College basketball » All-America guard James Harden is leaving Arizona State for the NBA.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore and Pac-10 player of the year will hire an agent, ending any chance of returning to the Sun Devils.

Harden led the Pac-10 in scoring at 20.1 points per game and was the first Arizona State player to be named a first-team AP All-American.

» Pitt's DeJuan Blair said Wednesday he will declare for the NBA Draft and has begun hiring representatives, ending any possibility that the All-America center could return for his junior season. Blair averaged 15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds this season and is projected as a mid- to late-first-round pick.

» Wake Forest sophomore guard Jeff Teague declared for the NBA draft on Wednesday but did not hire an agent. The 6-foot-2 Teague averaged a team-best 18.8 points this past season.

No sponsors means No. 8 gets parked

Auto racing » Aric Almirola became NASCAR's latest casualty of the economic crisis when Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing was forced to park the No. 8 car because of a lack of sponsorship.

Almirola is 37th in the Sprint Cup standings, with a season-best finish of 21st at Atlanta last month. His results were not strong enough to woo potential investors, particularly in this poor economic climate.

» AJ Allmendinger picked up a sponsor Wednesday that will keep his Richard Petty Motorsports entry running at least until September. Hunt Brothers Pizza will sponsor six races and the All-Star event, ensuring the No. 44 will stay on the track at least through the Sept. 12 race in Richmond, Va.

Serena upset in first round

Tennis » Top-ranked Serena Williams was upset by 95th-ranked Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 Wednesday in the first round of the Andalucia Tennis Experience at Marbella, Spain. Williams won less than half of her service points to lose her second straight match.

From wire reports