Today's Sports on the Air

Baseball

4 p.m.

NCAA Super Regionals: Arkansas vs. Baylor, Game 3
ESPN2

7 p.m.

Red Sox at Marlins ESPN

7 p.m.

NCAA Super Regionals: Oklahoma vs. South Carolina, Game 3, if nec. ESPN2

7 p.m.

NCAA Super Regionals: Oregon vs. Kent State, Game 3 ESPNU

7 p.m.

AAA: Tides at Bison SNY

7 p.m.

Yankees at Braves YES, WCBS (880 AM)

Stanley Cup Finals

8 p.m.

Devils at Kings, Game 6
NBC, WFAN (660 AM)

Soccer

Noon

Euro 2012, Group D:
England vs. France ESPN

2:45 p.m.

Euro 2012, Group D:
Sweden vs. Ukraine ESPN

Tennis

7 a.m.

French Open: Men’s Final (cont.): NBCSN

Horse Racing

12:25 p.m.

Parx Ch. 71

Kent State, WCBS, South Carolina, Marlins online, WFAN, Baylor, Sox, Braves YES

Nypost.com

Newkirk leads Team SCAN 16s to Rumble title

When the city’s top sophomores are discussed, the names you usually hear are Isaiah Whitehead, Khadeen Carrington and C.J. Davis.

Shavar Newkirk should be in the conversation, particularly after this weekend. The Cardinal Hayes guard led Team SCAN to the Rumble in the Bronx 16U title and garnered MVP honors after the program’s fifth title this spring.

“I think he’s second behind Whitehead,” Team SCAN coach Terrence (Munch) Williams said. “I think he’s the No. 1 point guard in 2014. I don’t think it’s a race. That kid wins, he wins at every level. He wins in high school, he wins in AAU. When it’s all said and done, he’ll be between a top 50 and a top 100 kid in the country.”

Denis Gostev

Cardinal Hayes' Shavar Newkirk led Team SCAN to the Rumble in the Bronx 16U crown over the weekend.

Newkirk has played so well this spring, Williams said, he’s been the team’s most valuable player, and the group includes nationally ranked sophomore Chris McCullough.

“He runs a team, he rarely turns the ball over, he gets a few points, assists, steals rebounds,” Williams said of the 5-foot-11 Newkirk, who has scholarship offers from Providence, Seton Hall, Manhattan, Iona and Iowa State. “He’s having a wonderful [AAU] season.”

Newkirk stood out in the loaded event, but he was not alone. McCullough, an uber-talented 6-foot-9 Bronx native, played well at both ends of the floor, especially on defense, an area of his game he has looked to improve upon, Williams said. He also excelled offensively, as expected, hitting 3-pointers and throwing down emphatic dunks.

“Chris is at times a man amongst boys,” Williams said. “He dominated at times. He’s everyone’s focal point every time he steps on the court.”

Williams also singled out the play of Conrad Chambers, Quincy McKnight and Cheick Diallo. In fact, SCAN had 14 players for the event, a first this spring, and each one had a hand in the title.

“Each kid was able to play an important role, whether it was starting or coming off the bench,” Williams said.

Team SCAN had to earn the crown, going through Canada powerhouse CIA Bounce and Texas Select in the playoffs just to get to the finals. In the championship, they took down The City, 59-38, and defeated King Street Kings, Kendall Madison Playaz and Brooklyn Leaders in pool play.

Williams played down the significance of the tournament title – his team’s goal is to win every time it takes the court and to leave each tournament with hardware. He was happy to see his team perform so well locally in front of friends and family because it is so often on the road.

“Us playing this weekend here allowed people to see us in action, good bad or indifferent,” Williams said. “We showed we’re a talented group with kids who play together.”

Williams does think his team proved one thing over the weekend: it is the premier program in New York City. Not only did the 16s win a title, the 15s reached the championship, losing to the New Jersey Playaz Club, and the weekend before, the 14s made it to the finals as well.

“While New York is quote-unquote down, Team SCAN is not down – we’re up,” he said. “We’re having a great season. Some would say what we’re doing is unprecedented.”

zbraziller@nypost.com

Team SCAN, Team SCAN, Shavar Newkirk, Williams, Isaiah Whitehead, Newkirk, Khadeen Carrington, Rumble in the Bronx, SCAN, ebook download

Nypost.com

Two-wheel strive

The price of gas being what it is, a motorcycle could help you beat the pump and cut a dashing figure at the same time. Plus, with your helmet you won’t be tempted to talk on your cell phone.

