Ohio State vs Michigan: who you got? Free the Fan will be there

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Garnett Suspended 1 game for punching Bougut

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Celtics F Kevin Garnett was suspended based on actions in Saturday's victory over the Bucks

Power Rankings: Celtics begin on top, back and ready for more

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Cardinals WR Boldin undergoes surgery to repair facial fracture

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#1 USC V. #5 OHIO ST. WHO WILL WIN ?

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U.S. finishes romp through pool field; Aussies next

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BEIJING -- The U.S. Olympic team put away Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in a hurry. Next up: the only team so far these Americans couldn't blow out. After destroying Germany 106-57 on Monday, the Americans (5-0) move on to a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday against Australia, the team that's provided them with their toughest test in China. The U.S. led by only seven points midway through the fourth quarter of an 87-76 exhibition victory in Shanghai two weeks ago over an Australian team that didn't have starting center Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks. He was resting a sore right ankle. It's hard to imagine a repeat of that semi-Shanghai surprise with the way the U.S. has played in Beijing. "Nobody is going to beat them. No way, it's just not going to happen," Germany's Chris Kaman said. Dwight Howard scored 22 points and LeBron James had 18, 16 in the first half, Monday as the United States completed an undefeated march through pool play. Not since the Dream Team rumbled through Las Ramblas 16 years ago in Barcelona has a team been this dominant. The Americans won their pool games by 32.2 points and averaged 103 points. "We feel like we're playing very well right now, but you have to keep in mind it's single elimination," Kobe Bryant said. "You can't afford any slip-ups." The only thing they might have to work on is Bryant's dunking. He blew two Monday, but hit three 3-pointers after going only 5-of-24 in the first four games. Bryant finished with 13 points as the Americans shot 55 percent from the floor and tossed in 11 more 3-pointers after making 12 in their last game. With the top seed in their group already clinched, the Americans could have come out flat like Lithuania, which entered Monday as the other unbeaten and was trounced 106-75 by Australia. Instead, they came out and flattened Germany. The Americans scored 3 seconds into the game when Howard batted the tip to James, who threw it ahead to Carmelo Anthony for a layup. That was the start of eight straight U.S. points, and the end of any suspense. Germany missed nine of its first 10 shots, including a blown dunk and a botched putback by Los Angeles Clippers center Kaman. Bryant missed a dunk, too, during that stretch, but Howard and James had consecutive slams to make it 18-3. "Going against Greece and going against Spain, it was really easy to get up for," James said. "And we could have easily came in and had one of those games where we make excuses, but we didn't take a step backwards today and that was good, it was really good." The Americans were scoring so easily, they practically got in each other's way. Chris Paul led a 3-on-1 break and threw an alley-oop that could have gone to either James or Dwyane Wade. James jumped higher and got it to lay it in, then stepped outside to hit his second 3 for a 23-5 bulge. Up 19 after one, the U.S. scored the first eight points of the second to make it 39-12. The lead was 28 after James drilled 3-pointers on consecutive U.S. possessions, and ballooned to 30 for the first time when Howard scored four straight to make it 49-19 with 3 minutes left in the half. Bryant hit the side of the rim on another slam attempt early in the third quarter, so he backed up 20 feet and tossed in back-to-back 3s for a 62-29 cushion. Howard slammed down an alley-oop from Wade right after Nowitzki checked out, turning into an 80-39 bulge with 2:41 remaining in the period. Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks All-Star, scored 14 points for Germany (1-4), which completed a disappointing Olympics. The Germans looked like contenders in a 95-66 rout of Angola in their opener, but then dropped four straight. Kaman, who joined the Germans this summer after getting German citizenship, managed just six

Cleveland cavaliers trades for Mo Williams.

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Who wins?

