The new Las Vegas ABA team, formerly named North Las Vegas Aces, changed his name to Las Vegas Lights. The team also announced the agreement with Carl Dossenbach as the new General Manager, who stated to media: 'In addition to bringing the most fan-friendly professional sports experience to the Las Vegas Valley, the Las Vegas Lights plan to raise funds for local charities and scholarship funds, provide employment opportunities and internships for young people and students and to donate thousands of dollars in tickets to youth groups and charities. The brand new team website is at http://www.lasvegaslightsbasketball.com

University of Florida center Marreese Speights (6'10''-F/C) will keep his name in the upcoming NBA Draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.

Speights entered his name in the draft on April 8, but left open the option of a return to Florida. After numerous NBA workouts, however, Speights received enough positive feedback to remain in the draft, to be held on June 26 in New York, N.Y.

I had the opportunity to speak with Marreese this morning and based on the information he is receiving, he informed me of his intentions to remain in the NBA Draft, said University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan . I completely support his decision, this is what he wants to do. I wish him nothing but the best of luck on June 26 and in the future.

Speights finished second on UF in scoring during his sophomore season, averaging 14.5 points per game. He led the Gators in rebounding with 8.1 rebounds per contest, as well as team-highs of 49 blocked shots and 10 double-doubles.

I want to thank Coach Donovan and the entire staff for helping me develop my game and become a better player over the past two years, said Speights. Even though Im leaving the University of Florida early, Ill forever be a Gator.

He scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against Massachusetts in the semifinals of the MasterCard NIT in what would be the final game of his career. In his two-year career, Speights averaged 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and blocked 64 shots.

Courtesy: University of Florida Sports Information and Gatorzone.com

UNLV men's basketball junior Matt Shaw (6'8''-F-86, college: S.Illinois) has been diagnosed by team physician Dr. Gerald Higgins as having a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will require surgery, head coach Lon Kruger announced Friday.

Because of the nature of the injury, surgery will be scheduled within two to three weeks after swelling in the knee decreases.

Shaw, a 6-8 forward from Los Angeles, played in all 35 games for the Runnin' Rebels last season, helping the team to a 27-8 record, its second consecutive MWC Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament's second round. He averaged 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures 10 times. He was fourth on the team in made 3-pointers with 24 and averaged 19.0 minutes per contest.

Typical rehabilitation for this type of injury is six to nine months. Shaw will miss the entire 2008-09 season.

'Matt tweaked his knee last month in a pick-up game,' Kruger said. 'He tried to play when practice started earlier this week, but he was uncomfortable and had it evaluated.

'We are really disappointed for Matt because he has worked so hard to have an outstanding junior season. It is very disappointing in the short term, but he will turn it into a positive and take advantage of what becomes a redshirt season. He will have two years left of playing after this season and will finish those strong.'

Courtesy of ncaa.com

Earl John, reinstated president of the National Basketball Federation of Trinidad and Tobago (NBFTT), will chair his first meeting this morning at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena in Maloney.

John was put back as the sport's top man following a decision taken by the two-man mediation team of Kerston Coombs, a Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) trustee, and attorney J Tyrone Marcus at the TTOC office in Port of Spain on Wednesday.

The mediation team was put in place to look into John's alleged unconstitutional removal as president at an NBFTT annual general meeting on March 29 at Maloney.

At the AGM, John was 'replaced' by Brian Manning, son of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, as the new boss of the federation through a vote of no confidence.

According to John, the move was contrary to Article 17 of the constitution of the NBFTT (Removal from Office and Filling Vacancies) and, in addition, it was not an election year.

The election of officers to fill positions on the NBFTT's executive or board of directors is held every two years and John and his team were voted in last year.

Following discussions at the TTOC office, the mediators concluded that the AGM held on March 29, and which reconvened on April 5, should be deemed 'unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect, hence the directors removed must be reinstated with immediate effect'.

The other officers affected at the March annual general meeting were vice-president of communications and marketing, June Rogers, who was replaced by Nadine Khan, and assistant secretary Darren Joseph, who handed over his duties to Denisha Harris.

The TTOC also recommended that the NBFTT constitution be revised to remove ambiguities and that a dispute resolution tribunal be appointed, in accordance with the requirements of the constitution.

The mediation process got underway following correspondence sent to the TTOC on April 11, in the wake of what transpired at the Federation's AGM.

John and Manning were present at the mediation sessions in May and earlier this month and after reviewing all the evidence, the mediators decided that John and the other members who were wrongly removed be reinstated.Â

On Thursday, John said that today's meeting was always on the Federation's schedule. He added that he did not know what the agenda would look like, but stated that the NBFTT executive will be seriously looking into the recommendations made by the mediators.

And Manning (B), who resigned from the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) in April, is now no longer an associate member of the NBFTT.

Manning was an associate member of the Federation at the time when he was unlawfully elected as president.

Several attempts to contact Manning went unanswered.

On Wednesday, a T&T Olympic Committee official told the Express that the findings of the mediation team would be announced on June 18, but in a media release on Thursday, the TTOC suggested that the confidentiality agreement between the two parties had been broken and the public disclosure in Thursday's media could damage efforts at remedying the situation.

'As far as the TTOC is concerned, the mediation/arbitration process involving Messrs Earl John and Brian Manning of the National Basketball Federation of Trinidad and Tobago (NBFTT)is ongoing,' the statement said. 'Accordingly, the confidentiality agreement that formed the basis of the mediation/arbitration effort by the TTOC, to which all parties subscribed, remains in place.'

It further added that the TTOC mediation panel have made certain recommendations, 'however, the recommendations have no binding effect unless both parties agree and communicate such to the TTOC office by June 18.

'Any communication at this time by the disputants are therefore premature and can be prejudicial to the efforts of the TTOC. Further, the TTOC wishes to clarify that the recommendations must be accepted in their entirety.

'The TTOC remains confident that this matter will be concluded on June 18.'

source: trinidadexpress