runaway choice Thursday, receiving 55 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel to easily outdistance Michigan State, which was No. 1 on five ballots.

There was little suspense as to which team would top the preseason poll. Kansas has all five starters and the top nine scorers back from last season’s team that went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks also feature a recruiting class considered among the nation’s best.

"I’m not surprised," said Bill Self, who was also the coach the other time Kansas was the preseason No. 1 in 2004-05. "But I know this — we aren’t practicing like a team that’s preseason No. 1 in the country. It has been a very few good days of practice but we do have good players. ... There’s a lot of excitement surrounding these guys."

The Jayhawks received great news when guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich, last season’s leading scorers, decided to return to school rather than test the NBA draft. Then brothers Xavier and C.J. Henry decided to enroll in Lawrence, making the Jayhawks the early national favorite as well as the choice to win a sixth straight Big 12 title.

"My goal for this team isn’t to play to that ranking early in the season," Self said. "My goal is to play to that ranking when it counts the most. I hope it happens soon."

Michigan State has seven of the top nine scorers back from the team that lost to North Carolina in the national championship game.

Texas, Kentucky and Villanova rounded out the top five, while North Carolina, a unanimous preseason No. 1 last season, was sixth. Kentucky received three first-place votes and Texas and North Carolina got one each. Purdue, West Virginia, Duke and Tennessee completed the top 10.

While Kansas’ showing this preseason many not have been as impressive as North Carolina’s a year earlier when it became the first ever unanimous preseason pick, both had plenty of reasons to claim No. 1.

"There are some similarities, but that North Carolina team had been through a lot more experiences than our guys have," Self said. "The North Carolina team had been through Final Fours, had been to Elite Eights, had had some heartache, been through some tough times. I don’t know that this group has been through tough times like they had. The fact we return nine guys and a good recruiting class is the reason people are so optimistic about us."

Butler was 11th in the poll followed by Connecticut, California, Washington, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Louisville and Georgetown. The last five ranked teams were Dayton, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Clemson and Minnesota.

Kentucky, under new coach John Calipari and with a loaded freshman class, Georgetown and Georgia Tech were the only teams in the preseason poll not to play in the NCAA tournament last season.

Texas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee lead the 13 teams in the preseason poll who were not ranked in the final poll of last season. Louisville and North Carolina were Nos. 1 and 2 in that final poll. In addition to those two, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Duke and Connecticut all were ranked No. 1 at some point in the season.

The Big Ten has six teams in the preseason poll, one more than the Big East. The Atlantic Coast Conference had four and the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference three each.

Sooners loaded with talent despite Griffin’s exit

NORMAN, Okla. — Tiny Gallon had never considered playing for Oklahoma until he started hearing from Blake Griffin and Willie Warren.

The Sooners’ stars were looking for the next group of talented players to join a program on the rise again and they were able to get Gallon’s attention.

"Blake kind of tricked me in a way because he said he might stay here, so I thought, ‘OK, I might play with Blake,"’ Gallon said. "But then I knew after the numbers he was putting up, he was out."

Gallon doesn’t hold any grudges against Griffin for heading to the NBA, where he was the No. 1 overall draft pick this year. Griffin helped connect Gallon with Sooners coach Jeff Capel, who continues to distinguish himself from predecessor Kelvin Sampson as a top-notch recruiter.

For years, the Sooners got the most out of players who weren’t destined to play in the NBA. Long after the days of Wayman Tisdale and Mookie Blaylock, Oklahoma continued a 25-year run of consecutive postseason appearances that included 20 trips to the NCAA tournament.

Now the Sooners, who were ranked No. 17 in The Associated Press preseason poll released Thursday, are trying to build on back-to-back NCAA tournaments with three McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster: Gallon, Warren and point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin.

It’s the most high school All-Stars the Sooners have ever had at one time, considering that only eight have ever played at the school. Capel credits Griffin, who also played in the high school showcase, for helping with the breakthrough.

Before Griffin’s arrival, Capel said he would get questioned by players, parents and coaches: "How many pros have you guys put out?"

"At the time I didn’t have any and our program hadn’t had a first-round pick since ‘88. We had (Eduardo) Najera who was in the NBA, or is in the NBA, but that’s it," Capel said. "Now it’s another thing to cross off that they can’t use, that other people can’t use against us."

