Thursday's Sports In Brief

Jun 11, 2010 - 8:57 AM LOS ANGELES(AP) -- The NCAA threw the book at storied Southern California on Thursday with a two-year bowl ban, four years' probation, loss of scholarships and forfeits of an entire year's games for improper benefits to Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush dating to the Trojans' 2004 national championship.

USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by the NCAA following its four-year investigation. The report cited numerous improper benefits for Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo, who spent just one year with the Trojans.

The coaches who presided over the alleged misdeeds - football's Pete Carroll and basketball's Tim Floyd - left USC in the past year.

The penalties include the loss of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacating 14 victories in which Bush played from December 2004 through the 2005 season. USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game on Jan. 4, 2005, and won 12 games during Bush's Heisman-winning 2005 season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game.

COLLEGE

DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Buffaloes have bolted from the Big 12, accepting an invitation Thursday to become the 11th member of the Pac-10 Conference.

It's the first expansion of the league since it added Arizona and Arizona State in 1978. More teams could follow Colorado from the Big 12 to the Pac-10. Reports say Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State could accept invitations soon.

Colorado's move was first reported by The Sporting News.

Before the Buffaloes jumped ship to another conference, Nebraska looked poised to become the first team to leave the Big 12, possibly exiting for the Big Ten as soon as Friday.

HOCKEY

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Guy Boucher was hired as the new coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, taking over a team that hasn't made it beyond the opening round of the NHL playoffs since winning the franchise's only Stanley Cup six years ago.

The former coach of the American Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs agreed to a contract after turning down a chance to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this week.

He replaces Rick Tocchet, who was fired April 12 after a 34-36-12 finish left the Lightning out of the playoffs for the third straight time.

At 38, Boucher becomes the youngest coach in the NHL. He led Hamilton - Montreal's top minor league affiliate - to the second-best record in the AHL this year, his first as a professional coach.

NEW YORK (AP) - NHL television ratings have bounced back from the post-lockout doldrums - and way beyond.

The clincher of the Stanley Cup finals was the most-watched and highest-rated NHL game in 36 years. The Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6, which earned them their first championship since 1961, drew a 4.7 rating and 8 share Wednesday night on NBC.

That's the best since a 7.6/27 for Game 6 of the Boston-Philadelphia series in 1974. It was 38 percent higher than the 3.4/6 for last year's Pittsburgh-Detroit Game 6 and 9 percent higher than the 4.3/8 for Game 7 in 2009.

Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time.

BASKETBALL

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The New Jersey Nets have reached an agreement in principle with Avery Johnson to become the coach of the NBA's worst team.

Nets president Rod Thorn announced the agreement on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Johnson said in a text to The Associated Press that he was taking the job as coach.

The Nets did not disclose financial terms of the three-year agreement.

The current ESPN analyst coached Dallas for three-plus seasons, going 194-70 in the regular season and 23-24 in the playoffs. He guided the Mavericks to the NBA finals in 2006, and was fired after a first-round playoff series loss to New Orleans in 2008.

TENNIS

LONDON (AP) - Andy Roddick lost to 14th-seeded Dudi Sela of Israel 6-4, 7-6 (8) Thursday in the third round of the Queen's Club grass-court tournament.

The fourth-seeded American made his earliest exit from this Wimbledon warmup since he was beaten in the first round in 2001. Roddick, a four-time champion at Queen's, lost in last year's Wimbledon final to Roger Federer.

Sela will next face Germany's Rainer Schuettler, who advanced when 11th-seeded Richard Gasquet withdrew because of a back injury.

Roddick was under pressure the entire match and failed to convert two set points in the tiebreaker before Sela won on his second match point with a backhand volley.