COLLEGE BASKETBALL

MEMPHIS UNANIMOUS AT NO. 1 FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK

Memphis is still the only unbeaten and still a unanimous no. 1. The Tigers (23–0), easy winners over SMU and Central Florida last week, were a runaway choice at the top of The Associated Press’ college basketball poll for a second straight week yesterday.

The last Division I team with a chance at a perfect season, Memphis received all 72 first-place votes and 1,800 points from the national media panel. The Tigers’ two-week run as a unanimous no. 1 matches Florida’s stint with all the first-place votes last season on its way to a second straight national championship.

Illinois was a unanimous no. 1 for five straight weeks — and six overall — in 2004–05.

Duke (21–1), which beat archrival North Carolina and Boston College last week, held No. 2 for a second straight week with 1,714 points.

Kansas (23–1) moved up one spot to third and Tennessee (21–2), which plays at Memphis on February 23, jumped three spots to fourth.

HOCKEY

NHL PLAYERS ARRESTED IN PURSE-STEALING INCIDENT

Ryan O’Byrne and Thomas Kostopoulos joined their Montreal teammates for practice yesterday, hours after being arrested outside a Tampa nightclub.

Police said O’Byrne, a 23-year-old rookie, was accused of stealing a woman’s purse. Right wing Kostopoulos, 29, was charged with resisting an officer.

O’Byrne was charged with felony grand theft and released after posting $2,000 bail. Kostopoulos faces a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence and was freed on $500 bail.

“You wish these things didn’t happen, but once things happen, trying to go backwards isn’t a possibility, so we move ahead,” Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said.

SAKIC, SMYTH RETURN TO ICE AT AVALANCHE PRACTICE

Colorado’s top three forwards — captain Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny — are back on the ice. Sakic went through a light skate before practice yesterday. He’s recovering from hernia surgery. Smyth is coming back from an ankle injury and Stastny from an appendectomy.

OLYMPICS

BRITISH OLYMPIC CHIEFS WILL NOT GAG ATHLETES

The British Olympic Association has “no intention of gagging” its athletes at the Beijing Games.

A day after the BOA said it would require its athletes to sign a new clause in their contracts prohibiting them from making politically sensitive remarks or gestures during the Olympics, the association clarified its stance.

“Clearly (the instructions) had been misinterpreted and we now accept they may have been open to misinterpretation,” BOA spokesman Graham Newsom said yesterday. “But there is no intention of gagging anyone. We are trying to mirror what it says in the Olympic Charter.”

Simon Clegg, the BOA’s chief executive, acknowledged that the BOA’s Team Members Agreement appeared to go beyond the provision of the Olympic Charter.

“This is not our intention nor is it our desire to restrict athletes freedom of speech and the final agreement will reflect this,” Clegg said.

BASEBALL

TONY ARMAS, METS AGREE TO MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT

Right-hander Tony Armas agreed to a minor league contract with the Mets yesterday. Armas was 4–5 with a 6.03 ERA in 15 starts and 16 relief appearances last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing 111 hits in 97 innings, striking out 73 and walking 38. The son of All-Star outfielder Tony Armas, he is 52–65 with a 4.62 ERA in nine seasons.

ROCKER SAY HE FAILED MLB DRUG TEST AND SELIG KNEW

John Rocker claims he flunked a drug test ordered by Major League Baseball in 2000 and that he, Alex Rodriguez and other Texas Rangers were advised by management and union doctors following a spring training lecture on how to effectively use steroids.

“Bud Selig knew in the year 2000 John Rocker was taking the juice,” the former pitcher said yesterday of the baseball commissioner on Atlanta radio station 680. “Didn’t do anything about it.”

Rocker was suspended for the first 14 days of the 2000 season by Selig for making racial and ethnic remarks the commissioner deemed insensitive. The penalty, originally set to cover 28 days, was reduced by an arbitrator following a grievance.

BASKETBALL

O’NEAL WINDED AFTER FIRST PRACTICE WITH SUNS

Shaquille O’Neal practiced with the Phoenix Suns for the first time yesterday, showing no sign of the hip injury that has sidelined him since January 21.

“It was different. It was very intense,” he said after the one-hour workout. “I learned a lot. Now I can see why they can go at the pace they play at. When you just do short bursts like this, then you can save it all for the game.”

Just when he will play in a game remained undecided.