Syracuse’s Anthony Headed to NBA

Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony, who led the Orangemen to their first national championship, will make himself available for the NBA draft.

Anthony said Thursday he will skip his last three years at Syracuse to play in the NBA.

Anthony said he delayed making the decision until after the season, preferring to focus on winning the national title.

He led the Orangemen in scoring, averaging 22 points, and broke Lawrence Moten’s freshman scoring record for points and Derrick Coleman’s freshman rebounding mark.

Anthony had a career-best 33 points and added 14 rebounds in Syracuse’s victory over Texas in the national semifinals in New Orleans earlier this month. He scored 20 points as Syracuse beat Kansas in the title game and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four -- only the third freshman to earn that honor.

Tennis

Top-seeded Andre Agassi needed less than an hour for the second consecutive match, and avenged an upset two years ago by Irakli Labadze, 6-0, 6-2, to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships at Houston.

Also reaching the quarterfinals was Mardy Fish, who beat Peruvian Luis Horna, 6-2, 6-4.

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Top-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Italy’s Filippo Volandri, 6-4, 6-4, in the third round of the Open Seat Godo at Barcelona. Argentina’s Agustin Calleri defeated third-seeded Albert Costa of Spain, 6-4, 6-2.

Golf

Fred Couples continued the quest for his first PGA Tour victory in five years with a seven-under-par 65 that gave him a one-stroke lead over Stuart Appleby in the rain-interrupted opening round of the Houston Open at Humble, Texas.

Couples had eight birdies, including five while shooting a 30 on the back nine.

Play was suspended for 3 1/2 hours early in the day and didn’t resume until shortly after noon as a line of thunderstorms passed through.

WNBA

The Sparks selected guard Jackie Stiles, formerly of the Portland Fire, in the WNBA dispersal draft of players from the now-defunct Fire and Miami Sol. Stiles was rookie of the year in 2001, when she averaged 14.9 points, but was injured for much of last season and averaged only six points.

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The Cleveland Rockers won the WNBA’s draft lottery, as the league and the players’ association worked out the final details of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Cleveland will make the first pick in the draft, tentatively scheduled to be held today at 10 a.m. PDT.

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Lisa Leslie of the Sparks will be honored today at the Women in Business Conference with the first Heart and Soul award for her contributions throughout the Southland.

Miscellany

Host Nebraska led qualifying for today’s Super Six at the women’s NCAA gymnastics championships, outscoring UCLA and defending national champion Alabama.

The Cornhuskers also celebrated their second all-around champion in four years as Richelle Simpson edged defending champion Jamie Dantzscher of UCLA.

Simpson needed to score a 9.9 on her last event, the balance beam, to defeat Dantzscher. Simpson scored a 9.925 and finished with 39.675 points, while Dantzscher finished with 39.650.

The top three teams from each session advanced.

Joining UCLA from the opening session were Michigan and Alabama.

Advancing from the evening session were Nebraska, Utah and Georgia.

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Brock Berlin was chosen the University of Miami’s starting quarterback, two weeks after spring practice ended and four months before the season begins. The 6-foot-1 junior, who transferred from Florida, beat out two-year backup Derrick Crudup in the race to replace Ken Dorsey.

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The NCAA Division I Board of directors approved several measures, including an increase in the core course requirements for incoming student-athletes for the 2008-09 academic year, from 14 to 16; new grade-point certification requirements for student-athletes; a fund for student-athletes, which will be worth $17 million in its first year and will increase by 13% each year; and modifications to the preseason football practice schedule.

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George Solomon, sports editor of the Washington Post for the last 28 years, has won one of sports journalism’s highest honors, the Red Smith Award.

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The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation will hold open tests Saturday at Long Beach State for potential competitors ages 15 and up. Details: (518) 523-1842 or www.usbsf.com.