Sports in brief

basketball

Police: ex-player shot to death

MEMPHIS — Former University of Memphis and NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in the woods outside Memphis, was shot to death and the case is being investigated as a homicide, police said Thursday.

Police wouldn't answer questions about motive or suspects. Records indicate that Wright, 34, whose last NBA season was 2008-09, was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared July 18. A court affidavit said Wright had sold two vehicles to a man affiliated with a Memphis drug ring suspected in six deaths.

Family members said Wright's body was found near an apartment complex Wednesday. Police said Thursday that a 911 call was placed from Wright's cell phone early July 19, and investigators determined it came from the area his body was found.

more basketball

Guard House signs to return to Heat

The agent for Eddie House said the veteran guard agreed to terms on a $2.8 million, two-year contract with the Heat. House was a Heat second-round draft pick in 2000 and spent his first three seasons in Miami. He has since played for eight other teams, including Boston and New York last season.

Kings: Rookie center DeMarcus Cousins' high school coach, Otis Hughley, was hired as an assistant. Cousins was drafted fifth overall last month.

WNBA: The league remains the first-place league in race and gender diversity, receiving a combined grade of A-plus in the annual report card released by UCF's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

Japan: Jeremy Tyler, the first American to leave high school early to play professionally overseas, signed with the Tokyo Apache. Last August, Tyler, 19, signed a one-year deal with Israeli team Maccabi Haifa but left two months before the season's end for personal reasons.

ET CETERA

autos: NASCAR team owner Jack Roush was transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after surgery on facial injuries he sustained in a Tuesday plane crash in Wisconsin. He left a Milwaukee hospital and was in serious but stable condition.

cycling: World champion American Taylor Phinney, 20, was promoted to Lance Armstrong's RadioShack team for the rest of the road race season.

horses: Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky drew the No. 1 post and is the 5-2 favorite in a field of eight for Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Kentucky Derby champ Super Saver is the co-second choice with Trappe Shot at 3-1.

tennis: Tampa resident James Blake outlasted Benjamin Becker 7-5, 7-6 (9-7) to reach the quarterfinals of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. … Maria Sharapova made the quarters of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., beating Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-3.

Times wires