COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ANOTHER THOMPSON TAKES OVER A DIVISION I PROGRAM Arkansas assistant Ronny Thompson was hired as Ball State’s basketball coach yesterday, the second son of former Georgetown coach John Thompson to run a Division I team. Thompson replaces Tim Buckley, who was fired March 15 after a 10-18 season, the Cardinals’ worst record in nearly two decades. Thompson’s brother, John Thompson III, just completed his second season at Georgetown, where he led the Hoyas to the NCAA regional semifinals.

Ronny Thompson, who turns 37 Friday, has spent the last three seasons at Arkansas under Stan Heath. Before that, he was an assistant at Georgetown for five seasons and worked as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1996-98.

FOOTBALL

TITANS KICK MCNAIR OUT OF PRACTICE FACILITY The Tennessee Titans told Steve McNair they don’t want him working out in their building until his contract is reworked, the quarterback’s agent said yesterday. McNair was told to go home Monday when he showed up at the team’s headquarters for the start of the third week in the Titans’ off-season conditioning program.

“You tell the guy who’s the mainstay of the organization, the leader, to get out, that he’s not wanted, that’s pretty rough,” Cook said. “I imagine he would have a hard time going back over there.”

McNair, the NFL’s 2003 co-MVP, is due $9 million in salary in 2006 – but his salary cap number is $23.46 million. The Titans declined last month to pick up a $50 million option to stretch the deal through 2009, leaving McNair with nearly a quarter of their cap space.

BILLS FINALIZE MOULDS TRADE TO TEXANS Eric Moulds agreed to a contract with Houston yesterday and said the Texans have worked out a trade to acquire him from the Buffalo Bills. Moulds, who had the Bills’ permission to seek a trade, agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract that includes a $5 million signing bonus. It’s not clear what the Texans traded to Buffalo, but it’s believed to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick in this month’s draft.

BASEBALL

SABATHIA PLACED ON DL, OUT 3-5 WEEKS Cleveland Indians ace lefty C.C. Sabathia was put on the 15-day disabled list yesterday and is expected to be out three to five weeks with a strained right oblique muscle. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia hurt himself in Sunday night’s season opener against the White Sox and had to leave in the third inning after throwing just 37 pitches.

SOCCER

MILAN, VILLARREAL ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS AC Milan advanced to the semifinals of the European Champions League last night, beating Lyon 3-1 on late goals by Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko. The score in the two game series was tied 1-1 – which would have meant elimination for AC Milan – before Inzaghi scored in the 88th minute. Shevchenko’s initial shot was tipped off a post by goalkeeper Gregory Coupet, ricocheted across the goal mouth and bounced off the other post into the penalty area before Inzaghi knocked it in. Shevchenko added a goal in injury time at San Siro, giving the Shevchenko-Inzaghi duo 108 goals in European competition, the most by a pair of teammates. AC Milan reached the semifinals for the third time in four years.

Villarreal also advanced, beating visiting Inter-Milan 1-0. The Spanish team won the two-game series on away goals after finishing tied 2-2 overall. Villarreal got its winning goal from Rodolfo Arruabarrena in the 58th minute.

In the semifinals, AC Milan will face either Barcelona or Benfica, tied 0-0 going into today’s game in Spain. Villarreal plays the winner of today’s game between Juventus of Turin or Arsenal, which won the first leg 2-0.

– Associated Press