Houston tops poll, first time in decades

Nearly four decades after Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon took Houston men's basketball team to No. 1, the latest bunch led by Marcus Sasser and star freshman Jarace Walker took over the top spot in the AP Top 25. They got 45 of 63 firstplace votes from the national media panel, easily outdistancing second-place Texas and third-place Virginia.

North Carolina was No. 1 all season, but the Tar Heels lost to Iowa State and in four overtimes to Alabama to cede the top spot to Houston, which beat Kent State in its only game last week.

• South Carolina remained the unanimous No. 1 choice in the AP women's poll as the Gamecocks keep close watch on the foot injury of reigning Player of the Year Aliyah Boston.

The Gamecocks received all 29 first-place votes in the poll Monday, a day after Boston left a game with her injury. Coach Dawn Staley said Boston was “questionable” going forward but added that the “team doctor wasn't too, too concerned.”

Stanford remained No. 2 after cruising through a tournament in Hawaii.

• USF's Ioanna Krimili was named the WCC women's player of the week after averaging 22 points in double-figure victories over Penn, South Carolina State and Long Beach State. Santa Clara's Tess Heal is freshman of the week for the third time this season, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4 assists in three double-digit wins.

NFL: Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said he spoke with Lamar Jackson about the quarterback's profane postgame tweet directed at a fan Sunday, saying the language was out of character. Jackson insisted on Twitter that he did not intend to disrespect anyone's sexual orientation.

Golf: Tiger Woods withdrew from his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Obituary: Allen “Skip” Kenney, who led Stanford's men to seven NCAA swimming championships during 33 seasons (19792012) as head coach, died Sunday night. He was 79. Kenney fractured his hips three weeks ago, but he didn't improve after having surgery with the hope of regaining mobility.