Schedule highlights: Season opens with champs versus King James

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The NBA's 2008-09 schedule is out ... and you know what that means. An equally anticipated document has to go with it: ESPN.com's first rundown of must-see games for the coming season to immediately input into your electronic calendar of choice. Oct. 28: Opening Night An earlier-than-usual launch to the season starts with a tasty TNT doubleheader, leading off with the new champs from Boston hosting LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers on ring night and capped by Greg Oden's long-awaited NBA debut in Blazers at Lakers. Oct. 29: Opening Night (continued) Elton Brand makes his 76ers debut in the same game that Jermaine O'Neal makes his official Raptors debut: Toronto at Philadelphia. Furtherm ore:Michael Beasley makes his pro debut at Madison Square Garden (along with Dwyane Wade's official return from injury) in Heat at Knicks, Ron Artest makes his Rockets debut in Memphis at Houston, and Oklahoma City makes its debut as a full-time NBA city with a visit from the Milwaukee Bucks. And ... ESPN dishes its own doubleheader doozy: Phoenix at San Antonio to renew year after year of recent playoff pleasantries, followed by Lakers at Clippers in a fitting bow for the Clips' new Angeleno point guard: Baron Davis. Oct. 30: Houston at Dallas (TNT) The Mavericks are one of two teams (along with Charlotte) that must wait until Thursday for their opening game, giving Mavs fans more time to fret that the Rockets' acquisition of Ron Artest reduces Dallas to the third-best team in Texas. Oct. 31: San Antonio at Portland (ESPN) The best of the Halloween fare, at least in NBA terms, is unquestionably Oden matching up with Tim Duncan. Nov. 1: Washington at Detroit (NBA TV) The league is still sorting out its full 96-game NBA TV schedule, but Wizards-Pistons has been confirmed as the opener of NBA TV's maiden doubleheader, which concludes with a Portland-at-Phoenix nightcap. [+] EnlargeJesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images If Yao can stay healthy, this could be a preview of the 2009 Finals. Nov. 4: Boston at Houston You don't have to wait long for a look at the NBA's reigning threesome of doom (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) throwing down against the new trio on the block (McGrady, Yao and Artest). P.S. How much playing time will the twins get in Phoenix at New Jersey ... also known as Robin Lopez at Brook Lopez? Nov. 5: Charlotte at New York Larry Brown returns to Madison Square Garden with his (latest) new team. We'll spare you the dates on Larry's returns to Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Indiana, Philly and Detroit. Nov. 6: Houston at Portland (TNT) Yao Ming and Oden go toe-to-toe for the first time. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 9: Houston at L.A. Lakers The denizens of Lakerland who so badly wanted to see Artest in purple and gold will get their first dose of torture early. In L.A.'s first Sunday home game of the season, actually. Nov. 10: Portland at Orlando Oden will have lined up against Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 1), Yao and Dwight Howard in a span of 10 days by the time he gets through this one. Health permitting, of course. Nov. 12: Atlanta at Boston Are the Hawks and Celtics rivals now because of what happened in the first round of the playoffs? Better question: Shouldn't Olympiacos be required to swing through Atlanta as part of the usual October spree of exhibition games against top European clubs? Nov. 13: Dallas at Chicago (TNT) Mavs owner Mark Cuban could know by this point whether he has won the race to buy the Cubs, which would make this somewhat of a home game for him and certainly spice up his relationship with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, since Reinsdorf owns the White Sox. Nov. 14: Detroit at L.A. Lakers (ESPN) What sort of reception awaits Kwame Brown at Staples Center? Just a hunch: If history is any guide, Kwame needn't expect (or want) any mention of a cake. On the undercard: Kareem Rush's Philadelphia 76ers visit brother Brandon Rush's Indiana Pacers. Nov. 18: Cleveland at New Jersey LeBron and Jay-Z! In the same building! Exactly one week before LeBron goes to MSG to hang with Spike Lee and the Knicks! Cavs fans will want to avoid online consumption of the New York tabloids for a good few days before Thanksgiving. Nov. 20: L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (TNT) Kobe, tell me how many times do you think you and Shaq will be asked about recent rapping exploits? Detroit at Boston, incidentally, isn't exactly a bland appetizer for TNT. Nov. 21: Boston at Minnesota A hamstring strain prevented KG from playing in his first visit to 'Sota as an ex-Wolf last February. Hard to see him missing two in row, though. In Philadelphia, meanwhile, Baron and Elton will be in the same building for the first time since they did not end up on the same team as so many of us expected. And over in Oklahoma City, New Orleans is in town to play the OKC TBAs for the first time, which makes

