In Brief

COLLEGES

UConn basketball on notice
for lack of academic progress

The NCAA has put Connecticut on notice -- improve in the classroom or face tougher penalties.

The UConn men's basketball team was one of six BCS teams sanctioned Tuesday for subpar marks in the NCAA's annual Academic Progress Rates report. The Associated Press reported last week that the Huskies will lose two scholarships for the upcoming season because of the APR report.

And if the grades don't get better, the punishment for the reigning national champions could get worse.

The APR measures classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team. Teams scoring below the 925 cutline can face penalties, though the NCAA does grant waivers. This year's data covers 2006-07 through 2009-10. A perfect score is 1,000.

UNLV's score was a program-best 977.

UConn posted the second-lowest score of any BCS team in the three major sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Jim Calhoun's Huskies posted an 893, down from 930 last year and only one point higher than the Arkansas men's basketball team (892). Butler, the national runner-up, had a perfect 1,000.

UConn's score also prompted the NCAA to notify the school it was in danger of facing the harsher historical penalties if the APR number doesn't go up next year.

Also: J.J. O'Brien, a 6-foot-7-inch swingman who transferred from Utah after his freshman year, said he orally committed to San Diego State. O'Brien also considered a scholarship offer from UNLV.

Southern California claimed its third straight NCAA men's tennis title, edging Virginia 4-3 at Stanford, Calif. In the women's final, Florida beat Stanford 4-3 to snap the Cardinal's 184-match home winning streak, dating to 1999.

HOCKEY

Atlanta mayor doesn't expect
Thrashers to remain in town

The Atlanta Thrashers' sale and move to Winnipeg is not official, but Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed talked as if losing the team is inevitable.

"I think anytime we lose a major sports franchise, it is tough," Reed said.

This would not be the first time longtime Atlanta hockey fans have suffered the pain of losing a team to Canada. Atlanta lost its first NHL team in 1980 when the Flames moved to Calgary.

Reed said the city was willing to work to keep the Thrashers but had no success in its search for a buyer to keep the team in Atlanta. Reed's office joined the Thrashers' ownership group, called the Atlanta Spirit, in the search.

Also: The Detroit Red Wings scheduled a news conference for today amid speculation that defenseman Brian Rafalski will retire.

Rafalski, 37, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist. He was limited by injuries to a career-low 63 games this season, finishing with four goals.

Chicago Blackhawks Hall of Famer Stan Mikita said he has been diagnosed with stage 1 oral cancer, but his doctor said the prognosis is "excellent."

Mikita, 71, had 541 goals and 926 assists in a 21-season career, all with Chicago, playing on one Stanley Cup winner and earning league Most Valuable Player honors in 1967 and 1968.

MISCELLANEOUS

Woods on crutches, but says
he'll be ready for U.S. Open

Tiger Woods said he'll be ready for the U.S. Open. Good thing for Woods there's time to get healthy.

The golfing great hasn't hit a ball in about two weeks. Woods needs crutches and a walking boot for relief on his aching left leg. He won't even start leg training until the end of next week.

But Woods expects to play in the U.S. Open from June 16 to 19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

"You just play through these things," Woods said. "There's a difference between being in pain and being injured."

Meanwhile, Mark Steinberg, the agent for Woods the last 12 years and head of the IMG golf division, did not renew his contract and is no longer with the sports management company.

IMG announced a reorganization of its golf division, with Steinberg no longer involved. The move could lead to Woods leaving Cleveland-based IMG, which has represented him his entire career.

He was negotiating a new deal with IMG when talks broke down, according to two officials aware of the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information.

Also: To chants of "Sign him up," David Beckham made a one-off return to Manchester United to mark the end of best friend Gary Neville's career in a friendly against Juventus.

The former England captain reprised his partnership on the right flank with defender Neville that worked so well for club and country through the 1990s and early 2000s. However, United lost 2-1 to Juventus.