Duke clear choice for top spot in poll

Duke was in good position to be ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll before landing Marvin Bagley III. Once the nation’s top recruit decided to reclassify for this season, the Blue Devils became the voters’ clear choice.

Led by Bagley and senior guard Grayson Allen, Duke was the preseason No. 1 for the second straight season a ninth time overall, matching rival North Carolina for most all-time. The Blue Devils received 33 of 65 first-place votes from a national media panel in the AP Top 25 released on Wednesday.

No. 2 Michigan State received 13 first-place votes, No. 3 Arizona had 18 and No. 4 Kansas got one.

Kentucky rounded out the top 5, followed by Villanova, Wichita State and Florida. Defending national champion North Carolina is No. 9 and Southern California is 10th. Saint Mary’s is 22nd.

Soccer

DYNAMO GOALKEEPER SUSPENDED >> Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric has been suspended pending an investigation by MLS and the Houston Police Department into his arrest Tuesday on misdemeanor assault charges in a domestic case.

Deric, who was the MLS Player of the Month for October, will not play for the Dynamo in a playoff game against the Portland Timbers on Sunday.

College football

NEXT FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SITES NAMED >> The College Football Playoff says the national championship game will be held in Miami Gardens, Florida, Indianapolis, Inglewood, and Houston from 2021 through 2024. College football playoff executive director Bill Hancock announced the four future sites..

Olympics

RUSSIAN GOLD MEDAL WINNING SKIER DISQUALIFIED >> In a landmark verdict that indicates Russia conspired to run a doping program at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a cross-country skier who won a gold medal was disqualified by the IOC. All results for Alexander Legkov in Sochi were wiped from the record and he was banned for life from attending another Olympics. With calls to ban Russia’s team from next year’s Pyeongchang Olympics likely to increase, the IOC’s executive board will meet next month to discuss the matter.

Tennis

NADAL TO BE NO. 1 AGAIN >> Rafael Nadal will finish the year as the top-ranked player for the fourth time, surprising even the fiercest of competitors after a wrist injury and a lack of form severely dented his steely confidence. The 31-yearold Spaniard assured himself the No. 1 ranking by beating Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters.