AROUND THE NATION

St. John’s sophomore guard Erick Barkley, who sat out three games this season for two NCAA rules violations, was reinstated and will be available for the 18th-ranked Red Storm’s regular-season finale at Miami Sunday. Barkley must give back $3,500 of his tuition, which is approximately $22,000. The restitution is for the amount St. John’s said Barkley received from Riverside Church, a New York AAU program for which he played. . . . Chris Porter won’t accompany No. 19 Auburn to Arkansas because the school does not think the suspended star will be reinstated in time for Sunday’s game. . . . Temple center Kevin Lyde was suspended while the university investigates possible NCAA rules violations. At issue is whether Lyde’s family or his AAU coach paid for a high school summer course he took in 1997. . . . New Mexico protested the Mountain West Conference’s decision to suspend only Lobo senior Roland Hannah for fighting with a Colorado State player during Thursday’s game.