In Brief

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Four TCU football players arrested in drug sting

Authorities arrested 17 students at Texas Christian University on Wednesday as part of a six-month drug sting, an especially embarrassing blow to the school because it included four members of the high-profile football team.

Arrest warrants painted a startling picture of the Horned Frogs, with a handful of players who allegedly arranged marijuana sales after class or around practice and who told police that most of the team had failed a surprise drug test two weeks ago.

According to police, players sold undercover officers marijuana during the season and as recently as last week.

"There are days people want to be a head football coach, but today is not one of those days," coach Gary Patterson said in a prepared statement. "As I heard the news this morning, I was first shocked, then hurt, and now I'm mad."

The 17 people arrested were caught making "hand-to-hand" sales of marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription drugs to undercover officers, police said. They said the bust followed an investigation prompted by complaints from students, parents and others.

Three prominent defensive players on the team were arrested: linebacker Tanner Brock, the leading tackler two seasons ago; defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey; and cornerback Devin Johnson. The other player is offensive lineman Ty Horn.

Also: The NCAA has, for the first time, posted credentials for every Division I team to add transparency to the process of selecting the 68 teams for the NCAA Tournament.

To help fans and media understand the selection process, the NCAA has added links on its website (www.ncaa.com) that rank teams by RPI and team sheets that break down the raw numbers for every game played.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun will miss at least two more games while he receives treatment for his ailing back.

Calhoun, who sat out the team's past four games -- including Wednesday's 80-54 win over DePaul -- as a result of spinal stenosis, will miss Saturday's game against Marquette and Monday's game against Villanova.

Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson has agreed to become the next commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, a person with knowledge of the hiring told The Associated Press.

Benson has been WAC commissioner since 1994, and spent four years as commissioner of the Mid-American Conference before that. He will take over for outgoing Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters, who is retiring this summer.

The 13th-ranked UNLV men's golf team shot 10-under-par 278 to stand in third place after the first day of the John Burns Intercollegiate at Turtle Bay Resort's Arnold Palmer Course in Kahuku, Hawaii.

California leads after an 18-under 270. New Mexico is second, four shots back, followed by the Rebels, and then Duke and Southern Methodist tied for fourth at 6-under 282.

Kevin Penner led UNLV with a 5-under 67 and is tied for fifth, two strokes behind leader Julian Suri of Duke. Blake Biddle is also in the top 10 for UNLV after a 68.

The UNLV men's swimming and diving team was tied with Wyoming for first place with 74 points after the first day of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Long Beach, Calif.

Only two events were held, with the Rebels' foursome of Charlie Tapp, Andrew Morrell, Cody Roberts and Steven Nelms winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 26.16 seconds, and the quartet of Coleman Allen, Balint Batka, Giacomo Gremizzi and Tyler Bush placing second in the 800 freestyle in 6:44.63.

UNLV's Carmen Robb was named Mountain West Conference Women's Swimmer of the Week.

Robb won both of her individual events in UNLV's victory over Loyola Marymount on Feb. 4 at Buchanan Natatorium. She took the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 55.13 seconds and the 100 butterfly in 56.04. She also swam on the first leg of the first-place 200 medley relay squad, which posted a time of 1:43.50.

UNLV thrower Amanda Bingson was named Mountain West Conference Women's Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week after setting a school record of 70 feet, 3½ inches Friday at the Northern Arizona Invitational in Flagstaff, Ariz.

PRO FOOTBALL

Buccaneers release injury-plagued Haynesworth

Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who signed him after injuries decimated their roster midway through last season.

General manager Mark Dominik, who announced the move, said he appreciated Haynesworth filling in for seven games after tackle Gerald McCoy was lost for the year with a torn right biceps.

While the Bucs limited the number of days he practiced to try to keep Haynesworth healthy for games, his production declined steadily in the final month of a 10-game losing streak that claimed the job of former coach Raheem Morris. Haynesworth's base salary for next season would have been more than $6 million, so his release didn't come as a surprise.

Also: "Monday Night Football" is switching to a two-man booth.

Analyst Ron Jaworski signed a five-year contract extension to appear on other programming on ESPN and no longer will join play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and color commentator Jon Gruden on Monday nights, the network said.

Jaworski, a former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, will work various ESPN studio shows year-round, often focusing on his specialty of breaking down video.

Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey said Brian Urlacher was simply being honest when he told HBO he would hide concussion symptoms from team doctors.

He also was quick to point out his star linebacker didn't say that was the right thing to do. Urlacher caused a stir when he told HBO during a "Real Sports" taping that he wouldn't be honest with team doctors if he thought he had a concussion.

McCaskey said players don't want to let down teammates and coaches, that they have a "warrior mentality."

The Denver Broncos signed third-year free-agent guard C.J. Davis, who will reunite with coach John Fox. Davis played for Fox in Carolina in 2010, when he appeared in seven games.

Jerome Messam, a 1,000-yard rusher for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League last year, signed with the Miami Dolphins.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wranglers fall to Grizzlies on McIlveen's two goals

Paul McIlveen scored two goals, including the tiebreaker on a power play 9:38 into the third period, as the Utah Grizzlies beat the Wranglers 3-1 in an ECHL game in West Valley City, Utah.

Scott Campbell's goal at 7:47 of the first period gave the Wranglers (31-17-5, 67 points) a 1-0 lead, but McIlveen countered about six minutes later with the first of two power-play goals for the Grizzlies (21-23-5, 47). Jeff LoVecchio added an empty-net goal for Utah with 13 seconds left.

Also: Clippers guard Chauncey Billups underwent a successful surgery in Colorado to repair his torn left Achilles tendon that cost him the remainder of his first season in Los Angeles.

The Clippers said Billups is expected to remain in Colorado for about four weeks before returning to Los Angeles to begin rehabilitation. Billups was injured in a Feb. 6 game against Orlando when he turned to run up the court and buckled.

Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, will make his first start since June on Saturday in a $60,000 turf allowance at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Last year's Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old will make his return in a 1 1/16-mile race for nonwinners of three races other than maiden, claiming or starter. Trainer Graham Motion plans the race as a prep for a start in the Dubai World Cup on March 31.

After winning the Derby, Animal Kingdom lost to Shackleford in the Preakness by a half-length. He finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes, and it was then discovered he had a fracture in his left hind leg that required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the year.