While Gallon wasn’t familiar with Oklahoma when he first met Capel during his junior year of high school, he knew all about Griffin. Eventually, so would everyone else who follows basketball, and Griffin’s exploits have been a key example Capel can provide to prospects.

"You can come to Oklahoma and be a national player of the year. You can come to Oklahoma and you can leave school early. You can come and be the face of college basketball," Capel said.

"It is a football school, and people want to use that as a negative, but you can come here and you can do that."

Beyond keeping Griffin close to home to play for the Sooners, Capel has also proven to be an attractive personality to top high school players. Gallon was able to connect with him over a shared love of rapper Jay-Z’s music, while Warren and Mason-Griffin both were drawn by his experience as a college guard at Duke.

"I just wanted to play for a guard, a coach who’s had the experience, played in the Final Four, played in the championship and also played for a good coach so he’s not just getting the stuff he needs to be a great coach out of books," Warren said. "He’s lived it."

Gallon and Mason-Griffin had been AAU teammates dating to the eighth grade and decided to go to college together, so Capel’s inroads with both helped land him the school’s first recruiting class with two McDonald’s All-Americans.

The turnaround is even more dramatic considering that one of Capel’s first challenges at Oklahoma was dealing with the fallout after another McDonald’s All-American, Scottie Reynolds, decided not to be a Sooner after Capel was hired in 2006.

Up against recruiting sanctions left over from Sampson’s tenure, it wasn’t until a few months later — when Griffin committed to play for him — that Capel felt confident he’d be able to turn the program around.

"Once that happened, then I knew the program was going to change," Capel said. "I knew how good he was. I thought he was underrated, but I knew how good he was."

-- Jeff Latzke

Varnado at center of high hopes for No. 18 Miss St.

JACKSON, Miss. — The season hasn’t even started yet and Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury is already saying he’s sorry to fans of the 18th-ranked Bulldogs.

Not for the reasons you might think, though.

"I’d like to apologize for those fans who can’t get a ticket," Stansbury said. "I wish everyone who wanted a ticket could get a ticket, but unfortunately it’s not that way."

Anticipation is high for the Bulldogs, higher than it’s been in years, and fans have snapped up tickets accordingly. Eligibility and injury questions still have to be answered, but the Bulldogs return a core of key players who helped the team win the SEC tournament last season.

Everyone knows senior Jarvis Varnado, a potential preseason All-American and the nation’s leading shot blocker the last two seasons.

If Renardo Sidney, one of the nation’s top prospects, gains eligibility from the NCAA, and 7-foot-1 center John Riek can regain the form that made him one of the most talked about players in basketball before a severe knee injury, Mississippi State will have one of the most talented frontcourts in the nation.

And if those things don’t happen, Mississippi State still has an experienced, varied roster that features talented role players like Kodi Augustus and Romero Osby, who say they are ready to step into larger roles and provide Varnado with some offensive help.

The potential has expectations for the team mounting beyond Starkville. Mississippi State was picked to win the SEC West and push for the league title again.

"In the past we were always a team having something to prove by chasing the teams like Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama," Varnado said. "But now we are a team that they are all gunning for. It’s a different feeling, but I like being the team everybody wants to beat."

It all starts with Varnado, the most dynamic defensive player in the nation. Only 21 teams in Division I had more blocks than Varnado’s 170 last season.

He briefly considered entering the NBA draft, but quickly decided to come back for a senior season that should include breaking the NCAA career mark for blocks.

Varnado also led the 23-13 Bulldogs in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounds (8.8), but should get more help in both areas. Riek, who wowed at the Lebron James Skills Academy two years ago and signed with Cincinnati before the knee forced him to sit out, will add to an imposing presence in the middle and put pressure on opposing offenses.

Riek, a native of Sudan, says he’s been paying close attention to Varnado’s game.

"I learn from him everyday," he said. "If he tells me to do something, I do it."

Even without Sidney, whose amateur status is under investigation by the NCAA, Stansbury has some interesting choices at power forward. There’s Augustus, who came on late last season and was a real presence in the team’s surge to the NCAA tournament. And Osby, who showed flashes of talent last season and has worked to round out his game.

