Murphy High basketball player dies during game

DeShawn Newton, a freshman from Los Angeles Murphy High, died Saturday during an Amateur Athletic Union boys’ basketball tournament game in Grand Prairie, Texas, his father confirmed Monday.

Newton, a 5-foot-11 point guard, was playing for Southern California-based Impact Basketball in the Next Level Ballers national tournament at a YMCA facility in the Dallas suburb when he left the game and collapsed in his chair. Duane Newton learned of his son’s death from his daughter, Deanna Newton, who was in attendance.

“They said he walked off court smiling, gave everyone a high-five and the next thing you know, his leg kicked up and his head turned to the side,” Duane said.

Paramedics responded, but Newton was pronounced dead at 12:06 p.m. at Arlington Medical Center, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. Duane Newton said an autopsy was performed Monday, but results will not be available for 30 days.

Newton, who would have turned 15 on May 10, averaged 6.2 points and 6.7 assists as a starter for the Nobles last season. He lived in Inglewood.

A funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

-- Dan Arritt

BASKETBALL

USC’s Jefferson declares for NBA draft

Although USC freshman Davon Jefferson never publicly announced whether he had made himself available for the NBA draft, school spokesman Dave Tuttle said that a representative from the league office recently called asking for biographical information, meaning Jefferson declared before the Sunday evening deadline.

The NBA will not release its list of early-entry candidates until later this week, said league spokesman Tim Frank.

Jefferson, a 6-foot-8 forward, was set to sign with agent Arn Tellem, according to a foxsports.com report, though Tellem did not return calls seeking comment. If Jefferson signs with an agent he would forfeit his college eligibility should he later wish to withdraw his name from draft consideration.

Jefferson was USC’s second-leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He is projected as an early second-round pick by draftexpress.com.

-- Ben Bolch

TENNIS

ESPN acquires rights to televise U.S. Open

ESPN and the U.S. Tennis Assn. have “come to terms on a contract that will give the network U.S. Open cable rights” beginning in 2009, sources reportedly told tennisweek.com. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ESPN already owns or shares cable TV rights with Tennis Channel for the season’s other three Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

USA Network’s cable rights to the U.S. Open expire at the end of the 2008 tournament.

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Formerly banned Sesil Karatantcheva won her first WTA Tour match in nearly 2 1/2 years, beating Elena Baltacha, 7-5, 6-2, at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem at Fez, Morocco.

After reaching the French Open quarterfinals at 15 in 2005, the Bulgarian tested positive twice for the steroid nandrolone. The International Tennis Federation banned her for two years in January 2006.

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Ninth-seeded Guillermo Canas beat Oscar Hernandez, 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the Barcelona Open at Spain.

PRO FOOTBALL

Raiders release running back Rhodes

The Oakland Raiders released running back Dominic Rhodes two days after using their top draft pick to take big-play back Darren McFadden.

Rhodes was suspended for the first four games last season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy and finished with 302 yards rushing in 10 games last season.

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The Carolina Panthers added depth on their defensive line by agreeing to a one-year deal with free agent Darwin Walker.

Walker played in 11 games with seven starts in an injury-plagued season with Chicago in 2007.

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USC offensive tackle Drew Radovich signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

JURISPRUDENCE

Hearing delayed in Maurice Simmons case

A hearing to set a date for a preliminary hearing for USC football recruit Maurice Simmons was put over to May 15, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said.

Simmons, a linebacker from Compton Dominguez High, was arraigned last month and charged with felony robbery and assault with a firearm in connection with an incident that allegedly took place in Compton in March.

-- Gary Klein

PASSINGS

Robinson, first Div. I black basketball coach

Will Robinson, the first black basketball coach at an NCAA Division I school and a Detroit Pistons scout who discovered Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman, died in Detroit. He was 96. Story, Section B.

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Phil Harison, who introduced everyone from Ben Hogan to Tiger Woods during his 60 years as the starter on the first tee of the Masters, died Sunday of natural causes at Augusta, Ga. He was 82.