Baby Boomer bikers dominating their growing pastime with $15,000 road bikes are finding doses of needed nostalgia in Motorcycle Classics. It’s become a hit with its spreads on scores of icons from yesteryear, such as the 1971 Honda 100 and 1981 Yamaha 550, modest favorites of their day. Articles and photos extol the beauty and mechanical virtures of other classics such as the 1921 Indian, the 1934 Husqvarna and the beloved 1975 Norton Commando. Vintage bike auctions, the magazine reports, are the hottest sector among motoring collectibles, for example $6,500 for a fixed-up 1974 Honda 350, one of America’s most popular starter bikes of its time.

At last we get the answer to how motorcycle riders cope with bug splats. Some people who are curious about motorcycles but who have never ridden one have perhaps thought about this uncomfortable issue. Sport Rider’s Jeff Buchanan tells us, “There will be bugs.” Also, a feature on the Japanese father of the sport bike, Tadao Baba, takes readers into Honda’s heyday. Baba is a bike rider/engineer and used to personalize bikes off the production line with “happy riding” notes. This month’s edition squares off Ducati and Triumph with a surprise victor in performance.

Motorcycle Cruiser is a California-based title offering just what you’d expect from this magazine category. There are endless machine reviews, comparisons of the latest helmets and a buyer’s guide on bike-to-bike communication: apparently gesturing to friends isn’t high tech enough. If you’re into the scene, though, you’ll no doubt enjoy the cover story comparing two unique models, the Harley Switchback and the Victory Hard-Ball. Winner: The Hard-Ball, for reasons we can’t fathom, since reviewers loved both.

Cycle World appears aimed at an older crowd with its blocky layout and several pen and ink drawings of bikes. Editors try to ascribe human qualities to their bike reviews and in one roundup they decide to define a set of bikes with character. Each one gets a little strap with a photo of a film character that most expresses the bike’s qualities. The Ducati Diavel Carbon is “Batman Dark Knight’s ride of choice.” The Triumph Scrambler is Steve McQueen trying to escape from prison, and Indiana Jones is Ural M70. Each bike gets marks for badassness, crowd magnetism, bang for buck, escape artistry and Union Jack of all trades, whatever that means. Wait, did we say this title is for grown-ups?

New Yorker wonders what President Obama would do if he is re-elected. He could find a model in Ronald Reagan, whose advisers worked hard to shape his legacy. Speaking of leaving a footprint, a Tupelo, Miss.-based broadcaster named Bryan Fischer wants to make bias against gays the official stance of the Republican Party. He wants the next president to criminalize all abortions, wants schools to be able to teach intelligent design and seeks to make contraception available only to married couples. Elsewhere, an anecdotal history of the Supreme Court seems to have no purpose other than to offer the less-than-profound observation that “What people think about judicial review usually depends on what they think about the composition of the Court.” In other words, when your guy is in charge, you like judicial review.

Time offers a profile of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who could be casting the deciding Supreme Court vote on Obamacare, gay marriage, affirmative action and juvenile sentencing. Also under the microscope is the global economic crisis, though the story is hard to take seriously when it opens with not one, but two, references to Lady Gaga lyrics. Then comes a look at Elon Musk, an emerging leader in space exploration by a private company. Golfers may enjoy an article on Masters champion Bubba Watson that raises the question of whether he could fill the void left by Tiger Woods’ fall from grace.

Newsweek still believes we are British subjects. Tina Brown’s British slant is very apparent in the new edition featuring a cover story on Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year Jubilee. Fortunately, there is more here than the Jubilee. A feature on Penn State outcast Mike McQueary, who exposed alleged child molester Jerry Sandusky, helps illuminate the whole saga. Columnist Paul Begala offers a convincing argument on the hypocrisy of businessmen who call for the government to reduce the deficit, and then ask for subsidies. The big feature is on how Obama came to embrace drone strikes. Seems a little late to the game. Locally, Newsweek profiles the likely 2016 Democratic presidential primary race between Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Andrew Cuomo.

Ducati, President Obama, Norton Commando, Tadao Baba, Supreme Court, Honda, Motorcycle Classics, motorcycle, Ducati Diavel Carbon

Nypost.com

Kuroda-for-Gardner a fine trade for Yanks

Ken Davidoff
Follow Ken on Twitter
Blog: Baseball Insider

Hiroki Kuroda said his left foot felt “much better” yesterday at Yankee Stadium, while Brett Gardner, stationed in Charleston, S.C., told his bosses his right elbow was worse.