Cats' Boykins latest NBA player to bolt for Europe, signs $3.5 million deal

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After a decade in the NBA, Earl Boykins has joined the growing legion of veteran role players unable to resist the lure of European riches. Boykins' Cleveland-based agent, Mark Termini, announced Tuesday that Boykins has signed a one-year contract with Italy's Virtus Bologna. The deal, according to Termini, is worth more than $3.5 million for the 2008-09 season, which would make the 5-foot-5 guard Italy's highest-paid player. Boykins Since free agency began July 1, Boykins is the ninth player who worked in the NBA last season to bypass the tight free-agent market for role players at home and head overseas. Yet he's just the third -- following Josh Childress and Carlos Arroyo -- who played almost exclusively in the NBA before considering interest from abroad. Childress spurned a five-year offer worth an estimated $33 million from the Atlanta Hawks to sign a three-year deal worth at least $20 million from Greek power Olympiacos. With the Orlando Magic signing Anthony Johnson as Jameer Nelson's new backup, Arroyo on Monday chose to sign a three-year deal with Israeli giants Maccabi Tel-Aviv that will pay him $2.5 million net per season, with Maccabi covering Arroyo's taxes. Childress and Arroyo both have an escape provision in their contracts which enables them to return to the NBA after each of the next two seasons if they choose. All of the other players to sign with European clubs in recent weeks -- Serbia's Nenad Krstic, Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa, Argentina's Carlos Delfino and Slovenia's Bostjan Nachbar and Primoz Brezec -- played for top-level teams in Europe before coming to the NBA. Boykins had a breakout season offensively in 2006-07, averaging nearly 15 points per game for Denver and Milwaukee. But an equally limited free-agent market for rotation players in the summer of 2007 -- after he opted out of the final year of his contract, worth $3 million, with the Bucks -- prompted Boykins, 32, to wait until late January before signing with the Charlotte Bobcats. Boykins wound up playing in 36 games for the Bobcats, but he averaged just 5.1 points and shot below 40 percent from the floor (.355) for the first time since establishing himself as a full-time NBA player with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2001-02. According to Termini and co-agent Andy Bountogianis, Boykins' deal includes income from Bologna's sponsorship and marketing arms, which is not an option for NBA players because of salary-cap restrictions.

'Chemistry really good' as U.S. team arrives in China, LeBron says

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MACAU, China -- The U.S. men's basketball team is striving to be confident heading into the Beijing Games while avoiding the complacency that has sabotaged it in recent Olympics. That was the message from coach Mike Krzyzewski after he and the star-studded team arrived Monday in this southern Chinese casino enclave for its final preparations for the Beijing Games. [+] EnlargeAP Photo/Kin Cheung The U.S. Olympic basketball team runs its first practice Monday after arriving in Macau, China. The team is "trying to be very confident, but that doesn't mean overconfident," Krzyzewski said. "We don't have nothing to be complacent about," he said. "We haven't accomplished anything yet. We're in the midst of trying to accomplish." One of the Americans' most confident stars, the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, joined the team's first practice in Macau on Monday. His right ankle was taped as a precaution after he sat out the Americans' first tuneup against Canada on Friday with a sprain. "Every time we step onto the court, we know we have the talent and we know we have the strength to go out and be the best team on the court," said James, who was quoted in the recent issue of Time magazine as saying he guarantees gold for the team at Beijing. "The chemistry right now is really good," he said. James said he will play in upcoming exhibition games in Macau and Shanghai. Despite its NBA star power, the U.S. has underachieved in international competition during the past eight years. It finished sixth in the 2002 world championships and won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and at the 2006 world championships. Krzyzew skipredicted the Beijing basketball tournament will be the best ever because "world basketball has gotten to another level." "Many of the teams we face ... some will have a starting five of five NBA players," he said. "World basketball is terrific and it'll be a tough challenge for us." In its opening game at the Olympics on Aug. 10, the U.S. will face host China, which has a lineup that includes Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, who was recently traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the New Jersey Nets. [+] EnlargeAP Photo/Kin Cheung Dwyane Wade and LeBron James get their first taste of the media Monday before practice. Asked about other contenders for the Olympic title, the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade noted defending Olympic champions Argentina and reigning world champion Spain, but said, "I'm not going to say anyone else [other than the U.S.] is a favorite to win." The current squad is largely similar to the U.S. team for the 2006 world championships -- but has added Kobe Bryant and veteran Jason Kidd. U.S. team managing director Jerry Colangelo said the Americans are aware that an ad hoc team of NBA stars doesn't cut any more and noted the current squad was assembled in 2006. "The core players have been together for the last three years. In the past, all-star teams were selected," Colangelo said. "That was good enough, but that's not the case any more." Team spokesman Craig Miller said Wade, who is recovering from left knee surgery, and the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, recovering from a stress fracture to his sternum, are both healthy. Wade scored 20 points in the U.S.' 120-65 rout of Canada. In Macau, the U.S. will play Turkey on Thursday and Lithuania on Friday before moving on to Shanghai, where they will play Russia on Aug. 3 and Australia on Aug. 5

After evaluating trade, Jefferson 'excited' about being with Bucks

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The Guru

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McRobbie: Sampson hiring 'a risk that should not have been taken'

