Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • 26

FLORIDA TODAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FOR THE RECORD Florida's Donovan wins Wooden award 6C FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010 amazing to me, my family and people back in New York (calling) and I was like, 'I have no idea about any of this FSL North OMon I Pet Ol Brevard Co. 1 0 1.000 Clearwater 1 0 1.000 Tampa 1 0 1.000 Daytona 0 1 .000 1 Dunedin 0 1 .000 1 Lakeland 0 1 .000 1 South Dtvbton Pet 61 Bradenton 1 0 1.000 Charlotte 1 0 1.000 Jupiter 1 0 1.000 Fort Myers 0 1 .000 I Palm Beach 0 1 .000 1 St. Lucie 0 1 .000 1 Thursday's mutts He also made it clear there ft. are no plans to look else J6 arx where, despite continued speculation. "I'm very, very happy," he insisted.

As for future rumors and reports Donovan might be looking to go elsewhere, he added, "A lot of the time you're just not going to com Clearwater 10, Dunedin 2 Tampa 4, Lakeland 0 Bradenton 18, Fort Myers 3 Charlotte 4, Palm Beach 3 Brevard County 3, Daytona 0 Jupiter 7, St. Lucie 2 Today1! games Dunedin at Clearwater, 7 p.m. Tampa at Lakeland, 7 p.m. Bradenton Co. at Daytona, 7:05 p.m.

Palm Beach at Charlotte, 7:05 p.m. St Lucie at Jupiter, 7:05 p.m. Thursday's box score Manatees 3, Cubs 0 DAYTONA BREVARD CO. afcrhM abrhM Jackson cf 0 0 0 Brewer dh 3 0 0 0 LMahu 2b 5 0 0 0 Kmtsu rf 3 I 0 0 ment every time something is thrown out there. Recruit decommits As had been rumored and expected for some time, Aus Burke 4 0 0 0 Davis tin Rivers confirmed to Virteis 3b 4 0 0 0 Kililyrd lb 4 0 2 2 Oizl7 lb 3 0 0 0 Miller It 4 0 0 0 Scout.com that he has with' Hy 3 0 10 MrrtfU 70 4 0 0 71 3 0 0 0 Mtdndoc 3 0 0 0 gorges 3 0 0 0 Cline 3b 1 0 0 LakPSS 3 0 0 0 Snchzst 3 110 Touk ana Toub aill drawn his commitment to Florida.

The Winter Park High School star and son of BY DAVID JONES FLORIDA TODAY GAINESVILLE Florida's Billy Donovan will join an elite list of coaches to be hon-ored with the John R. Wooden Award's "Legends of Coaching Award" tonight in Los Angeles. Donovan will be recognized, along with the men's and women's 2010 Wooden Award winners and the Wooden Award Ail-American teams. The coaches' award was started in 1999 and some of the previous winners include Dean Smith (1999), Mike Krzyzewski (2000), Lute Olson (2001), Denny Crum (2002), Jim Calhoun (2005), Jim Boeheim (2006) and Pat Summitt (2008). "I'm sure there are a lot of guys that are deserving of the award," said Donovan, who led the Gators to back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.

"I think anything that's affiliated with Coach Wooden's name is a big honor and a big deal. Certainly, what he's done for college basketball to be honored is something special." Donovan has compiled a career record of 331-139 (.704) in 14 seasons at Florida and has recorded 12 consecutive 20-win seasons with 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. He is one of just four active coaches with multiple NCAA titles. Donovan and Adolph Rupp of Kentucky are the only coaches in SEC history to lead their programs to more than one NCAA championship. Donovan has met Wooden several times, including a visit Wooden made to Gainesville eight years ago to speak on campus.

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IB: Marcus PattiHo. NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic DMakM 1 Pet OB AP y-Bo5ton Toronto New York 49 39 .628 -38 40 .487 11 28 50 .359 21 Big deal. Florida men's basketball coach Billy Donovan will be honored with the John R. Wooden Award's "Legends of Coaching Award" tonight. Donovan led the Gators to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.

23 school. The 6-foot-3 Rivers will be a senior in the fall and now says he's considering other schools with speculation that he's now leaning toward signing with Duke during the early period in November, instead. "I still really like them, but I needed to go ahead and reopen things right now," Rivers said of the Gators. He said North Carolina is also in the running for his commitment. And he may "open it up a little more" in the future.

Rivers was the prize recruit and big-time scoring guard Florida has been coveting forsome time. Contact Jones at 242-3682 Of djonet6florldatoday.com Philadelphia 26 52 .333 New Jersey II 67 .141 38 Southeast DIvtakM I Pel OB y-Orlando 55 23 .705 6 X-Atlanta 49 29 .628 X-Miaml 44 34 .564 X-Charlotte 42 36 .538 11 13 31 Washington 24 54 .308 Central DtvUton Pet OB "He's done so much for the game," Donovan said. "I think he's a guy that's been able to keep great humility. He's kept a very, very simple life for a long, long period of time. I think he's always looked at himself as being a teacher and has always viewed the basketball court as a classroom for him." to hire him away.

