European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 38 stars and stripes saturday March 24 2007 Kentucky Smith off to Minnesota by Jon Krawczynski the associated press Minneapolis Kentucky Tubby Smith will be the University of Minnesota new basketball coach a Minnesota school official said thursday the official spoke on condition of anonymity because Minnesota had not yet announced the hire the gophers fired coach Dan Monson in november Smith met with the Kentucky players earlier thursday Basket Ball spokesman Scott Stricklin said Stricklin said he didst know what Smith told the players and had no further comment the news was first reported by esp com and sitcom the wildcats went 2212 this season and made it to the Mcaa tournament losing in the second round to Kansas Smith took Over at Kentucky when Rick Pitino left for the bos ton celtics after winning the National title in 1996 and reaching the title game in 1997 Smiths first team in 1998 won the Mcaa tournament but that was the last time one of his teams reached the final four his last two teams were his worst going 2213 and 2212 marking the fifth time in eight seasons that Kentucky suffered double digit losses in a sea son Smith who also coached four years at Tulsa and two at Georgia was 26383 in 10 seasons at Ken Tucky and is 387145 Overall Smith will take Over a Minnesota program that struggled for years under Monson who was hired to rehabilitate the gophers program after an academic scan dal under former coach Clem Haskins Tubby Smith Monson cleaned up the pro Gram but the gophers didst win hired from Gonzaga in 1999 Monson was forced to resign seven games into his eighth sea son with a 118106 record and one Mcaa tournament appearance Monson failed to keep a hand Ful of Instate High school stars from choosing other schools and  Field a consistent team Many of his starting lineups were cobbled together with trans fers and the gophers never found the cohesiveness needed to become a top big ten team la Russa charged with dui the associated press Jupiter Fla St Louis cardinals manager Tony la Russa was arrested thursday on a Drunken driving charge after police said they found him asleep in Side his running sport Utility vehicle at a Stop Light the 62yearold la Russa gave two Bream samples and had a blood alcohol Content of 0093 per cent Jupiter police said in a state ment Florida Legal driving limit is 008 percent undercover officers saw la Russas Sun partly in an intersection around Midnight and not moving despite two Green lights police said officers knocked on the vehicles window and la Russa did not initially respond the Sun was in drive and run Ning with la Russas foot on the Brake police said when he eventually woke up the officers asked him to get out of the car la Russa was booked into the Palm Beach county jail on the Misdemeanour count about four hours later according to police and jail records he was released about am after posting Cash Bond said Paul Miller a Palm Beach county sheriffs of fice spokesman Mcroberts declares for Aba Durham no Duke for Ward Josh Mcroberts declared himself eligible for the Aba draft thursday several online draft projections have Mcroberts one of two soph Omore team captains for Duke As an Earl to midair Stroud pick the draft is june 28 in new York Mcroberts averaged 13 Points and a Tea leading 79 rebounds for the Blue devils it was not immediately Clear whether he has hired an agent underclassmen who do not sign with agents have until june 18 to withdraw from the draft and re turn to school sports briefs Bucks Bogut Villanueva out Milwaukee Milwaukee Bucks Center Andrew Bogut and Forward Charlie Villanueva will miss the rest of the season be cause of injuries Bogut missed a game for the first time in his career wednes Day night against the los Angeles clippers because of a sprained left foot the Bucks announced that neither player would return this season the second year Center was Hurt against the los Angeles Lak ers on March 7 he reinsured his foot in practice on tuesday it became a Point where after every game he was in pain Bucks general manager Larry Harris said Villanueva also a second year player has developed recurrent right shoulder pain that will re quire arthroscopic surgery its More exploratory Harris said of the surgery it could be a Short amount of time it could be a longer amount of time sonics without Allstar Allen Seattle Ray Allens sea son May be headed for an Early conclusion Seattle Allstar guard sat out wednesday night because of continued pain and discomfort from Bone spurs in his left ankle and indicated before the game against Washington that surgery is be coming More of an option surgery to remove the spurs is the Likely solution to Allens pain and that May happen before the season ends us in hoops qualifier Las vegas the United states basketball team will open qualifying for the 2008 olympics against Venezuela in the Fiba americas tournament Brazil Canada and the us Vir Gin islands were placed in the same group As the americans in a draw held wednesday the tournament will be held from aug 22sept 2 at the Tho Mas Mack Center the top two teams will earn spots in Beijing while the teams finishing third through fifth have another Chance in a qualifying tournament to be held in july 2008 each team plays the other four teams in its group with the top four finishers advancing to the second round Roddick Blake to Lead us Andy Roddick and James Blake were selected wednesday for the us Davis cup team that will face Rafael Nadal and Spain on an indoor hard court in next months quarterfinal Captain Patrick Mcenroe will also go with the worlds to ranked doubles team of Broth ers Bob and Mike Bryan for the matches in Winston Salem no the us which Hast won the Davis cup since 1995 beat the czech Republic 41 in the first round last