Augustus clashed with Stansbury last season and found himself buried on the bench for long stretches. But he’s found peace with his role on the team, he said, and is working on his defense and shoot-first mentality.

"Sitting on that bench makes you hungry," Augustus said.

Barry Stewart, the team’s only other senior, leads a backcourt that matured quickly last season. Stewart’s role diminished with Phil Turner and Ravern Johnson taking more shots, but he remains a steady influence and a guy who can hit a big shot.

And Stansbury says Dee Bost returns a more polished player after a very strong freshman season at point guard.

"It’s a huge difference from the freshman to sophomore year," Stansbury said. "That’s the year they all make a big improvement, especially for a guy who played 32 minutes a game last year at the point guard."

Despite all the familiar faces, Stansbury says this is a new team and whether the Bulldogs live up to expectations depends on whether the coach can pull the team together. He knows there are a lot of improvements to be made before the season opener Nov. 13 against Rider.

"There’s so many things, not just one little area," Stansbury said. "We have to defend better, rebound better and take care of the basketball. There are some of those self-inflicted turnovers that we can be better at, but we basically can improve the whole thing."

-- Chris Talbott

Gophers deeper and more athletic, so what’s next?

MINNEAPOLIS — In his third season at Minnesota, Tubby Smith will truly be coaching his team.

Only four players remain on the roster who were recruited by the previous staff. For the second straight year, Smith has brought a nationally lauded group of newcomers to the Gophers, ranked No. 25 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Thursday.

The depth and athleticism that Smith has always wanted to build his running, pressing squads has steadily improved since he took over in 2007.

After a 20-14 finish and an NIT appearance in his first year and a 22-11 record and an NCAA tournament invitation last season, Minnesota will be expected to do better than one-and-done.

"We’ve tasted postseason play at the NCAA level. Now what? What do we have to do to go deeper into the tournament?" Smith said.

These Gophers have another opportunity to develop confidence and collect victories before Big Ten play begins, thanks to another relatively soft non-conference schedule except for games against Butler on Thanksgiving night, and possibly UCLA and other big-time teams if the brackets line up in a holiday tournament.

Lawrence Westbrook and Damian Johnson are the only ones left from Dan Monson’s last team. Al Nolen and Blake Hoffarber were recruited by him, but have only played for Smith.

After an influx of fresh talent last fall (including Ralph Sampson, Colton Iverson, Devoe Joseph and Paul Carter), another impressive class has come to Minnesota (featuring Royce White, Rodney Williams, Justin Cobbs and Trevor Mbakwe).

There is a glut of perimeter players and the lineup could look a number of different ways. In Mbakwe’s case, it isn’t all about the basketball, either.

Mbakwe, a junior transfer, faces a December trial date for a felony charge stemming from an alleged attack on a woman earlier this year. Athletics director Joel Maturi has not yet cleared Mbakwe to play, though he can practice.

If his off-the-court issue doesn’t intercede, Mbakwe will give Smith a pure power forward with experience and strength inside for a team that was beat up at times by bigger foes like Michigan State and Texas. Williams is raw, but he might be the highest jumper on the team.

There are several other players who will be in the spotlight this season:

— Nolen. He struggled down the stretch as the starting point guard, and Smith has urged the junior to be a better leader.

"Take care of the basketball, pushing and transition," Smith said. "Get a little bit more innovative and creative in transition. I think that’s something we have to have from Al."

— Hoffarber. His 3-point percentage dropped from 42.7 as a freshman to 34.1 last season on a team that lacked outside shooters, so he worked over the summer on driving to the basket more and diversifying his game.

"People were flying out at me last year on my 3-point shot," Hoffarber said. "I was looking at film and realizing what they were doing and how they were guarding me."

— Sampson. He struggled with confidence and consistency as a freshman, but the 6-foot-11 son of the former NBA star bulked up and is on track to take a significant step in his development.

As for his learning stage? "I feel it’s over for me now," Sampson said.

-- Dave Campbell

Michigan St ranked No. 2 in year of high hopes

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tom Izzo is so driven to win another national title that he’s recruiting as relentlessly as he did a decade go when he was turning a good Michigan State program into a great one.

