Sports Briefs February 22, 2011

Football

Cam Newton plans to fully participate in the NFL combine that begins later this week, saying he wants "to be transparent" through the whole draft process.

The quarterback who won the national title and Heisman Trophy in his only season at Auburn has to adjust to taking snaps under center for the NFL. He has been working with a quarterbacks coach, and held a workout for the media earlier this month.

Newton, who accepted the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback on Monday, says he's prepared to work out for NFL teams at the combine and answer their questions.

The NCAA has ruled Newton's father tried to get Mississippi State to pay for him to play there. There was no evidence Newton knew his father did.

• Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch emerged with a smile and a positive outlook after attending a fourth consecutive day of federally mediated negotiations between the NFL and the players' union.

"Things are going well," said Batch, a member of the NFL Players Association executive committee. "We'll see how things progress over the coming days."

He didn't discuss any details.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith left at 6 p.m., about seven hours after the session began. NFL executives departed minutes after Smith. None would comment on the negotiations; Smith deflected questions by joking about the wintry weather in the Washington area.

• University of Montana defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield has taken the same job at UCLA.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said Breckterfield is an outstanding young talent that he feels will have a great impact on the Bruins' defensive line.

Breckterfield coached the Griz defensive line in 2010, when the team ranked first in the Big Sky and 14th in the FCS in tackles for a loss.

Top 25 Men

Duke is back on top of The Associated Press' college basketball poll for the first time in just over a month. St. John's is back in the Top 25 for the first time in over a decade.

The Blue Devils (25-2) jumped from fifth to No. 1 after a week that saw the top four teams in the poll all lose. The move to the top is the biggest since Kansas went from sixth to No. 1 in November 2003, the last time the top four all lost in the same week.

No. 17 Syracuse 69, No. 15 Villanova 64: At Philadelphia, Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson combined for 38 points and the Orange (23-6 10-6), the worst free throw shooting team in the Big East, edged the Wildcats (21-7, 9-6).

No. 3 Kansas 92, Oklahoma State 65: At Lawrence, Kan., Marcus Morris had 27 points and the Jayhawks (26-2, 11-2 Big 12) romped past the Cowboys (16-11, 4-9).

The Pittsburgh Penguins began addressing their banged-up lineup by acquiring forward James Neal from the Dallas Stars in exchange for offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski.

As part of the deal, the Penguins also acquired defenseman Matt Niskanen.

The deal was struck prior to the Penguins' game against the Washington Capitals.

Blackhawks 5, Blues 3: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane keyed a four-goal second period as visiting Chicago beat St. Louis.

Islanders 5, Panthers 1: At Uniondale, N.Y., Matt Moulson scored three times and New York cruised past Florida.

Capitals 1, Penguins 0: Alex Ovechkin scored the only goal and host Pittsburgh beat Washington.

- The Associated Press