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana University's president told the NCAA infractions committee that the hiring of ousted basketball coach Kelvin Sampson was "a risk that should not have been taken." President Michael McRobbie told the committee during a private session on June 14 that Sampson had betrayed the school's trust in violating NCAA regulations on telephone calls to recruits. The text of McRobbie's statement was released Monday by the university under a public records request and was first reported by The Herald-Times of Bloomington on its Web site. Indiana University took a risk in hiring Coach Sampson and giving him a second chance following his problems at Oklahoma. It is now clear that this was a risk that should not have been taken and the university regrets doing so. -- University president Michael McRobbie The NCAA has accused Sampson of providing false and misleading information to investigators about more than 100 impermissible phone calls to recruits. Indiana announced Thursday -- the same day that athletic director Rick Greenspan said he would resign at the end of the year -- that the university faced a new NCAA allegation of failing to adequately monitor the basketball staff. Sampson, who left Indiana in February after accepting a $750,000 buyout, was under NCAA recruiting restrictions when IU hired him in 2006 because of a previous phone-call scandal at Oklahoma. McRobbie, who took over as Indiana president after Sampson was hired, told the infractions committee that Sampson's actions left the basketball program "in tatters" and that new coach Tom Crean faced rebuilding the team. "Indiana University took a risk in hiring Coach Sampson and giving him a second chance following his problems at Oklahoma," McRobbie said. "It is now clear that this was a risk that should not have been taken and the university regrets doing so." A message seeking comment from Sampson was left Monday with the sports agency that represents him. One of Sampson's assistant coaches is accused of making recruiting calls in the presence of Sampson and handing the phone to recruits and recruits' parents and coaches on recruiting trips, so they could speak to Sampson. The NCAA banned such practices when it handed down the punishment against Sampson at Oklahoma in May 2006. Sampson, now an assistant with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, has repeatedly denied he was knowingly involved in three-way calls at Indiana and disputed the NCAA's contention that he did not tell investigators the whole truth. McRobbie said in his statement by videoconference to the infractions committee meeting in Seattle that Indiana officials believed "the evidence clearly demonstrates" that Sampson and an assistant coach tried to circumvent the sanctions against Sampson. "These coaches were entrusted not just with the success of our men's basketball program, but with the good name of Indiana University," McRobbie said. "I am not just saddened, I am angry, that they betrayed that trust." McRobbie asked the infractions committee to consider that Indiana had faced no allegations of major NCAA violations in nearly 50 years as it decided what punishment to impose. In October, Indiana officials stripped the basketball team of one scholarship for next season, extended Sampson's recruiting restrictions for another year and took away a $500,000 raise that was due Sampson. But Sampson's February resignation came just days after the NCAA accused him of committing major rules infractions, rather than the secondary violations reported by the school. Indiana on Monday also released the resignation agreement signed Thursday by Greenspan, the athletic director who hired Sampson. The agreement calls for a lump-sum payment of $369,600 to Greenspan in January, followed by $4,600 payments each month next year along with $1,400 a month next year for health insurance and benefits if he does not have equivalent employment. Greenspan agreed in the deal to not sue the university, which allowed Greenspan to retain the rights "to any book he may wish to write or publish."

Jefferson-for-Yi deal all about LeBron and Nets

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Ten things that should happen in the draft … but won't