The coach is hitting the road in a different way: Instead waiting in airports and flying to see prospects, Izzo is going to have somebody cruise him around the Midwest in a new van, so he can prepare for the next game by reviewing video on a laptop, call family, friends and coaches on his cell phone and get much-needed sleep in a bed.

"It’s silver," Izzo said of the van Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It’s great."

Izzo’s team should be, too.

The Spartans are ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in school history. Michigan State finished well behind top-ranked Kansas but drew five first-place votes in the poll released Thursday.

"They have their whole team back, plus some freshmen," Spartans standout Kalin Lucas said. "We lost some key players."

Yet Michigan State shouldn’t be too shabby.

Lucas, senior standout Raymar Morgan, five more of the team’s top nine scorers and Izzo are back from the team that lost to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game last season.

The Spartans will have a chance to live up to lofty expectations if Lucas and Morgan can become leaders who make their teammates better, and inexperienced big men provide some balance on a team with such a talented backcourt.

It’s early, but the hard-driving Izzo has been pleased with preseason practices.

"Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe have made a lot of progress," Izzo said. "And the three big guys are better than I thought they would be. They all have a long way to go, but they’re going to have to play."

Izzo is hoping freshmen centers Garrick Sherman and Derrick Nix along with 7-foot junior Tom Herzog can combine to play about 25 minutes a game to make up for the losses of three seniors inside.

If they can, a lot of problems will be solved because the Spartans are at least solid at every other position the court.

The lighting-quick Lucas returned for his junior season after winning the Big Ten player of the year award and is a favorite to earn the honor again this season.

Morgan was Michigan State’s best player last season before a batch of illnesses. He bounced back well enough to score 18 points and grab nine rebounds in a win over Connecticut in the Final Four.

Izzo is counting on Morgan to be healthy and happy, avoiding injuries and attitude funks that have slowed him in the past, because he needs him to help fill the leadership void created by the departures of Travis Walton and Goran Suton.

Morgan insisted he’s ready.

"A lot is expected, but I can handle it," Morgan said. "This is why I came here."

Junior shooting guards Durrell Summers and Chris Allen came to Michigan State providing glimpses of promise, but Izzo is still waiting for them to be consistent. Sophomore guard Korie Lucious is almost at full speed in practice, recovering from a second surgery on his right foot.

"I think we have the best guards in the country," Lucas said.

The 6-foot-8 Roe and 6-foot-6 Green don’t quite have the size to help Michigan State’s weakness in the lane, but they’re talented enough to cause problems for opponents if they’re matched up with lumbering centers.

Per tradition, Izzo has filled his schedule with tough games to test his players and satisfy fans who crave marquee matchups before Big Ten play.

Michigan State will get challenged early with games against North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Gonzaga.

"How they handle success or failure is going to be a key because we’re going to lose some games early," Izzo predicted. "Our young guys up front is going to have their hands full because the big guys we’ll play in the first couple of weeks are as good as we’ve played in years.

"If we win some games, do we take off? If we lose, do we get down in the dumps? That’s why No. 1 on my list is leadership and chemistry."

 -- Larry Lage

Only 2 starters return, but Eustachy excited

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — For five years, Southern Miss basketball coach Larry Eustachy has told fans to be patient.

This season, he's telling them to get excited, because he and his staff are.

"I'm as excited about this team as I've ever been," Eustachy said. "It's one of the most talent-laden teams I've coached anywhere, and by far the most talented team I've had here at Southern Miss."

Gone are three of the Golden Eagles' top four scorers, including guard Jeremy Wise, who had led the team in scoring each of the past three seasons.

Only juniors R.L. Horton, who averaged 12.4 points per game, and Sai'Quon Stone, who missed 23 games with a broken foot, return from last year's original starting five.

But Eustachy has scoured the country for talent, and may have found some that slipped through the cracks. The result is a team of journeymen players, most looking for a second chance.

One of those journeymen expected to contribute right away is Chipola Junior College transfer Gary Flowers.

Flowers signed with Oklahoma State out of high school in Dallas, but couldn't make his grades. After transferring to Genesis One School in Mississippi to earn his diploma, Flowers followed Chipola coach Greg Haier to Southern Miss.

