Sports briefs

COLLEGE BASKETBALLSyracuse's Johnson opts for NBA

Syracuse forward Wes Johnson, the Big East player of the year, will enter the NBA draft this spring, he announced Monday. The junior forward averaged a team-leading 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds this season . . . West Virginia forward Devin Ebanks is skipping his final two years of eligibility to enter the draft. The 6-9 sophomore was considered West Virginia's top defender and averaged 12 points and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds last season.

Providence players charged

Two Providence players have been charged with assault after what police and school officials say was an unprovoked attack on a fellow student. Freshmen Johnnie Lacy and James Still were arraigned Monday and released on $1,000 bail after the alleged attack earlier in the morning. Both have been suspended from school.

NHL

Lightning axes coach and GM

The Tampa Bay Lightning fired coach Rick Tocchet and general manager Brian Lawton after missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

Tocchet became interim coach 16 games into the 2008-09 season and was given the head coach position in May 2009. Lawton assumed the general manager post on Oct. 22, 2008.

Since winning the 2004 Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay has not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.

SOCCER'Haunted' by shooting, Togo captain retires

Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor retired from international soccer, saying he is "still haunted" by the deadly attack on his team at the African Cup of Nations in January. Gunmen killed an assistant coach and team spokesman in the Jan. 8 attack in Angola, two days before the start of the tournament.- AP