Donovan discussed coaching rumors earlierthis week. "I think any of that stuff, a lot of time it's media-driven speculation and I've never, and will never comment on that stuff because none of it was true," he said. "There was a lot going on with the St. John's situation and it was Donovan, 44, is the youngest recipient of the Wooden Award for coaches. On rumors The Gators' coach continues to be part of coaching rumors each year.

This year it was Oregon and St. John's that were supposedly trying z-Cleveland 61 18 .772 x-Milwaukee 44 34 .564 16 Chicago 38 40 .487 22 V4 Indiana 30 48 .385 30'i Detroit 25 53 .321 35 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Dtvfsloii I Pet OB Dallas 51 27 .654 San Antonio 48 30 .615 3 11 12 16'i AUTO RACING Houston 40 38 M3 Memphis 39 39 .500 New Orleans 35 44 Ml Northwest OMskM OB Pet .654 .646 .615 x-Oenver x-utah x-Okla City 1 Fans keep Riggs racing x-Portland Minnesota .615 .192 3 3 36 OB Pacrflc DMshM I Pet 55 22 .714 lakers x-Phoenix LA Clippers Golden State 51 27 .654 4V, 27 51 .346 28'! 24 54 .308 31'. 24 54 .308 31', Sacramento 1-cHnctied playoff spot y-dinched division x-clinched conference Wednesday's late results Golden State 116, Minnesota 107 Charlotte 104. New Orleans 103 Denver 98. Oklahoma City 94 Dallas 110, Memphis 84 Portland 93, L.A.

Clippers 85 Phoenix 1 12, San Antonio 101 Thursday's results Chicago 109, Cleveland 108 LA Clippers at Sacramento, late LA Lakers at Denver, late Todays games Milwaukee at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. New York at Orlando, 7 p.m. Toronto at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Washington at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Indiana at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Detroit at Miami, 7:30 p.m. LA Lakers at Minnesota. 8 p.m. Utah at New Orleans. 8 p.m.

Phoenix at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. Chicago at New Jersey, 8 p.m. Charlotte at Houston, 8:30 p.m, Memphis at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Dallas at Portland, 10 p.m. ASSOCIATED PRESS GLADEVULE, Term.

Talk about the ultimate fan experience. Paul Carreau got to spend quality time with his favorite NASCAR driver and even had his name on the right rear quarterpanel of Scott Riggs' Ford for the Nationwide Series race at Nashville Super-speedway. Even so, Riggs probably got the best end of the deal. Thanks to fervent fans like Carreau, he got to race. Riggs has been on a race-to-race deal with RAB Racing since opening at Daytona together in February, scraping by in the Nationwide Series without a sponsor.

They competed in the Nashville 300 with a gray, red and white paint scheme in the "Sponsor Scott" fan car, thanks to some $30,000 raised from fans. Riggs has been stunned by the support, especially given the difficult economic times. "To see fans come off their hip and get on the car to see me on the race track and have something more than a blank race car, that to me was very, very humbling," he said. "I feel sort of my career might've let them down." In May, Riggs found him self racing for a team that could only afford to start races. He quit and couldn't find another ride the rest of the year as he stayed home in Bahama, N.C.

"I couldn't dishonor my fans to start and park. That's what made me sit out so many months," Riggs said. In January, he got a call from Robby Benton, co-owner of RAB Racing with Brack Maggard. The team was looking for a veteran driver to pair in the Nationwide series with newly promoted crew chief Ben Gable. The duo clicked and Benton committed to Riggs just for Daytona, where he finished 15th.

Riggs placed 16th in California and had his best qualifying position at Las Vegas at 20th. He finished 14th there and put RAB Racing 12th in owner points and Riggs 10th in driver points. During this run, talk started of finding a way to keep Riggs racing, especially at Nashville, where he has won twice. The driver said the manager of his fan club Web site didn't tell him that fans wanted to help until a week into the fundraising. They headed to Bristol with an in-car camera to target the "Sponsor Scott" signs plastered inside to promote the cause.

More than 75 fans came up with enough money to take a big chunk out of the approximately $50,000 needed to field the team at Nashville. No donation was turned away and fans who made larger donations were rewarded with everything from pictures to tickets to the race and the chance to meet Riggs. "The amount we were able to raise was unbelievable," Benton said. Carreau, who works at a grocery store in Tucson, figures he's given up Christmas and birthday gifts and vacations for a couple years. He loved spending most of Friday hanging around the garage with Riggs and the team.

