IN BRIEF
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Prep star Wall commits to play at Kentucky
John Wall, one of the nation's most sought-after high school recruits, has decided to play for John Calipari and Kentucky.
The point guard from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., had been pursued by numerous schools, including Duke, Kansas and Miami. But he has committed to join Calipari and the Wildcats, according to several media reports.
In an interview with Scout.com on Tuesday, Wall said his relationship with Calipari put the Wildcats over the top. He's part of a Kentucky class that the recruiting site ranks as the nation's best.
Word of God is planning a news conference for Wall to formally announce his decision today.
Also: Guard C.J. Henry officially enrolled at Kansas and will be eligible to play next season.
The move reunites Henry with his brother, Xavier, and completes one of the most talented incoming classes Kansas has had.
C.J. Henry played baseball in the New York Yankees' farm system for three years but enrolled at Memphis last year. Xavier Henry, a high school senior last season, had signed with Memphis, but both decided to play elsewhere when coach John Calipari left the Tigers for Kentucky.
CYCLING
Di Luca builds Giro lead; Armstrong moves up
Danilo Di Luca attacked on a steep downhill stretch, then left behind his final challengers when the road tilted upward to win the grueling 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia in Pinerolo, Italy, padding his overall lead.
Two days earlier, Di Luca and Lance Armstrong brought the main pack to a halt mid-stage to protest a dangerous circuit in Milan, enraging race director Angelo Zomegnan.
After riders took Monday off, Armstrong finished 13th, 29 seconds back, and moved from 25th to 18th overall, though his gap behind Di Luca increased to 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
Armstrong stayed with the lead group through much of the 163-mile route, but he dropped behind on the final climb, then clawed back to limit his damages.
MISCELLANEOUS
Judge orders NHL, Coyotes to mediation
A bankruptcy judge has sidestepped the issue of who controls the Phoenix Coyotes for now and centered his attention instead on whether the team should be allowed to move to southern Ontario, Canada.
Judge Redfield Baum ordered the NHL and Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes to mediation in an attempt to resolve their fight over who is in control of a franchise that both sides agree is insolvent.
Baum made the ruling after hearing arguments in Phoenix from attorneys in U.S. bankruptcy court over the NHL's contention that Moyes had no authority to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month.
The league and Moyes are to report their progress at a status hearing May 27.
The question of whether the team could relocate needs to be decided before the franchise is sold, Baum said.
During a four-hour session in a crowded courtroom, the judge scheduled a June 22 hearing for arguments on whether he should approve the potential move.
"If you lose that one," Baum told Susan Freeman, attorney for prospective buyer Jim Balsillie, "I think the sale motion is dead."
Also: The 51s blew a three-run lead in the final two innings against the Nashville Sounds, losing 5-4 in Pacific Coast League play in Nashville, Tenn.
Las Vegas (15-24) led 4-1 entering the bottom of the eighth before giving up a pair of two-out RBI singles. In the ninth, Tony Gwynn scored on a throwing error, and Brendan Katin singled in the winning run off reliever Jeremy Accardo.
The 51s got a two-run Randy Ruiz homer in the third inning and a Buck Coats two-run shot in the seventh.
Jeff Gordon had an injection in his back to help ease the pain he has had for more than a year, and the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion said he'll be able to drive this weekend in the longest race of the season.
Gordon was treated in a procedure that typically calls for an injection of lidocaine or anti-inflammatory medication.
Gordon, the Sprint Cup points leader, is sore but said he's looking forward to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
Rachel Alexandra's victory in the Preakness Stakes drew the most viewers in five years to the second leg of racing's Triple Crown and the second most in 20 years.
According to Nielsen Media Research numbers released by NBC, 10.9 million people watched the race portion of NBC's Preakness coverage Saturday.
The national rating for the race was a 6.8 with a 16 share, the highest since 2004 (7.7 and 19) and the second highest since 1990 (7.9 and 23).
Russian sports authorities will more than double bonus payments for medal winners at the 2010 Winter Olympics in a bid for a record-beating performance.
Deputy Sports Minister Gennady Alyoshin said gold medal winners will receive $135,000, winners of silver will get $81,600, and bronze medalists will collect $54,400.
Jim Fassel, coach of the Las Vegas-Los Angeles franchise of the United Football League, has announced his coaching staff for the inaugural season.
Joining Fassel are Larry MacDuff as defensive coordinator and special teams coach; Charles Shelton as director of football operations and running backs coach; Donald Eck as offensive line coach; Michael Wilson as wide receivers coach; Eric Van Heusen as tights ends coach; Kevin Wolthausen as defensive line coach; Isaac Carter as defensive backs coach; and Sam Garnes as defensive assistant.
The UFL will begin play in October with four franchises -- Las Vegas-Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and San Francisco.
Southern California won its 17th NCAA men's tennis tournament with a 4-1 victory over Ohio State in College Station, Texas.
On the women's side, Duke rolled to its first crown, winning 4-0 over California, which lost to UCLA in the final last season.
