Williams and Redick Win National Honors

North Carolina and Duke can get along.

Roy Williams, the coach of the Tar Heels, and J.J. Redick, the star guard of the Blue Devils, had good things to say about each other Friday when they received awards from the Associated Press as the national coach and player of the year.

“When you talk about Duke as a coach, you talk about stopping J.J.,” Williams said. “The things he did were amazing and it’s going to be a long time before we see a player like him again.”

Redick, a repeat All-American, finished as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time leading scorer and the NCAA career leader in three-point field goals.

“Coach Williams did a great job this season at North Carolina, but you did ruin my senior night,” Redick said, referring to a loss to the Tar Heels in his final home game.

Redick is the record sixth Duke player to win the award, with five winners coming since 1992. The award was first presented in 1961. Redick received 43 votes from the 72-member national media panel that selects the weekly top 25.

Adam Morrison of Gonzaga, who beat Redick in a season-long scoring race, got the other 29 votes in balloting conducted before the NCAA tournament.

TENNIS

Federer, Ljubicic Reach Final at Key Biscayne

Even with one brief lapse, Roger Federer needed only 59 minutes to reach the Nasdaq-100 Open final, beating David Ferrer, 6-1, 6-4, at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Defending champion Federer fell behind 3-0 in the second set but rallied to improve his record to 27-1 this year. His opponent Sunday will be sixth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, who advanced to his first final in the U.S. by beating No. 3 David Nalbandian, 6-1, 6-2.

Federer has won his last six meetings against Ljubicic, although three times they split sets. Federer leads overall, 9-3.

The women’s final today will be an all-Russian matchup between fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova and 12th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, each bidding for her first Key Biscayne title.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Back Surgery Goes as Expected for Booty

USC quarterback John David Booty had back surgery and is expected to return in time for training camp in August.

According to a USC official, Dr. Robert Watkins performed a “microscopic discectomy,” on Booty for a bulging disk that has bothered the quarterback since high school. Coach Pete Carroll said Watkins also removed an unspecified fragment during the procedure.

Booty, a fourth-year junior, had not practiced since suffering back spasms after the first spring workout on March 21.

He is expected to be out at least eight weeks.

-- Gary Klein

*

JURISPRUDENCE

Twins’ Liriano Charged With Drunk Driving

Minnesota Twin pitcher Francisco Liriano was arrested and charged with drunk driving in Cape Coral, Fla., but his team said he could begin the season with the club. The 22-year-old left-hander was released on $500 bond. He is to return to Cape Coral for a court date that has not yet been scheduled.

Former featherweight champion Naseem Hamed pleaded guilty in Sheffield, England, to dangerous driving in connection with an accident that left one man seriously injured.

MOTOR RACING

Johnson Wins Pole for Nextel Cup Race

Jimmie Johnson produced a pole-winning run of 96.736 mph at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in his Hendrick Chevrolet, barely beating Jamie McMurray for the top spot in Sunday’s Direct TV 500 Nextel Cup race.

McMurray circled NASCAR’s shortest track in his Ford at 96.696. Tony Stewart was third at 96.632.

The pole is the ninth of Johnson’s career and the first for Hendrick Motorsports this season, and it came at the track where Johnson’s teammate, Jeff Gordon, won both races in 2005.

MISCELLANY

Sanderson to Coach Iowa State Wrestlers

Olympic champion Cael Sanderson was hired as Iowa State’s wrestling coach, taking over a team that Bobby Douglas ran for 14 seasons.

Sanderson, a 2004 gold medalist and four-time NCAA champion, is the only wrestler in NCAA history to finish his career undefeated (159-0).

The Minnesota Vikings chose not to match an offer sheet to wide receiver Nate Burleson, allowing him to join his hometown Seattle Seahawks, Viking vice president Rob Brzezinski confirmed. Burleson signed an offer sheet last week for a seven-year deal worth up to $49 million.

Brazilian soccer club Atletico Paranaense said former coach Lothar Matthaeus left without paying almost $6,000 in phone bills. Matthaeus resigned on March 20 citing “personal reasons of great urgency.”

Chico State has canceled the remaining 20 games of its softball season because of an off-campus party where a 17-year-old recruit overdosed on alcohol.

Washington pitcher Tim Lincecum struck out 18 and gave up only two hits in 5-0 complete-game victory over UCLA in the Bruins’ Pacific 10 Conference baseball opener at Seattle.