Love to choose today

UCLA standout projected in top 10

UCLA All-America Kevin Love will announce his plans for next season at a campus news conference today.

The freshman center led the Bruins in scoring (17.5 points) and rebounds (10.6). They lost in the national semifinals to Memphis and finished the season with a 35-4 record.

Love will be accompanied by father Stan and coach Ben Howland at the news conference.

College players have until April 27 to declare for the NBA Draft.

Howland said last week that scouts have projected Love as a definite lottery pick who could be selected between fifth and 10th in the draft.

MORE BASKETBALL

COACHING NEWS: Oklahoma State will turn to another coach with Kentucky ties to restore postseason success to its program.

Massachusetts coach Travis Ford, a former Wildcats guard, agreed Wednesday to coach the Cowboys. Oklahoma State confirmed the hiring and planned a news conference today to formally introduce him.

Ford will replace Sean Sutton, who resigned under pressure on April 1.

* Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin signed a five-year contract Wednesday that will keep him with the Wildcats through the 2011-12 season.

* North Texas hired Clemson assistant Shanice Stephens as women's basketball coach Wednesday. Stephens was associate head coach at Clemson for three seasons after spending nine years at Rice. At 36, she's the youngest head coach in the Sun Belt Conference.

FOOTBALL

MEINEKE BOWL SET: The Meineke Bowl is keeping its coveted Saturday date.

Bowl officials said Wednesday that this year's game will be played at 1 p.m. on Dec. 27. ESPN will televise the game.

The bowl is played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and pits a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against a Big East school. Wake Forest beat Connecticut 24-10 last year.

(The Associated Press)

TRACK AND FIELD

ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS: All 12 ACC teams will compete in the 55th men's and 22nd women's ACC Championships from today through Saturday at George C. Griffin Track in Atlanta. The Florida State men and the Virginia Tech women, who won the league's indoor team titles this year, enter looking to repeat as outdoor champs.

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

SOFTBALL

NORTH CAROLINA 3-8, COASTAL CAROLINA 0-0: The 15th-ranked Tar Heels (42-8-1) swept visiting Coastal Carolina (18-30). Jennifer Jacobs connected on a three-run home run in the first game.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

NORTH CAROLINA 19, OLD DOMINION 7: Visiting North Carolina scored nine straight goals during one stretch, holding Old Dominion scoreless for over 30 minutes, and cruised past the Monarchs.

Three Tar Heels had five or more points as Kristen Taylor poured in a seven-point effort with three goals and four assists.

WOMEN'S GOLF

CAMELS SECOND: For the 13th time in 14 years, Campbell finished among the top two schools in the Atlantic Sun Conference women's golf championship at Jonesborough, Tenn.

Host East Tennessee State unseated the two-time defending champion Camels to claim its first A-Sun title in the sport at The Ridges Golf and Country Club.

ETSU posted a three-round score of 903 strokes, 39-over par, while runner-up Campbell shot a 303 Wednesday to finish at 928.

ETSU's Laura Jansone won individual honors with a 54-hole score of 10-over 226. Campbell's Blen Diaz Cisneros and Lorie Warren of Belmont tied for runner-up one stroke back at 227.

(From College News Releases)