His favorite part of his donation came from seeing his name written on that quarterpanel just like any other race sponsor. "How many people get to say they sponsored their favorite race car driver?" Carreau asked. "It's something I couldn't pass up to get to meet him, get to come to the race, my name's on the car. It's just a fun package, a great deal. It shows potential sponsors Scott has a big following.

That's what the real purpose is. We don't want to see the season end, not early anyway." NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic OMskM GP OT Pts OP OA 80 46 27 7 99 213 189 4 wot' 1 X-Pitt. 80 46 27 7 99 251 231 Phlla. 80 40 34 6 86 231 220 N.Y.R. 80 37 33 10 84 217 213 N.Y.I.

80 34 36 10 78 216 251 Northeast Division cp or Hi sr at y-BuffalO 80 44 26 10 98 229 203 X-Ottawa 81 44 31 6 94 223 233 Boston 80 37 30 13 87 198 195 Montreal 81 39 33 9 87 214 219 Toronto 81 29 38 14 72 210 264 Southeast Division GP OT Pts OP SA Z-Wash. 80 53 15 12 118 310 227 Atlanta 80 34 33 13 81 231 251 Carolina 81 35 36 10 80 228 252 Florida 80 32 36 12 76 204 237 T.B. 80 32 36 12 76 210 256 2009 AP file WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP I OT Pts bp na Giving thanks. NASCAR driver Scott Riggs continues to race because of a rabid fan base. Fans donated more so Riggs could race in Nashville, last week.

y-Chicago 80 51 22 7 109 264 204 X-Detroit 80 42 24 14 98 225 214 X-Nash. 81 46 29 6 98 223 224 St. Louis 80 39 12 9 87 2IR 3I Columbus 81 32 35 14 78 216 258 BOXING Northwest Division GP OT Pts OF OA y-Van. 80 48 27 X-Colo. 80 43 29 Calgary 80 40 31 Minn.

80 37 36 101 263 215 8 94 241 226 9 89 200 201 7 81 214 241 8 60 208 274 Elegele ready to battle nerves and opponent Edmonton 80 26 46 Paclfk Division GP OT Pts GF OA 80 49 20 11 109 257 211 X-Phoenix 80 49 25 6 104 220 197 X-LA 79 45 27 7 97 234 211 Anaheim 80 38 31 11 87 228 243 Dallas 81 36 31 14 86 233 251 Fight on HBO undercard, but no guarantee of TV av l-dlnched playoff spot -clinched division i -clinched conference Wednesday's late results Edmonton 5, Colorado 4, OT Phoenix 5, Nashville 2 Thursdays results Tampa Bay 4, Ottawa 3, SO Dallas 3, Anaheim 2, SO Boston 3, Buffalo 1 Carolina 5, Montreal 2 N.Y. Islanders 3 Florida 3, New Jersey 2 Minnesota at Calgary, late Phoenix at Los Angeles, late Vancouver at San Jose, late Today's oames Philadelphia at N.V. Rangers, 7 p.m. Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m. Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Anaheim at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Colorado, 9 p.m. erything he does affects his progress and his money." Morgan isn't concerned with the difficulty in finding an opponent or that Elegele will be facing someone he knows little or nothing about. "I know Cameron and I know the promotion guys," Morgan said.

"They're not going to do anything that is going to affect Joe's career." Elegele got his start at the Melbourne University PAX gym. He compiled a 69-8 amateur record under the direction of gym boss Gary Gregory who is now a second in Elegele's corner. Contact DeCotli at 242-3786 or mdecotliflorldatoday.com ELEGELE, from 1C "Most of my fights I'm very calm, very composed," he said. "But now, inside, I feel butterflies. But I'm ready to fight, though." His fighting and training are drawing praise from Tony Morgan of Winter Haven, who co-manages Elegele with Cameron Duncan.

"Joe has matured greatly," Morgan said. "I think Joe was more suited for professional competition. He's grown a lot. The way Joe goes to the body, the way he jabs, those things are 100 percent necessary in the pros. "I think he now starts to realize the value of everything.

Iow I think Joe realizes ev Milwaukee. at Orlando Urn Underdog NBA Today 3 at Phlla 11 New York 12 Washington 5 Indiana 7', Toronto 11', Detroit Cleveland Atlanta Miami Chicago A. Utah 6', New Jersey 9', at Minnesota 3', Phoenix 5 at Orleans 9 Memphis 3 Charlotte 4 Dallas Christina Stuart. FLORIDA TODAY Hard hitter. Joe Elegele of Palm Bay is set to fight on the Andre Berto-Carlos Quintana undercard Saturday against an unknown opponent.

Elegele had two previous opponents back out. San Antonio Houston Portland I.