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1. Kevin Love gets love In a perfect world he'd be gone by 8 p.m. ET. But that won't happen. In any other recent draft -- with the exception of 2003 -- Kevin Love would have been an automatic top-five selection. Blame his moms and pops for not getting busy a few years earlier, because he would have had his own sweepstakes in 2005 and 2006, when Andrea Bargnani and Andrew Bogut were the top choices. Jamie Squire/Getty Images The best for Kevin McHale to get fans to forgive him for trading KG? Draft O.J. Mayo. 2. "And with the third pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves select … O.J. Mayo The whole Miami thing (Shawn Marion not opting out, Pat Riley having questions about Michael Beasley's "character," last-minute secret workouts of point guards) messed up the most perfect fit in the draft. Mayo is perfect for the Wolves. The perfect complement to Al Jefferson, the perfect mystique and sexiness to build a PR campaign around, the perfect draft pick to make up for Rashad McCants and not have Minnesota rely on Marko Jaric's eight points per game at shooting guard. The perfect player who in a few years could make a city forget the hell Kevin McHale put them through for getting rid of KG. 3. The Bucks pick anyone but Joe Alexander The center/power forward-by-committee continues. At 6-foot-8, Alexander is the type of high-risk player the Bucks have been stockpiling since the Ray Allen era ended five years ago. Still in search of that big-time big (Yi Jianlian, Bogut, Charlie Villanueva, Dan Gadzuric), the Bucks are addicted to spending high first-round draft picks on players considered "projects." Alexander is no Kevin Pittsnogle, but he's still a project. 4. The Nuggets trade J.R. Smith and a future No. 1 pick to the Sonics for the fourth pick … And draft Russell Westbrook. How beautiful would that be? Westbrook in the backcourt with AI? The enigma that has become J.R. Smith can move elsewhere, taking the mental mistakes that have haunted him in the past two playoffs. Regardless of whether Melo is in a Nuggets uniform in November or whether George Karl is the coach in January, Westbrook -- the second coming of Baron Davis -- would fit in Denver as Tim Russert did in the "Meet the Press" chair. 5. The Spurs draft a player from America Be honest, it's time for Pop to stay home. It's time for him to draft east of Crenshaw and west of Brooklyn. The Spurs need to rethink their international approach and realize that they already have two of the three best foreign players in the world, and the chances of getting one more are anorexic. It's time to find another Bowen instead of discovering the next Ginobili. The Lakers lost to Boston in six but took the Spurs out in five, so shouldn't DeAndre Jordan or Chris Douglas-Roberts seem attractive to San Antonio? 6. The Pistons pick CDR to become Rip Hamilton's protégé Every star needs an understudy, someone who can carry on his legacy. Think of how Detroit lucked out with Rodney Stuckey "studying" under Chauncey Billups this season. As one of the best backcourts of this generation starts to age, Dumars could lay the blueprint for the next phase by drafting the player everyone knows is going to be Rip reincarnated. That's much more important right now than trying to trade Sheed. 7. J.R Giddens (New Mexico) and Mike Taylor (Iowa State) hear their names In every draft, certain players remain on the board because of persistent questions about their character and professionalism. In this year's draft these two will be affected the most. (Michael Beasley also will be affected, but for him to drop from No. 2 to No. 3 is essentially irrelevant.) Each has major talent but has not been able to shake the baggage attached to him during his college career. (Taylor was kicked out of school after his junior season and played last season in the NBA Development League; Giddens was suspended at New Mexico in 2007 for "not being a good teammate.") It's always said that the "B" in NBA stands for business, not basketball. Giddens and Taylor are about to discover how real that really is. 8. The Lakers trade Lamar Odom and the 58th pick to Sacramento for Ron Artest Someone from the Lakers needs to go, and they need Ron-Ron to beat the Celtics next season. Odom is the most attractive trade bait GM Mitch Kupchak has with which the Lakers would be willing to part. 9. A GM takes a real risk on Bill Walker He's been labeled as the new Vince Carter … which may not be a good thing. Walker, if he chooses to seriously work on his game in the next three to five years, could be the steal of this draft. He could make the Vince analogies an insult. With the right team and the right amount of patience, he could be another Gerald Wallace or Jason Richardson, but more athletic and more explosive. Scary, ain't it? 10. "The Chicago Bulls select … Michael Beasley" Derrick Rose is too good to pass up, but once GM John Paxson finds out he can't move

Nets agree to trade Jefferson to Bucks for Yi, Simmons

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The New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of a trade that will send Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, according to NBA front-office sources. Yi Jefferson Simmons Sources told ESPN.com that the deal has been agreed to and submitted for league approval in advance of Thursday night's draft. No draft picks are involved in the trade, sources said. Such a swap would create an estimated $10-plus million in long-term savings for the Nets as they continue to re-shape their team after trading another mainstay -- point guard Jason Kidd -- to Dallas in February. The trade would also enable Yi to make a move to the larger media market he was hoping for this time last year, when Milwaukee drafted him out of China with the sixth overall pick. Kiki Vandeweghe, New Jersey's new general manager alongside team president Rod Thorn, is a longstanding Yi fan who has frequently likened the 7-footer's perimeter skills and potential to Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. The Bucks, meanwhile, would be supplying new coach Scott Skiles with a veteran player coming off his best season to fill a problem position. Jefferson averaged 22.7 points per game last season and played all 82 games after an injury-plagued 2006-07 season.

Curry gets three-year deal to coach Pistons, GM says

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Sources: Porter to become Suns' next head coach

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BOXINGS MVP...KELLY PAVLIK

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Pistons say Flip Saunders won't return as coach

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons say Flip Saunders will not be back as coach next season. "Decisions like this are difficult to make," team president Joe Dumars said on the team's Web site. "However, at this time, I feel it is necessary to make a change."