month with Roddick winning the decisive match Schaub in Carr out Houston David Carr is out As the starting quarterback of the Houston texans the texans acquired Matt Schaub in a Trade with Atlanta on thursday and said for the first time publicly that Carrs five year tenure As the starter is Over Matt is our starting Quarter Back general manager Rick Smith said were trying to help David find another place were trying to Trade him today maybe the next couple of Days Carr became the face of this expansion team when he was drafted no 1 Overall in 2002 he won his opener but the texans have gone 2456 Over five years never posting a winning record hous ton was 610 last season Experiment Over sox name Papelbon closer the associated press Clearwater Fla Jonathan Papelbon conversion from closer to starter didst last Long Papelbon is heading Back to Bostons bullpen to fill a major void though Hes int doing it be cause an injury to Mike Timlin left the red sox without a closer i Haven been sleeping Well because theres been that feeling deep Down in my heart that i wanted to close Papelbon said after the Phillies and red sox played to a 44 tie in 10 innings on thursday Papelbon is coming off a sensational Rookie season in which he had 35 saves and an 092 Era the 26yearold right hander was slated to be part of a Strong Start ing rotation but the red sox need a reliable closer because the 41yearold Timlin has a strained Side muscle and int going to be ready to Start the season Papelbon made the decision to Tell manager Terry Francona How he Felt about returning to his Clos ers role earlier this week after consulting with his family and speaking to Catcher Jason Varitek Hes unique Francona said Hes at the top of the list of relievers in baseball he impacts the game like no other in thrilled we have a Young Guy that feels enthusiastic about doing a Job Papelbon allowed one run and two hits in three innings against Philadelphia Karim Garcias rib single in the seventh off Papelbon tied the game at 4 Julian Tavarez will take Over As Bostons fifth starter behind a staff that includes Curt Schilling Josh Beckett Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield Papelbon opened last season with 20 consecutive saves after taking Over for injured closer Keith Foulke he blew six of his last 21 chances and he was shut Down for the final month with shoulder problems Overall Papelbon Rookie year was one for the Ages Papelbon shoulder injury led the club to switch him Back to the starting rotation because the Rou Tine of having to be prepared to pitch every Day and being in games two or three consecutive nights might have caused some stress this is something i want to do for the rest of my career he said it has nothing to do with Tim Lins health or us not having a closer or my shoulder i broke into the league As a closer they drafted me As a closer in College i Learned to pitch in the bullpen its where my heart is Sosa too focused on present to reflect on past Sammy Sosa Doest want to look Back at his time in Chicago just yet Hes too Busy preparing for the season with the Texas rangers Sosa got some Boos and cheers in his return to the cubs Spring training Home wednesday he went lfor3 and the cubs beat the rangers 117 on Daryle wards grand slam in the Bottom of the ninth inning Chicago i played so Many years but i got to step away and Spring training focus Here in Texas this is the team that gave me the Opportunity Sosa said in Mesa Ariz starting in right Field Sosa grounded into a Force out legged out an infield single and hit a hop per that took a wild Bounce be fore cubs shortstop Ronny cede no reached up and made a Nice play before throwing him out sos As still batting 410 this Spring Yankees wont extend Arod Tampa Fla the new York Yankees dont intend to offer Alex Rodriguez a contract Exten Sion leaving him the option of opt ing out of his Deal after the season and becoming a free agent Alex has a significant con tract the most significant in base Ball history Yankees general manager Brian Cash Nan said wednesday he has a decision to make its in his contract its a right Hes earned Rodriguez has four seasons left in the record million 10year agreement he signed with Texas before the 2001 season under the terms of the Deal Rodriguez can terminate it after this season he also can stay for 2008 and have the right to opt out of the final two seasons if the Yan Kees dont boost his salary to million annually if he exercises it Hes a free agent if he Doest Hes not Cashman said wed love to have him stay with us Furcal injures ankle Vero Beach Fla los an Geles dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal injured his left ankle thursday in the first inning of an exhibition game against the Balti More orioles and was taken to a Hospital for rays Corey Patterson opened the game by hitting a Fly Ball to Short Center Furcal and Jason Repko both went for the Ball and after Repko Dove for it Furcal made the catch leaping Over the Center fielder Furcal landed awkwardly and grabbed his ankle we do know that its a sprained left ankle team spokes Man Josh Rawitch said he went to the Hospital and were awaiting an update twins Mauer sidelined Minneapolis Minnesota twins Catcher Joe Mauer has a stress reaction in his left leg the team said thursday the twins described the injury As a precursor to a stress Frac Ture they discovered the injury after Mauer complained of sore Ness in the leg Mauer last seasons american league batting Champion Hurt his left knee in his Rookie season in 2004 Mauer was to be treated with a Bone stimulator and physical ther apy and was to be reevaluated sunday twins spokesman Mike Herman said basically All that we know right now is they caught it Early obviously before it turned into a stress fracture Herman said there shutting him Down until sunday