Tar Heel Speas signs MLS deal

North Carolina junior forward Ben Speas signed with the Columbus Crew Wednesday.

Speas, an Ohio native, helped lead the Tar Heels to the 2011 NCAA National Championship and was named Soccer America's player of the year. He finished the year with seven goals and 10 assists to rank third on the team with 24 points.

As a junior player, Speas played with the Crew's developmental club, the Crew Academy, and was part of three youth national championships.

Speas is the first Tar Heel to officially join an MLS team this offseason. Seniors Matt Hedges and Kirk Urso and junior Enzo Martinez are in the pool of players eligible for today's MLS SuperDraft.

Basketball

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will receive the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award on April 16 at the second annual Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Banquet, as announced on Tuesday.

The Humanitarian Award honors an individual involved in college basketball who has made a significantly positive impact on society.

Football

N.C. State tight end George Bryan and wide receiver T.J. Graham have accepted invitations to play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 21 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.