Basketball Coach Jim Calhoun says he will return to Connecticut

Connecticut men’s basketball Coach Jim Calhoun said Thursday that he planned to return for a 24th season at the school.

Calhoun’s Huskies finished the season 31-5, losing in the national semifinals to Michigan State.

Several off-the-court issues had prompted questions about Calhoun’s future, including an investigation into Connecticut’s recruitment of former player Nate Miles. Calhoun has acknowledged that he or his staff may have made mistakes in recruiting Miles.

The coach also has been treated for cancer three times during his Connecticut career, including last summer when he successfully battled skin cancer.

Former Arizona coach Russ Pennell has been hired as coach at Grand Canyon University, a Division II school in Phoenix. . . . Tyrone Appleton and Quintrell Thomas are seeking to transfer from Kansas. Coach Bill Self said that Appleton, a junior guard, and Thomas, a freshman forward, have “chosen to attend a university where they can have expanded roles.” . . . Big East tournament MVP Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris of Syracuse plan to make themselves available for NBA draft. Flynn said he would not retain an agent, giving him the option to return to school. . . . Miami junior forward Dwayne Collins also decided to make himself available for the NBA draft but could return because he has not hired an agent. . . . Wake Forest sophomore James Johnson also declared his intent to join the draft and has hired an agent.

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NFL

Lynch suspended for three games

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will miss the first three games of the regular season after being suspended without pay by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL announced the suspension a month after Lynch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in Los Angeles. It was the player’s second run-in with the law, following a hit-and-run accident in Buffalo in May.

The Bills also signed Seth McKinney, a seven-year veteran who has played both guard and center.

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TENNIS

Haas rallies to win in Houston

Tommy Haas rallied to beat defending champion Marcel Granollers, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in a second-round match at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston.

Granollers’ loss left the tournament without a seeded player in the quarterfinals, which hadn’t happened in the tournament since pro tennis went to the open era in 1968.

Earlier, Evgeny Korolev fought through rough wind and a comeback try by Daniel Gimeno-Traver for a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory in the second round.

Bjorn Phau, who eliminated second-seeded Mardy Fish in the first round, also needed a tiebreaker to beat Scoville Jenkins, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in another second-round match.

Guillermo Canas defeated Taylor Dent, 6-2, 6-2, to grab the final quarterfinal spot.

Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarterfinals of the MPS Group Championships with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Virginie Razzano in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Igor Andreev rallied to defeat Nicolas Devilder, 6-7 (11), 7-6 (5), 6-4, and reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco.

Andreev will play sixth-seeded Marc Gicquel, who beat Mischa Zverev, 6-4, 7-5.

Florent Serra defeated Olivier Rochus, 6-3, 6-3. The fifth-seeded Serra next will face Teimuraz Gabashvili, who beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 6-4, 6-4.

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HOCKEY

U.S. women to play Canada in final

Natalie Darwitz and Hilary Knight each scored hat tricks to lead the defending champion United States past Finland, 7-0, to reach the world championship final in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The Americans will face Canada in Sunday’s final. Finland was eliminated in the three-team round-robin. It will be the 12th consecutive final featuring the North American hockey powers.

The Finns were overwhelmed by the U.S. attack. Gigi Marvin scored the other U.S. goal. Julie Chu had three assists and goalie Jessie Vetter earned the shutout with 16 stops.

The U.S., which has yet to allow a goal in the tournament, will close out second-round play today against Canada in a preview of the gold-medal game.

Hobey Baker Award finalist Colin Wilson scored twice, including a tiebreaking goal with about 5 1/2 minutes left, and top-seeded Boston University beat Vermont, 5-4, in a Frozen Four semifinal in Washington. In Saturday’s championship game, Boston will play No. 4-seeded Miami (Ohio), which ended the surprising run of Bemidji State by winning the first semifinal, 4-1.