Off the wire

BASKETBALL

LSU’s Martin entering draft

LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin said he’ll be leaving the Tigers to enter this summer’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds this season and received AP All-SEC first-team honors. Martin, who joined the program in Coach Johnny Jones’ second season, said he was happy to play a role in LSU’s progress. He said he fulfilled one of his top goals this season by helping the Tigers return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years. LSU was knocked out in the first round by North Carolina State last week. Martin shot 51 percent this season and hit a team-high 140 free throws.

Leading scorer Marcus Foster and two other players will not suit up for the Kansas State Wildcats next season. Coach Bruce Weber announced Tuesday that Foster and freshmen reserve Tre Harris had been dismissed from the team, and guard Jevon Thomas will transfer. Weber said in a statement that Foster and Harris did not live up to standards the school sets for its players, but he did not elaborate. He said Thomas decided he wanted to move closer to home. After a sterling freshmen season, Foster’s play deteriorated this season. He was suspended for three games and removed from the starting lineup at times, but still led Kansas State in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game. Thomas led the team with 102 assists and started 25 games, but also was briefly kicked off the team before a road game against Texas.

A person familiar with the situation said the Charlotte 49ers have hired Mark Price to become their new men’s basketball coach. The person spoke to The Associated Press Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the hire has not been publicly announced. The 49ers have scheduled a press conference for today to introduce their new coach. Price, 51, has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. He’ll replace Alan Major, who left the program earlier this month amid ongoing medical problems. Price played 12 seasons in the NBA and was a four-time All-Star. He’s been an assistant NBA coach for five teams, but has never been a head coach at any level. Price declined comment prior to the Hornets’ game Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

Eric Musselman will soon add the college ranks to his long list of head coaching jobs. The former NBA coach has been hired at Nevada, pending formal approval today by the Board of Regents. Athletic Director Doug Knuth said in a statement Wednesday that he plans to present a proposed fiveyear contract with Musselman to the state Board of Regents during a meeting today in Las Vegas while Musselman will join the meeting by teleconference from Reno. Musselman, 50, coached the Golden State Warriors from 2002 to 2004 and the Sacramento Kings in 2006-2007. He spent this past season as an assistant at LSU. Musselman is in line to replace David Carter, who was fired earlier this month after his third consecutive losing season.

SOCCER

Denmark beats U.S.

Nicklas Bendtner completed his first international hat trick with an injury-time winner as Denmark beat the United States 3-2 in a friendly on Wednesday in Aarhus, Denmark. Bendtner had equalized twice to cancel out Jozy Altidore’s opener in the 19th minute and Aron Johannsson’s strike in the second half before driving home Denmark’s third goal in added time. Altidore put the visitors ahead with his 27th goal in 78 games, a left-foot shot following a long cross. Denmark leveled in the 33rd when Jakob Poulsen’s cross missed Lasse Vibe — but was pounced on by Bendtner. The Danes controlled much of the game after the equalizer but struggled to find a finishing touch despite enjoying plenty of possession. At the other end, though Altidore had a hard time getting free of the close marking by defender Simon Kjar, the United States was still able to restore its lead in the 66th minute. Michael Bradley passed to Altidore, who got behind Daniel Wass and calmly sent over a cross for Johannsson to score on his old home turf. Bendtner came to the Danes’ rescue with an equalizer in the 83rd minute and then powered the winner past goalkeeper Nick Rimando in the first minute of stoppage time, to the joy of the 10,505 fans. Ahead of the friendly, U.S. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had ruled out team captain Clint Dempsey, who has a right hamstring strain.

FOOTBALL

Packers WR has surgery

Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson has had offseason surgery on his hip. A person with knowledge of Nelson’s surgery told The Associated Press it was his hip. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Packers Coach Mike McCarthy did not specify what part of the body was operated on. McCarthy said Wednesday the recovery period could take six to eight weeks. The surgery appears to be a minor procedure; McCarthy said it was to address something his No. 1 receiver felt needed cleaning up. Offseason workouts for the Packers can begin on April 20. Nelson had a career-high 98 catches and 1,519 yards receiving to go with 13 touchdowns as the top target for Aaron Rodgers during the quarterback’s MVP campaign.

FOOTBALL

Changes to extra points likely in NFL

PHOENIX — The extra point in the NFL appears to be headed for some changes, perhaps significant ones, for the 2015 season.

While team owners didn’t vote on any extra-point proposals Wednesday, there was so much discussion and interest in potential changes that the issue will be a main focal point for the next set of league meetings in May.

“There’s a clear movement to wanting to change and change it this year,” said Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee and president of the Falcons.

McKay’s committee will “develop alternatives and be ready for a potential vote” in two months in San Francisco.

Among the possibilities are moving the line of scrimmage back for PAT kicks; placing the ball on the 1½-yard line for a 2-point conversion; eliminating the PAT kicks entirely, requiring teams to run a play from scrimmage; and allowing the defense to score, as in college football, if the ball is turned over on a 2-point try.

McKay described the discussions as “lively, with lots of ideas … it’s time to make this a football play.”

“A couple coaches said they favor just lining up on the 2 and going for the 2-point play,” he said. “Or move the ball to the 1 ½ for two points, or kick from the 15 for one, your choice.”

The league experimented with extra-point kicks from a longer distance last preseason.

Currently, the line of scrimmage for both an extra point and 2-point conversion try is at the 2-yard line.

Voted down as the meetings concluded was Chicago’s proposal that each team get a possession in overtime regardless of what happens on the first series.

Now, if the side receiving the OT kickoff scores a touchdown, the game ends. If it kicks a field goal, the opponent gets a possession.

Unsportsmanlike penalties handed out at the end of a half now will carry over, either to the second half or to overtime.

Lining up players with eligible numbers at ineligible positions, as New England did against Baltimore in the playoffs, now has more specific guidelines. Those players must line up inside the tackle box.

The owners also approved teams with retractable domes being allowed to open them at halftime, weather permitting, and allowing linebackers to wear numbers from 40-49; previously they could wear only numbers in the 50s and 90s.

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