Haier has been in charge of recruiting since he arrived in Hattiesburg in June, and hasn't spent more than a weekend in town since.

Forward Torye Pelham has a similar story to Flowers. Recruited by the likes of Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma out of high school, Pelham came to Southern Miss after two years at Chipola.

Fifth-year senior Buchi Awaji is a transfer from Kansas State who graduated and was looking for more playing time after averaging four points per game last season for the Wildcats.

The list goes on — point guard Angelo Johnson is a transfer from Southern California and shooting guard Daryl Arnold from Southeastern Louisiana.

There's Josimar Ayarza, a 6-4 forward from Panama who originally signed with Southern Cal but ended up at Southern Miss and Maurice Bolden, a 6-foot-10 guard and former UAB commitment.

Ayarza and Bolden, like most of their teammates were a highly touted recruits out of high school, and Horton believes it's going to show up on the court.

"This team is way deeper than last year," Horton said. "We are a lot taller, and a lot more physical than we were last year."

Eustachy said nine of his top 10 players have never set foot on the floor for Southern Miss.

"I've done it at other schools with nine new guys, so I know it can work," Eustachy said. "We'll sink before we swim, but we'll be better this year than we've been since I've been here."

The Eagles were a disappointing 15-17 last year after starting 10-5, but four of those first 10 wins game against NAIA opponents, which again dot the schedule this season.

The Eagles host five games before opening Conference USA play, and four of the five are against Loyola of New Orleans, William Carey, Spring Hill and Dillard, all NAIA teams.

Eustachy said he's not worried about the schedule, and the fans shouldn't be either.

"I don't want people to worry about who we are playing," Eustachy said. "Just come out and watch us, we're the ones trying to get better and we're the team you're coming to see."

California picked to win Pac-10 hoops title

LOS ANGELES — California was picked on Thursday to win the Pac-10 basketball title, marking the first time in more than 10 years that UCLA or Arizona wasn’t the top choice.

The Golden Bears received 350 points and 25 first-place votes in polling by media who cover the conference. They have never won a Pac-10 regular season title, but the Bears return four senior starters and 94 percent of their scoring from last season.

"There’s a little bit of optimism around," a droll Cal coach Mike Montgomery said at the conference’s media day.

Defending regular-season champion Washington earned 330 points and seven first-place votes for second.

UCLA was picked third, receiving 302 points and five first-place votes two years after the Bruins won their third consecutive title.

California is ranked 13th and Washington 14th in the AP Top 25 preseason poll. UCLA was the only Pac-10 team among others receiving votes.

In the media poll, Arizona was fourth, followed by Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona State, Washington State, Southern California and Stanford, where Montgomery built a perennial powerhouse before leaving for a brief NBA stint.

Noting his Bears are picked first and Stanford last, Montgomery said, "Probably both predictions are a little bit erroneous."

Montgomery heads into his second season in Berkeley with returning starters Jerome Randle, Jamal Boykin, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson. The Bears tied for third in the conference last season after winning 17 of its first 23 games and then dropping four of its final five league games.

Washington returns starters Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter and Darnell Gant, who led the Huskies to their first league title in 56 years. Gone are All-Pac-10 center Jon Brockman and guard Justin Dentmon.

Coach Lorenzo Romar compared losing Brockman and Dentmon to a family losing its parents who put food on the table and kept the lights on.

"The food and lights aren’t on as much," he said. "Our group has to understand the hard work it took and leadership that Brockman and Dentmon provided us. We can’t just stumble into our season and think that because we had some success last year it’s going to continue. We have to really get after it."

After having six teams in the NCAA tournament each of the last two years, with UCLA making three consecutive Final Four appearances, the Pac-10 is experiencing a huge turnover this season.

The conference has provided a major talent pool for the NBA, with 21 players taken in the draft over the last two years. Fourteen were underclassmen, including 10 who were freshmen or sophomores.

Among the hardest hit schools was UCLA, which lost Darren Collison (a rare four-year player), Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya and Jrue Holiday to the June draft. A year earlier, Kevin Love departed after his freshman season.

UCLA coach Ben Howland is presiding over his youngest (five freshmen and four sophomores) and least experienced team since arriving in Westwood seven years ago.

