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Mike Krzyzewski again says he doesn’t plan to return as coach of U.S. men’s basketball

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski says he doesn't plan on returning to coach the U.S. men's basketball team.
(Chuck Liddy / McClatchy-Tribune)
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Mike Krzyzewski said again Tuesday he doesn’t plan to return as U.S. men’s basketball coach after leading the Americans to two Olympic gold medals.

Saying “my stance hasn’t changed,” Krzyzewski told ESPN Radio he expects USA Basketball to name a new coach this summer.

The Hall of Fame coach from Duke said during and after last summer’s Olympics that he wasn’t planning to return to the position he’s held with the national team since 2005. However, he still hasn’t confirmed that decision with USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo, who has said they will talk after the college season.

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“I’ve loved, loved, loved, and it’s been an honor being with the USA Basketball team,” Krzyzewski said in the interview. “And to coach the team and work with Jerry these seven years has been marvelous.

“And we’re in a good spot,” Krzyzewski added. “We need to keep building.”

Krzyzewski led the Americans to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012, and a world basketball championship in 2010. The Americans also won bronze in the 2006 worlds, their first tournament under his guidance, and haven’t lost a game since.

The Americans automatically qualified for the 2014 World Cup of Basketball in Spain by winning gold in London. Colangelo originally said he planned to name a new coach around the new year, but put off those plans so he could talk to Krzyzewski once the Blue Devils’ season was finished.

Etc.

Less than 24 hours after picking up a career-best three assists in a loss at Nashville, Michael Ryder of the Dallas Stars, along with a third-round draft pick, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for right wing Erik Cole.

The 32-year-old Ryder had six goals and eight assists in 19 games this year for the Stars. The 34-year-old Cole had three goals and three assists in 19 games for the Canadiens.

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Ryder will be returning to the organization that drafted him in the eighth round (216th overall) of the 1998 draft.

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The New Jersey Devils placed goaltender Martin Brodeur on injured reserve with a sore back. The move is retroactive to Sunday, in which the Devils lost at home to Winnipeg, 4-2, with Brodeur on the bench. He also didn’t play in a 5-1 loss the day before in Washington. Brodeur, 40, must miss at least seven days.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Rene Bourque will be out indefinitely with a concussion. Coach Michel Therrien said that Bourque is not sure what caused the injury. He missed the last two games with what the team said was flu.

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Second-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany advanced to the second round of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Florida when Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands retired from their match with an injured left ankle.

Hours later, fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan became the third player to retire from a first-round match, when he pulled out in the first set against 150th-ranked Ivo Karlovic of Croatia because of a back injury.

On a breezy day with occasional light rain, Haas and Sijsling split the first two sets. Sijsling won the first 7-5 and Haas took the second at 6-4, before the Dutchman called it quits.

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Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points to get past Marcos Baghdatis, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), and reach the second round of the Dubai Championships in United Arab Emirates, while Michael Llodra upset eighth-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.

Top ranked Novak Djokovic, looking for his fourth Dubai title, had a much easier time against good friend Viktor Troicki, beating him, 6-1, 6-4, in just over an hour.

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The Milwaukee Bucks suspended center Samuel Dalembert for the team’s game Tuesday against Dallas for what the team called “a violation of team policy.”

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USC will open spring football practice next Tuesday, the school announced.

The Trojans, coming off a 7-6 season under Coach Lane Kiffin, will practice 15 times. They will work out three times a week for two weeks and then take a week off for spring break. The Trojans return March 26 for three weeks of workouts that culminate with an April 13 scrimmage at the Coliseum.

Tickets for the 1 p.m. scrimmage are $10.

USC announced that eight of the 15 workouts are open for public viewing from areas at adjoining Dedeaux Field. A maximum of 200 fans will have access each workout, with no video or still photography allowed.

The dates are March 5, 7, 14, 26 and 28 and April 4, 9 and 11. All begin at 4 p.m.

— Gary Klein

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