Gib Arnold, a prospective candidate for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball head coaching job, was released from the USC staff, the school announced yesterday.

Arnold and Phil Johnson, both holdovers from Tim Floyd's coaching staff, was released by current Trojans coach Kevin O'Neill.

Arnold and Johnson coached five years at USC.

"Having been raised in this game, I am well aware of the business side of college basketball," Arnold said in a statement. "I have known for some time that Coach O'Neill would like to bring in his own guys to assist him. I understand and support this decision and wish Kevin, his new staff and the USC basketball team all my best.

"I am thankful that I was able to help Kevin during his transition year. I am also very grateful for the five wonderful years I spent as part of the Trojan family."

PACWEST MEN

BYUH opens with Seattle: Pacific West Conference men's basketball co-champion Brigham Young-Hawai'i will play Seattle Pacific Friday in the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional in Bellingham, Wash.

The Seasiders, who have won 13 straight games, are 20-5 and the No. 6 seed. Seattle Pacific won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and is the third seed with a 22-5 record.

In other opening-round games, top seed Western Washington (25-5) meets eighth-seeded Central Washington (16-10), No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) plays No. 7 Humboldt State (22-7) and fourth-seeded Cal Poly Pomona (22-6) faces No. 5 and PacWest co-champion Dixie State (20-5).

RANKED WOMEN

The top-ranked UConn Huskies danced and cheered after they cruised to their 72nd straight win and 16th Big East tournament championship with a 60-32 victory over No. 9 West Virginia last night at Hartford, Conn.

"We had a lot of miniature goals during the entire season," said Kalana Greene, who scored 15 points and earned most outstanding player honors of the tournament. "Every championship that's thrown at us we want to win it."

UConn (33-0) stands six wins short of becoming the first team to go through consecutive seasons unbeaten. West Virginia fell to 28-5.

NBA

GM Dunleavy leaves Clippers: Mike Dunleavy and the Los Angeles Clippers parted company for good yesterday, barely a month after he relinquished his head coaching duties to focus on being general manager.

Now that arrangement is over, with the team announcing his departure in an e-mailed statement, assistant general manager Neil Olshey will take over Dunleavy's job.

"The team has simply not made sufficient progress during Dunleavy's seven-year tenure," the statement said. "The Clippers want to win now. This transition, in conjunction with a full commitment to dedicate unlimited resources, is designed to accomplish that objective."