The Bruins have been wracked by preseason injuries, and have yet to put the entire roster on the floor in practice.

"We’re just trying to get healthy," Howland said, pointing out that projected starting point guard Jerime Anderson has yet to practice with 2½ weeks to go before the season opener.

USC is feeling its losses, too.

The draft beckoned Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson and freshman DeMar DeRozan. An ongoing NCAA investigation involving former star player O.J. Mayo and alleged misdeed by former coach Tim Floyd chased away most of the Trojans’ incoming recruits, leaving new coach Kevin O’Neill to patch together a team.

"I’m still learning a lot about our players," O’Neill said. "We have a bunch of guys who haven’t played very much."

Besides O’Neill, also new to the Pac-10 are Arizona’s Sean Miller, who follows in the footsteps of Lute Olson and O’Neill, and Washington State’s Ken Bone, who took over from Tony Bennett.

-- Beth Harris

Spartans picked to win Big 10

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Michigan State, the national runner-up last season, has been picked in a preseason poll to repeat as Big Ten champions.

A 24-member media panel chose Purdue — which made it to the round of 16 last season — to finish second and Ohio State to take third.

Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas, last year’s player of the year in the conference, was chosen as preseason player of the year.

Lucas is joined on the first team by four other juniors — Manny Harris of Michigan, Evan Turner of Ohio State, Talor Battle of Penn State and Robbie Hummel of Purdue.

Michigan State finished 31-7 last season — 15-3 in the Big Ten — and lost to North Carolina in the national title game.

Judge: No mental eval in Pitino extortion plot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has denied prosecutors’ request for a psychiatric evaluation of the woman accused in a plot to extort $10 million from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.

U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson ruled this week that there was no "reasonable cause" to question Karen Cunagin Sypher’s competency. Prosecutors had noted in asking for the exam that Sypher’s former attorney was concerned about her mental state.

"Sypher’s current counsel has not indicated any difficulty in communicating with his client or securing her cooperation in matters relating to her defense," Simpson wrote in the ruling Tuesday.

She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to extort money from Pitino and lying to the FBI. Pitino has acknowledged a sexual encounter with her at a Louisville restaurant in 2003.

Simpson also denied a motion from prosecutors for a protective order that would have barred Sypher from releasing evidence to the media. Simpson says there’s no need for the order.

Sypher’s attorney, James Earhart, said the case can move forward now that Simpson has ruled.

Pitino’s attorney, Steve Pence, did not return a call seeking comment.

NBA

O’Neal gets Heat season off to quick start

MIAMI — Jermaine O’Neal needed all of 17 seconds to look like his old self, instead of simply looking old.

He got the ball on the first possession of the Miami Heat season. Hard dribble. Spin toward the baseline. Shot.

Swish.

It was the first of many blows O’Neal landed in a 22-point, 12-rebound opening effort offered Wednesday in Miami’s 115-93 romp over the New York Knicks. Feeling strong and healthy for the first time in almost three years, O’Neal has been saying for weeks he wants to regain the form that made him a six-time All-Star selection.

Hey, there’s a long way to go, but so far, so good.

"I expect to do it every night," O’Neal said. "When you go through some of the issues that I went through with my knee over the 2½ years, you look forward to these nights. This is the first time in 2½, three years where I feel real good, the body is responding great, my movements are great, no knee braces. I’ve really looked forward to this."

So have the Heat, which goes without saying.

They traded for O’Neal last February, desperate for another low-post presence to help Dwyane Wade. What they got, though, was a player whose knees ached more than he ever acknowledged publicly, who could barely jump or run, impaired so badly that he failed to get more than five rebounds in 14 of the 27 regular-season games he logged with Miami last season.

For a 6-foot-11 player making more than $20 million a year, that simply wasn’t going to cut it. Knowing that, he spent the summer leading into his 14th NBA season pushing his body like never before, working with trainer-to-the-NBA-stars Tim Grover in Chicago, changing his diet and rehabbing instead of resting.

"A lot of work in the summertime, a lot of work in camp," O’Neal said.

It paid off. He’s clearly slimmer, overcoming a bruised foot in training camp without any long-term setbacks. For at least one night, he found a way to turn back the clock at New York’s expense.

