BASKETBALL

REPORT: PAUL TO BE NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul, who led all first-year players in points, assists, steals, and other categories, will be named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. A person within the league told the Associated Press of Paul’s award yesterday on condition of anonymity because the official announcement was scheduled for Wednesday.

Paul was drafted as the no. 4 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, and he quickly emerged as one of the Hornets’ best players. Among rookies, he ranked first in points (16.1), assists (7.8), steals (2.2), double-doubles (21), minutes played (36.4), and triple doubles (2).With Paul running the show, the Hornets improved from 18 wins last season to 38 this season and stayed in the playoff chase until the final week of the season. He joined Brevin Knight (1997-98) as the only NBA rookies ever to lead the league in steals, with 175.

The selection was hardly a surprise. Paul, who left Wake Forest after his sophomore season, won all six Rookie of the Month honors in the Western Conference and was the only unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie Team last week. Others selected to that team by league head coaches were Toronto’s Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut, Utah’s Deron Williams, and the Knicks’ Channing Frye.

BOXING

JUDAH’S LICENSE REVOKED FOLLOWING BRAWL Nevada boxing regulators revoked Zab Judah’s license and fined him $250,000 yesterday, the harshest penalty yet for a melee that broke out at last month’s welterweight title fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Judah was punished for landing a punch to the back of Mayweather’s head in the April 8 IBF title bout and for joining the fracas that ensued when Mayweather’s trainer and uncle, Roger Mayweather, burst into the ring.

The Nevada Athletic Commission also revoked the license of Judah’s father and trainer,Yoel Judah, and fined him $100,000 for being the second person to illegally rush into the ring and for punching Roger Mayweather.

The scuffle broke out after Judah hit Mayweather with a low blow and rabbit punch that left the undefeated boxer buckled over in agony in the 10th round. Referee Richard Steele later ruled the low blow was unintentional and – after clearing people and debris – he allowed the fight to go on. Mayweather (36-0) went on to win a unanimous decision and was crowned champion.

SOCCER

IRAN BANS WOMEN FORM SOCCER GAMES Iran’s women will be barred from attending soccer games, a reversal by the president that comes a month before the national team plays in the World Cup. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ruled in April that he would allow women to go to soccer games and sit in a separate section of the stands. He wanted to “improve soccer-watching manners and promote a healthy atmosphere.” But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who under the Islamic Republic’s constitution has the final say – opposed the move.

Ahmadinejad’s decision to allow women into stadiums had provoked outrage among hardline Shiite Muslim clerics, who supported his election last year and who have tightly controlled Iranian society since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran’s Islamic law imposes stringent restrictions on women. They need a male guardian’s permission to work or travel, and have rarely been allowed to attend public sports events.

GOLF

FURYK CRACKS TOP FIVE With his playoff victory in the Wachovia Championship on Sunday,Jim Furyk earned enough World Ranking points to surpass Ernie Els for fifth place on the list. Furyk was previously ranked seventh in the world. According to the Offficial World Golf Ranking Web site, this marks the first time in the last six seasons that Els has been ranked outside of the top five.

– Associated Press