Associated Press
DURHAM ó Nolan Smith remains questionable for Duke’s ACC Tournament opener later this week as he recovers from a mild concussion.
Team spokesman Matt Plizga said that the point guard took part in “light basketball activities” during Tuesday’s practice but continues to be held out of full-contact work.
Smith has missed three straight games after he was hurt two weeks ago against Maryland. He collided with Dave Neal after the Terrapins’ center set a hard screen.
He opened the season as the starter at point guard but had been coming off the bench lately while scoring 8.5 points per game for the third-seeded Blue Devils (25-6). They begin tournament play Friday night against the Virginia-Boston College winner.
SEC AWARDS
First-year LSU coach Trent Johnson has been named the SEC’s coach of the year, while the Tigers’ top scorer, Marcus Thornton, is the league’s player of the year.
Other first-team All-SEC members were: Nick Calathes, Florida; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Jodie Meeks, Kentucky; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU; Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; and Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State.
BIG EAST AWARDS
NEW YORK ó DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh and Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut have been selected co-players of the year in the Big East.
Jay Wright, who led Villanova to a school-record 25 wins, was selected coach of the year for the second time.
Georgetown’s Greg Monroe was chosen Big East rookie of the year.
ARKANSAS
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ó Arkansas freshman Jason Henry has been suspended from the basketball team two days before the Razorbacks play in the SEC tournament.
Henry has played in 23 games, averaging 8.0 points. He scored a season-high 27 points against South Carolina in an 82-78 loss Feb. 21.
ROBERT MORRIS
PITTSBURGH ó A Robert Morris player was charged with simple assault after police investigated reports of a weekend fight in Pittsburgh, but the school says he can still play in today’s Northeast Conference championship game.
Mezie Nwigwe, a junior guard and the team’s leading scorer off the bench, has been mailed a court summons for a charge of simple assault, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard said.
Nwigwe was with three other Robert Morris players ó Jeremy Chappell, Rob Robinson and Velton Jonesó when police responded to a report of a fight around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday.
WOODEN
LOS ANGELES ó John Wooden has been released from the hospital after a bout with pneumonia.
UCLA, the school Wooden coached to 10 national titles, says the 98-year-old basketball great is resting at home. He was admitted to an area hospital Feb. 13.
Nan Muehlhausen, Wooden’s daughter, says her father is happy to be out of the hospital but still needs plenty of rest.