Connecticut is the runaway No. 1 pick in The Associated Press’ preseason college basketball poll. The Huskies received 67 first-place votes and 1,793 points from the 72-member national media panel.
Illinois ranked 13th in the preseason poll, while Notre Dame and Marquette rounded out the bottom five at No. 21 and No. 23, respectively.
Duke is No. 2, with three first-place votes and 1,667 points.
Michigan State received one No. 1 vote and was No. 3 with 1,607 points. It was followed in the Top 10 by Arizona, Missouri, Kansas, defending national champion Syracuse, Florida, North Carolina and Gonzaga.
CONFERENCING: Charlotte accepted an invitation Monday to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, which is also awaiting a decision from Saint Louis.
MANTLE PIECES: Three hundred pieces of Mickey Mantle memorabilia will be auctioned by Guernsey’s at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 8.
HURT SPURT: New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey might miss the rest of the season with a sprained knee. … Baltimore rookie quarterback Kyle Boller likely will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left leg Sunday.
COURT REPORT: Women’s No. 1 Kim Clijsters beat fourth-ranked Amelie Mauresmo 6-2 6-0 in the WTA Tour Championship final in Los Angeles. … Juan Carlos Ferrero’s bid to overtake Andy Roddick for the year-end No. 1 ranking took a hit with the Spaniard’s 6-3, 6-1 loss to David Nalbanian in the opening round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. Wimbledon champion Roger Federer kept his faint No. 1 hopes alive by defeating Andre Agassi.
