IN BRIEF

Calipari to participate in hearing by phone

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari must participate in next week’s hearing on alleged major violations at Memphis, even though he isn’t considered “at risk” in the probe, an NCAA letter released by the school Friday said.

While Calipari’s presence at the meeting in Indianapolis on June 6 was requested, he will join the hearing by phone from China, where he will be on a scheduled trip.

Also: New Mexico football coach Mike Locksley, on the job less than six months, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former administrative assistant.

Sylvia Lopez filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She worked under Locksley at the Lobos football office before transferring last month, then quit her university job May 15.

UNLV tight end Luke Plante was denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, ending his college football career.

Plante was hoping to play another year after missing nearly an entire season at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., because of a knee injury.

San Diego State ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg lost for the first time this season, as Robert Morey pitched six shutout innings and Steven Proscia hit a two-run homer in Virginia’s 5-1 victory in an NCAA baseball regional in Irvine, Calif.

Strasburg (13-1), the probable No. 1 overall pick in next mont’s major league draft, struck out 15 in seven innings.

UNLV’s Lakeisha Lawson qualified for today’s finals of the 100-meter dash (11.62 seconds) and teamed with Zadia Bryant, Candise Maxwell and Shahnel Woodley to qualify for the finals of the 4×100 relay (45.63) at the NCAA West Regional track and field meet in Eugene, Ore.

Maxwell also qualified for today’s final of the 100 hurdles (13.62).

GOLF

Stricker shoots second 63, leads Crowne Plaza

Steve Stricker shot his second straight 63, giving him a 14-under-par 126 total that set a record for 36 holes at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas — yet it was barely enough to top a leaderboard filled with players taking advantage of light wind and soft greens.

Tim Clark, Vijah Singh and Sean O’Hair shot 64s and were lined up right behind Stricker: Clark was one shot back, Singh one more and O’Hair yet another.

Also: Tiger Woods will return to next week’s Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, where he is a three-time winner. He has skipped the tournament two of the last three years because of a family matter and knee surgery.

Woods has not won at Muirfield Village since claiming his third in a row in 2001.

Champions Tour newcomer Olin Browne, Lonnie Nielsen and Bruce Vaughan shot 4-under 67s to share the first-round lead of the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event in West Des Moines, Iowa.

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh and France’s Michael Lorenzo-Vera shot 5-under 69s to share the European PGA Open second-round lead at 8-under 136 in Ash, England.

David Lingmerth aced the third hole and won his match in the semifinals, helping fourth-seeded Arkansas advance to today’s NCAA men’s team championship match against Texas A&M in Toledo, Ohio.

While the Razorbacks beat eighth-seeded Georgia 3-1, seventh-seeded Texas A&M edged sixth-seeded Michigan 3-1 in the other semifinal.

PRO FOOTBALL

Judge refuses to put suspensions on hold

A federal judge in Minneapolis denied a request by the NFL Players Association to put the suspensions of five players on hold while the case over use of a banned substance is being appealed.

However, NFLPA attorney Jeffrey Kessler said it doesn’t necessarily mean the players — Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings, Charles Grant and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints and former Saints player Deuce McAllister — will miss any games at the start of the 2009 season because there could be action at the appellate court level before the season starts.

Also: Jon Jansen said he will sign a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions if he passes a physical.

Jansen said on the same day the offensive tackle was cut by the Washington Redskins that he is motivated to prove he still can contribute after injuries took a toll on his career. He wants to do it for his home state Lions.

Defensive tackle Israel Idonije agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps him with the Chicago Bears through 2011.

Idonije started three games and appeared in all 16 last season, posting career highs with 28 tackles and three sacks.

Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka is free on bond after being accused of fighting with his wife over his contact with a female friend on Facebook, police said.

Ojinnaka was charged with simple battery, said police spokesman David Schiralli in suburban Gwinnett County. Police said Ojinnaka tossed his wife down some stairs and threw her out of their house in Suwanee, Ga., late Tuesday.

MISCELLANEOUS

Jordan agrees to deal as Sixers’ new coach

The Philadelphia 76ers have found their next coach, reaching an agreement in principle with Eddie Jordan to end a search that lasted nearly three weeks.

Jordan was offered the job Friday and made the decision later that night to coach the Eastern Conference playoff team. He becomes the 22nd coach in franchise history and third since the start of last season.

The length of the contract and Jordan’s salary were not immediately known.

Also: A lawsuit that accuses New York Knicks center Eddy Curry of sexual harassment, was dismissed by a judge who ruled the case will be settled in arbitration rather than by a jury.

Curry’s former driver, David Kuchinsky, sued Curry in January, accusing him of making lewd and suggestive remarks, brandishing a gun and failing to pay $91,000 in wages and expenses.

Russia’s Denis Menchov all but wrapped up the Giro d’Italia, keeping the leader’s pink jersey after a stage that took riders up the slopes of the Mount Vesuvius volcano.

Carlos Sastre of Spain won the 19th stage with a solo attack up the steep volcano. Lance Armstrong fell midway through the stage, but was unhurt and got back on his bike after repairs.

Menchov crossed fourth with the same time as Danilo Di Luca, keeping an 18-second lead in the overall standings.

South Carolina beat Alaska 5-0 in Greenville, S.C., to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 ECHL Kelly Cup finals.