COLLEGE BASKETBALL

CONNECTICUT VAULTS TO TOP OF AP POLL With no more unbeaten teams left, Connecticut took over the no. 1 spot in the Associated Press college basketball poll yesterday. Two days after Duke, Florida, and Pittsburgh lost, the Huskies moved from no. 3 to the top of the rankings for the sixth time in school history and the first since January 2004. The Blue Devils, Gators, and Panthers were the last three undefeated Division I teams.

The Huskies are one of seven Big East teams in the Top 25, tying the record for most schools from one conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten have each done it twice.

Duke, which had been no.1 since the preseason poll, dropped one spot after losing 87-84 at Georgetown on Saturday. The win sent the Hoyas into the Top 25 for the first time since December 31, 2001.

Florida, second in the poll the last two weeks, dropped to no.5 after losing 80-76 at Tennessee on Saturday. The win got the Volunteers back in the rankings after being out for four weeks.

Pittsburgh lost 55-50 at St. John’s on Saturday and fell from ninth to no. 12.

Connecticut received 64 first-place votes and 1,790 points from the 72-member national media panel. The Huskies have spent a total of 21 weeks at no. 1. The longest run was 10 straight polls in 1998-99, when they won the first of their two national championships.

MARYLAND SUSPENDS TOP SCORER FOR SEASON Maryland senior guard Chris McCray has been suspended for the rest of the season because of academic reasons, leaving the no. 18 Terrapins without their top scorer and defensive catalyst. McCray was averaging 15.2 points, reaching double figures in 15 of 16 games this season. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds, ranked second on the team with 57 assists, and was tied for the lead with 35 steals.

With the 6-foot-5 shooting guard leading the way, the Terrapins have compiled a 13-4 record, including 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The school announced the suspension yesterday. McCray will be unavailable at the start of the spring semester, which begins Wednesday.

BASEBALL

REPORT: BONDS WON’T PLAY IN WORLD CLASSIC After initially saying he would play in the World Baseball Classic in March, Giants slugger Barry Bonds said yesterday that he had changed his mind and would instead focus on his upcoming U.S. baseball season, according to a report on Reuters.

“After much thought and discussion with my family I have decided to remove myself from the upcoming World Baseball Classic roster,” Bonds, who could move into second place for career home runs this season, said in a statement on his website.

ASTROS INTEND TO FILE INSURANCE CLAIM ON BAGWELL The Houston Astros intend to file a health insurance claim on Jeff Bagwell’s contract, arguing that the four-time All-Star is too hurt to play this season. Bagwell is guaranteed about $17 million in 2006 whether he plays or not. But if he retires or is deemed unable to play, the Astros can file the claim by January 31 and collect $15.6 million.

The 37-year-old Bagwell missed 115 games last season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. Doctors who examined him earlier this month told the Astros he’s still not ready and the team decided to move forward with the claim.

Bagwell, meanwhile, has been undergoing intense rehabilitation since the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series and said on January 13 that he plans to play a 16th season.

NEW REDS OWNER FIRES GM O’BRIEN General manager Dan O’Brien was fired yesterday by new Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini, his first major change since he took control of the team. O’Brien was entering his third season as general manager and had a year to go on his contract. The Reds are coming off their fifth consecutive losing season, their longest such streak in 50 years.

Castellini said he was leaning toward changing general managers when major league owners approved the Reds’ sale last Thursday. He met with O’Brien on yesterday and told him he wanted to bring in his own baseball executive.

Castellini expects to interview between six and eight candidates during the next three or four weeks.

– Associated Press