IN BRIEF

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Creighton’s Altman takes over at Arkansas

Dana Altman was hired as Arkansas’ basketball coach Monday, ending the Razorbacks’ weeklong search to replace Stan Heath.

Altman coached Creighton for 13 seasons and went 260-141. The Bluejays went 22-11 this season for their ninth straight 20-win season.

Also: Heath’s stint without a job lasted one week.

The fired Arkansas coach agreed to a five-year contract to take over South Florida’s struggling program. Including incentives, the deal is worth up to $4.275 million.

Iowa hired Todd Lickliter as its new coach, replacing Steve Alford with the coach who turned mid-major Butler into an NCAA Tournament regular.

Lickliter was 131-61 record in six years at Butler, taking the Bulldogs to the tournament four times, including this year when his team lost to Florida in the Sweet 16.

PRO BASKETBALL

Heat’s Wade returns to practice, pain-free

Dwyane Wade returned to practice with the Miami Heat nearly six weeks after suffering a left-shoulder dislocation that threatened to end his season. He worked out on the court for 90 minutes, absorbing some contact for the first time, and followed with weights and physical therapy.

Most important, he was pain-free, another sign he’ll be able to start playing in games before the playoffs.

Also: Cleveland’s LeBron James received treatment for tendinitis in his right knee.

The Cavaliers’ All-Star forward is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s road game against Minnesota.

The Dallas Mavericks signed 44-year-old center Kevin Willis to a 10-day contract, making him the oldest active player in the NBA.

PRO FOOTBALL

Colts’ Reid arrested on marijuana charges

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Darrell Reid was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of possessing marijuana, Freehold, N.J., police said.

Reid, 24, was stopped by police on a downtown street early Saturday. The arresting officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana and saw a small plastic bag in the open door of Reid’s rental car that contained marijuana, police said.

Also: The Arizona Cardinals helped fill a big hole on the offensive line by signing free agent Mike Gandy to a three-year contract.

Gandy started all 16 games for the Buffalo Bills last season, nine at left guard and seven at left tackle.

MISCELLANEOUS

UNLV’s Kowalski earns Mountain West honors

UNLV senior center fielder Ryan Kowalski was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Kowalski was the key in UNLV going 3-1 last week, collecting the game-winning hits in all three Rebels’ victories while going 8-for-17 (.471) with 10 RBIs.

Also: UNLV’s sixth-ranked men’s golf team stands seventh after the first 36 holes of the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Ariz.

The Rebels shot 2-under-par 574 to trail leader Tulsa (564) by 10 strokes entering today’s final round.

UNLV is led individually by Seung-su Han and Eddie Olson, who are tied for 10th at 2-under 142.

Claude Julien was fired as coach of the first-place New Jersey Devils and replaced by general manager Lou Lamoriello with less than a week to go in the regular season.

Lamoriello will coach the final three regular-season games, starting tonight against Ottawa, and the playoffs.