Ellerbe

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - While his wife and the other sprinters postured and preened, C. J. Hunter and the other big men in the shot put promised that their event would be one of the most compelling at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. They delivered. Hunter is the husband of Marion Jones, and he does not appreciate being called "Mr. Jones." He also had to play second fiddle last night, as Adam Nelson popped the throw of his life, 72 feet, 7 inches, in the sixth and final round to win the event and set a trials record.

Brian Ellerbe has reached this point without ducking questions or sugarcoating his opinions, and he isn't about to change.Ellerbe has made it this far, this quickly in the pressure-packed world of Division I basketball coaching for numerous reasons. He has shown the same hustle as a coach that he displayed 13 years ago as a freshman at Rutgers, where he ran the offense smoothly during a fine college career. He has been successful as an assistant coach at Bowling Green, South Carolina, George Mason and Virginia.

Women's lacrosse U.S. routs England to advance to championship vs. Australia The United States defeated England, 20-3, in the semifinals of the Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup on Thursday in Prague and will advance to the gold-medal game Saturday at 9 a.m. against defending champion Australia, which won the 2005 event by beating the Americans in the final in Annapolis. Katie Rowan led all scorers Thursday with three goals and five assists. Starting U.S. goalie Devon Wills had three saves in the first half, and Megan Huether (Maryvale Prep)

I ASKED Donta Ellerbe, a 28-year-old Baltimorean who spent too much of his young life selling heroin in his hometown, what he would like to do for a living, now that he's sworn off the hustle, and this is what he said: "I'm a good people person. I think I would be good at customer service." I'm guessing he'd be good at sales and marketing, too. Now, you have to appreciate the irony in that -- a drug dealer looking for a second career in customer relations. But it's not an outrageous idea.

When Brian Ellerbe was introduced as Loyola's new head men's basketball coach in April, the school was still celebrating the team's stunning turnaround. In one year, the Greyhounds went from a 2-25 joke to a team that electrified the campus by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament to qualify for its first NCAA tournament.Ellerbe knows all about high expectations, having spent the previous four years as a top assistant at Virginia. And his message to Loyola's fans is blunt: Don't expect another miracle.

If Loyola College is going to salvage its basketball season, which began with seven losses in its first eight games, it will do so without John McDonald.Athletic director Joe Boylan confirmed Wednesday night that the sophomore point guard has decided not to return to school. McDonald, who is staying with his parents in Mount Vernon, N.Y., did not return phone calls, and his father declined to comment.McDonald had told coach Brian Ellerbe on Christmas night that he was leaving for personal reasons.

Robert "Bob" Bassett, 71, radio, TV personality Robert "Bob" Bassett, a veteran radio and television personality, died July 6 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, at his Columbia home. He was 71. In 1987, Mr. Bassett was host of a midday show on radio station WITH in Baltimore, playing jazz and big-band music. Because of his illness, he was forced to retire a year later. The Norwood, Mass., native was raised in Needham, Mass. He earned his bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1952.

After the Loyola basketball team lost its ninth straight game, to St. Peter's on Sunday, coach Brian Ellerbe and his players decided it was time to make some changes."

PHILADELPHIA -- St. Joseph's hadn't played since losing two games in the Wyoming Tournament to unheralded Mississippi State and Monmouth, but Loyola coach Brian Ellerbe said he knew his Greyhounds would have their hands full for yesterday's game against the Hawks."

No, Loyola did not win the NCAA title at Reitz Arena last night.It only seemed that way as the crowd of 1,230 poured out of the stands and mobbed the players in a wild celebration of a dramatic 21-point comeback in the last 11 minutes that gave the Greyhounds a 58-57 victory over Canisius, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference leader.After playing with little emotion in falling behind the Golden Griffins 53-32, the Greyhounds (9-13, 6-4) rallied behind the inspired play of freshman Jason Rowe and 6-foot-10 sophomore center Roderick Platt, who scored a career-high 15 points to go with his eight rebounds.