Some of O’Neal’s stats from the opener were astounding:

— Considering he didn’t have any double-digit rebounding nights in his final 22 regular-season games with Miami last season.

— It was the 72nd time in his career he’s had at least 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the first since March 25, 2007.

— And of those previous 71 games, how many of those came with O’Neal playing less than 30 minutes? None.

— Here’s the really out-of-this-world stat: O’Neal has taken 10 or more field-goal attempts in a game 507 times. In those, he’s never shot better than the 10 of 12 (.833) rate he put up against the Knicks.

"I don’t care about the numbers — well, actually, I do. I was pretty fired up for the 12 rebounds and I told him as such after the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That’s the first thing I looked at. But what I liked about his rebounds were they were up in traffic. People around, he was getting bumped, some 50-50 balls that could have gone either way, and he went up there with two hands, above the crowd, with his length, with his size, with his strength and was able to come down with it."

A year ago, that wasn’t going to happen.

He says he shouldn’t have played two seasons ago because of knee injuries, then tried to grit his way through them and only made things worse. Once the Heat were eliminated from the opening round of last season’s Eastern Conference playoffs by Atlanta, O’Neal took a few days to collect himself, then went to work.

In all, it was 15 weeks, splitting between Miami and Chicago, before camp. Redefining himself, O’Neal called it.

"He put the whole package together," Spoelstra said.

Next up: The Heat play Game 2 of the season on Friday in Indiana, the spot where O’Neal spent eight seasons before going to Toronto ahead of the 2007-08 season.

He says it’s the first time he’ll have been back to the Pacers’ home floor in healthy condition. That’s welcome news for Miami, which hasn’t won at Indiana since Dec. 31, 2001 — a span of 14 games — and is an unbelievably dismal 5-34 all-time when visiting the Pacers.

"I’m pretty sure they’ll get a heavy dosage of me," O’Neal said.

-- Tim Reynolds

NBA to investigate new accusations by Tim Donaghy

NEW YORK — The NBA will review accusations by former referee Tim Donaghy that were posted online — even though the publisher is blowing the whistle on the book they were to appear in.

Random House said Thursday it won’t go forward with the tell-all Donaghy wrote in prison.

"After a close legal review of the final manuscript of "Blowing the Whistle" by Tim Donaghy, and our independent evaluation of some of the author’s sources and statements, Triumph Books and Random House have decided not to go forward with the book’s publication," spokesman Stuart Applebaum said in a statement. "Our decision is wholly our own and was made without consultation with any outside parties or individuals."

Still, the NBA said the allegations that appeared on the Web site deadspin.com will be forwarded to Lawrence B. Pedowitz, who conducted the review of the officiating program following the Donaghy gambling scandal that rocked the league in 2007.

"As with all allegations concerning the integrity of our officiating program, these latest assertions by Mr. Donaghy will be turned over to Mr. Pedowitz for a complete review," senior vice president of communications Elizabeth Ventura said.

The league also said it has been reassured that the Pedowitz investigation, which was completed last fall, found Donaghy to be the only official involved in criminal conduct.

Donaghy admitted taking cash payoffs from gamblers for picks on games, including ones he officiated. He was sentenced to 15 months for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce.

He worked on the book in prison. The excerpts include accusations of wagering between officials working games, favoritism toward star players, and desires by the league to extend playoff series. Donaghy, who already made similar allegations during court proceedings, also criticizes a number of referees, including Dick Bavetta, Tommy Nunez and Steve Javie, of misconduct.

The referees say they are disappointed but not surprised by their former colleague’s actions.

"This continues to be the Tim that we know," referees union spokesman Lloyd Pierson said. "He repeatedly attempts to highlight himself in the media, but the 59 NBA referees will continue to officiate games with the utmost integrity and the focus will remain on the 2009-2010 NBA season."

-- Brian Mahoney

Bobcats pick up 3rd-year option for C Ajinca

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats are picking up the third-year, $1.22 million option on the contract of center Alexis Ajinca for the 2010-11 season.

The move announced Thursday comes two days before the deadline. The Bobcats wavered on Ajinca’s future as he has failed to fit into Charlotte’s rotation.

