Long Beach State hires Monson

Long Beach State has hired former Minnesota and Gonzaga coach Dan Monson as head basketball coach, 49ers Athletic Director Vic Cegles said Friday.

The school will make the formal announcement today at a news conference.

Monson had a 118-106 record in seven-plus seasons with the Golden Gophers before resigning in November after a 2-5 start.

Before that, he was 52-17 in two seasons at Gonzaga. He helped put the Bulldogs in the national spotlight with a run to the West Regional final in the 1999 NCAA tournament.

“We hired a great guy who fits our institution and happens to be a great basketball coach,” Cegles said.

Monson, 45, replaces Larry Reynolds, whose contract was not renewed last month after he coached the 49ers to a 24-8 record, the Big West Conference championship and into the NCAA tournament.

-- Peter Yoon

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Kentucky named Billy Gillispie as its sixth coach in the last 76 years. Gillispie led Texas A&M; to the NCAA tournament’s round of 16 this year for the first time since 1980.

He succeeds Tubby Smith and agreed to a seven-year contract that will pay him $2.3 million a year in base salary, athletic department spokesman Scott Stricklin said.

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The 31st Annual Wooden Award, presented to the top male and female college basketball players in the nation, will be announced today at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Kevin Durant of Texas, Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, Acie Law IV of Texas A&M;, Greg Oden of Ohio State and Alando Tucker of Wisconsin are the finalists for the men’s honor.

Sylvia Fowles of Louisiana State, Lindsey Harding of Duke, Ivory Latta of North Carolina, Courtney Paris of Oklahoma and Candace Parker of Tennessee are the women’s finalists.

Former Purdue coach Gene Keady will also be honored with the Legends of Coaching award.

-- Peter Yoon

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Kansas State assistant Frank Martin was named head coach. He replaces Bob Huggins, who resigned Thursday after one season to take over at West Virginia, his alma mater.

TENNIS

Roddick, Blake give U.S. lead over Spain

Andy Roddick and James Blake gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Spain in a Davis Cup quarterfinal match at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Roddick defeated Fernando Verdasco, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-4, after Blake beat Tommy Robredo, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

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Venus Williams was eliminated from the Baush & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla., losing her quarterfinal match to eighth-seeded Tatiana Golovin, 6-2, 6-3. Golovin will next play sixth-seeded Ana Ivanovic, who defeated second-seeded Jelena Jankovic, 7-5, 6-3.

PRO FOOTBALL

Ricky Williams applies for NFL reinstatement

Ricky Williams, the former NFL star who played in Canada last season after being suspended for a year for substance abuse, has applied for reinstatement. The NFL confirmed that Williams had sought reinstatement, for which he will be eligible after April 27, when he will have been suspended for a year.

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A month after he was released by the Houston Texans, David Carr agreed to terms on a two-year contract to play for the Carolina Panthers. Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, will serve as Jake Delhomme’s backup.

MOTOR RACING

Tracy wins provisional pole for Champ Car race

Paul Tracy, the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion, won the provisional pole for Sunday’s season-opening Vegas Grand Prix with a time of 1 minute 19.784 seconds (110.097 mph).

Tracy was followed by rookie Simon Pagenaud at 1:19.998 (109.803). Three-time defending champion Sebastien Bourdais was third at 1:20.197 (108.530),

MISCELLANY

Alinghi increases lead in standings with win

Defending America’s Cup champion Alinghi of Switzerland won its third straight fleet race at Valencia, Spain, to increase its lead in the Louis Vuitton Act 13 standings. Alinghi leads the standings with 55 points, eight more than Emirates Team New Zealand.

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North Dakota sophomore Ryan Duncan won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation’s top college hockey player.

PASSINGS

Charles Werstler, 88, longtime horse trainer

Charles Werstler, a longtime trainer who sent jockey Pat Day to the first of his 95 stakes victories at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Ky., has died. He was 86. He died Thursday in Nashville. The cause of death was not disclosed.