NEW YORK — Career steals leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire and Jim Rice — eligible for the final time.

Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn and Matt Williams.

Just 23 players are on the ballot, the smallest group ever. Holdovers include Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson. Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

A 10-time All-Star who played from 1979-2003, Henderson holds the career records for steals (1,406) and runs (2,295), and his 2,190 walks are second to Barry Bonds’ 2,558.

Henderson played for nine teams, winning the 1990 AL MVP award with Oakland.

PRO BASKETBALL

Marbury must keep away from Knicks

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Stephon Marbury was ordered to stay away from the New York Knicks while the team looks for a solution to its $21 million problem — one that has lingered since the preseason and exploded last week when the team suspended him for refusing to play and he retaliated with a series of inflammatory remarks.

Marbury’s future was “not resolved” during a meeting with team president Donnie Walsh at the Knicks’ practice facility, according to the players’ association attorney representing him. The sides will continue to talk, but Marbury won’t be around in the meantime.

He will earn about $21 million this season in the final year of his contract and is adamant that he won’t give much of it up in a buyout. However, that salary makes him nearly impossible to trade, and the Knicks are reluctant to give him all his money to leave.

PRO FOOTBALL

Patriots, Bucs to play in London in 2009

LONDON — The New England Patriots will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season at Wembley Stadium, the third straight year the NFL will stage a regular-season game in the British capital.

The game will be played Oct. 25. The Bucs will be listed as the home team, giving up a game in Tampa.

Five weeks ago, the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 37-32 before 83,000 fans at Wembley. Last season, the New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10. Both games were sold out.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Finalists named for Broyles Award

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.

The other finalists announced Monday are Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen, Texas Christian defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas and Ball State offensive coordinator Stan Parrish.

The Broyles Award is named for Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles. He was the Razorbacks’ football coach, and more than 25 of his assistants became head coaches. They include Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill.

Wilson’s offense is scoring 53 points per game, easily the best mark in the nation. Oklahoma has scored over 60 points in four straight games.

The Broyles Award winner will be announced Dec. 9 in Little Rock. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock won it last year.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Big East fills Top 25

The Big East was considered the country’s deepest conference this season, and it was proven Monday.

Syracuse moved into the Top 25, giving the Big East a record eight teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll.

North Carolina (7-0) remained the unanimous No. 1 selection of the 72-member national media panel, while No. 2 Connecticut and No. 3 Pittsburgh started the Big East’s collection of ranked teams.

Also ranked from the 16-member league were No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 11 Louisville, No. 16 Syracuse, No. 17 Villanova, No. 20 Georgetown and No. 25 Marquette.

The Big East had seven teams in the preseason poll and the first two Top 25s this season, tying its own record shared with the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference.

AUTO RACING

Speed will drive full-time for Red Bull in 2009

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Scott Speed will race full-time next season in NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series, a move anticipated since Red Bull Racing released AJ Allmendinger to make room for the former Formula One driver.

The team will change the Toyota from the No. 84 to No. 82 to accommodate Speed, who has been training for NASCAR since his summer 2007 release from Red Bull’s F1 team. Jimmy Elledge will be his crew chief.

Speed ran the final five Cup races of the year, and his best finish was 16th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he drove teammate Brian Vickers’ car.

Vickers, meanwhile, will return to the No. 83 for a third season and will have a new crew chief. Ryan Pemberton left Michael Waltrip Racing to become Vickers’ third crew chief in as many years

HOCKEY

Four-time All-Star Martin dies in lake accident

MONTREAL — Hubert “Pit” Martin, a four-time NHL All-Star in the 1960s and ’70s, has died after his snowmobile plunged into an icy lake, Quebec provincial police said. He was 64.

Const. Marie-Josee Ouellet said Martin was driving the vehicle on Lake Kanasuta in northwestern Quebec on Sunday when the ice cracked and he plunged into the freezing water.

Another man who was driving a separate snowmobile at the time has confirmed Martin ended up in the water, Ouellet said.

Divers were attempting to retrieve Martin’s body.

Martin, who would have turned 65 next week, lived on an island in the lake that was reached by boat in summer and snowmobile in winter, but there were always tricky periods in spring and fall when the ice had to be tested regularly, Tallon said.

Martin played 1,101 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, amassing 809 points from 1963 to 1979.