A native of France, the 7-foot Ajinca was the 20th pick in the 2008 draft. He played in only 31 games last season and averaged 2.3 points. Bobcats coach Larry Brown then criticized his play and effort when he watched him try out for the French national team last summer.

Ajinca had four points in 10 minutes of Charlotte’s 92-59 season-opening loss to Boston on Wednesday.

Shaq seeks to become deputy sheriff in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Shaquille O’Neal is looking to continue a sideline career in law enforcement now that he’s in Ohio playing for the Cavaliers.

Spokesman John O’Brien of the Cuyahoga County sheriff’s office says the Cavs center has applied to become a special deputy. He would have the right to carry a gun and make arrests but not be a paid, formal employee.

O’Neal previously served roles with law enforcement agencies in Arizona, Virginia and Florida.

The sheriff has forwarded the application to the state agency that must consider the request to deputize O’Neal.

State attorney general’s spokeswoman Holly Hollingsworth says that if approved, O’Neal would need 36 hours of police training and would have to take the Ohio police exam.

WNBA

Kathy Betty new owner of Atlanta Dream

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Dream will remain in Atlanta under new ownership.

Kathy Betty will replace Ron Terwilliger as the managing partner of the Dream, WNBA president Donna Orender announced Thursday.

Terwilliger has sought investors since the team’s 2008 inaugural season. The Dream reached the playoffs this year after finishing with a 18-16 record. It was the second-largest turnaround in WNBA history after winning just four games in their first season.

The team will be owned by Dream Too, LLC, an investment group led by Betty. The deal is pending approval of the WNBA Board of Governors.

Betty serves as the CEO of the Garry Betty Foundation to fund cancer research, established by her late husband, the former Earthlink CEO.

Orender credited Atlanta city council president and mayoral candidate Lisa Borders for "saving the Dream."

"The Dream belongs in Atlanta," Orender said. "Lisa understands that and so do I. In the midst of a tough political campaign, she carved out time to bring sponsorships to the table and find investors who will make the Dream a continued reality for the staff, players and, of course, our fans."

Betty said the Dream provide "accessible and affordable world-class entertainment for the families of Atlanta."

"In addition, the fact that these women serve as role models for youth, and especially young girls, is something I feel strongly about," she said.

Behind Angel McCoughtry, the top pick in the 2009 draft, the Dream improved from 4-30 in 2008 to two games above .500 this season while advancing to the playoffs.

McCoughtry, who was selected rookie of the year, was supported by teammates Iziane Castro Marques, Sancho Lyttle, Erika de Souza and Chamique Holdsclaw. Marynell Meadors, also the team’s general manager, was named coach of the year for the team’s 14-game improvement.

"I am confident Kathy’s passion for the game and the Atlanta community, as well as her vision for the Dream, will ensure that the team continues to build on its strong start," Orender said.

Average attendance for Atlanta home games dipped from 8,316 in 2008 to 7,102 in 2009.

The league says its average attendance was 8,039, a slight increase from the 2008 average.

-- Charles Odum

Taurasi pleads guilty to DUI, serves day in jail

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge stemming from her July arrest.

Taurasi, an all-star guard on the WNBA champions, spent a day in jail after a judge suspended nine days of her sentence.

Taurasi’s blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent when she was pulled over on July 2 following a 93-81 victory over the Seattle Storm. That’s more than twice Arizona’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

A police officer who stopped Taurasi’s vehicle after seeing it drift outside a traffic lane near downtown Phoenix claims she was driving nearly 20 mph over the 35 mph limit.

While Taurasi pleaded guilty to DUI on Oct. 12, charges of extreme DUI and speeding were dropped.

College Women

NCAA chooses women’s hoops sites for 2011 tourney

INDIANAPOLIS — Spokane will be the first city to host the opening two rounds and a regional of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in the same year.

The Washington city was one of 16 chosen by the NCAA women’s basketball committee on Thursday to host the first two rounds in 2011. Gonzaga will host the first two rounds in its on-campus arena while the regional will be hosted by Washington State at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Dayton, a regional site this year, Philadelphia and Dallas will host regionals in 2011.

Joining Gonzaga as hosts for the first two rounds are Auburn, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Louisiana Tech, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wichita State, and Xavier.