And with that confluence of events, the Yankees’ game plan seems likely to change. Suddenly, as teams head toward the period of serious trade discussions, this team might have to prioritize an outfield upgrade over one for its starting rotation.

Gardner couldn’t even make it through a full game Friday night with Single-A Charleston, leaving in the top of the sixth inning. He’ll see noted orthopedists James Andrews and Tim Kremchek this coming week, and it’s natural for baseball fans to anticipate the worst when Andrews’ name in particular is mentioned.

the Yankees’ 4-2 home victory over the Mets last night, may get a new neighbor in left field if the team ventures into the trade market to replace Brett Gardner, who suffered a setback in rehabbing an injured elbow." title="GOOD JOB! Curtis Granderson, bumping fists with Robinson Cano after a solo home run in the Yankees’ 4-2 home victory over the Mets last night, may get a new neighbor in left field if the team ventures into the trade market to replace Brett Gardner, who suffered a setback in rehabbing an injured elbow." width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/06/10/sports/web_photos/10.3s086.DavidoffC--300x300.jpg" />

AP

GOOD JOB! Curtis Granderson, bumping fists with Robinson Cano after a solo home run in the Yankees’ 4-2 home victory over the Mets last night, may get a new neighbor in left field if the team ventures into the trade market to replace Brett Gardner, who suffered a setback in rehabbing an injured elbow.

In the best-case scenario, the Yankees don’t expect to get Gardner back until after the All-Star break next month. The worst case would call for the Yankees to lose Gardner for the duration of the season.

The Yankees haven’t missed Gardner severely because Raul Ibanez, 40, signed primarily to serve as the team’s designated hitter against right-handed pitching, started his 32nd game in the outfield last night as the Yankees defeated the Mets, 4-2, in the second Subway Series game at the Stadium.

Ibanez doesn’t cover the sort of ground Gardner does out there, but he represents a considerable upgrade in the slugging department and is even one of the few Yankees performing well with runners in scoring position.

Andruw Jones, 35, has helped the team as he did last year, with occasional starts in the outfield and others at DH, though his splits oddly have reversed with better numbers against righties than lefties.

Nevertheless, no less an authority than Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, “I don’t want to overexpose the old guys.”

And there’s no disputing the Yankees’ offense has lost its speed dimension with the injury to Gardner and the demotion of Eduardo Nunez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Internally, the Yankees have Chris Dickerson, who spent some time in the majors last year and is currently with Scranton; he’s more of a backup, as you recall. They also have Nunez, whom the Yankees not long ago envisioned as someone who could help as a super utility player. He’s out with a right-thumb injury, however, and not ready to return any time soon.

Outside the organization? Well, this will be a challenging year because the addition of the second wild card means fewer teams will surrender and trade veteran players. A wrinkle of the new collective bargaining agreement — free agents acquired midseason can’t be offered arbitration and therefore can’t bring back up a compensatory draft pick — will further increase the difficulty of completing a deal.

There surely will be options, though. The Padres will listen to offers on free-agent-to-be Carlos Quentin; his pro is his power, while his cons are his right-handedness and that he’s returning from right knee surgery.

The Cubs would throw a party if they found a taker for former Yankee Alfonso Soriano, who is enjoying a decent season and is owed $18 million annually through 2014. This one just doesn’t make enough sense. Besides, at 36, Soriano is older than Jones, and he’s worse defensively than Ibanez.

The Angels’ Torii Hunter? Maybe. The Angels do have a glut in their outfield. The Phillies’ Shane Victorino? For sure, if Philadelphia gives up, which probably won’t happen. The Twins’ Denard Span? He’s under control through 2014, so the price would be high.

It doesn’t look like a great market, yet it looks like a place where the Yankees might be able to find some sort of solution if Gardner can’t make it back. The starting pitching shopping list looks to be even worse, so if the Yankees have to choose a poison, they probably are better off with yesterday’s news going the way it did.

There could be more twists of fate that shift the Yankees’ radar once again. However, this felt like a significant shift, one we’ll probably be talking about for a while. As will the Yankees themselves.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

Brett Gardner, the Yankees, the Yankees, Yankees

Nypost.com

Corona's performance, leadership not enough for Queens Vocational

Daniel Corona knew despite the high stakes nothing was different in this game than the rest of the season.

“I couldn’t lose my composure,” the Queens Vocational right-hander said after giving up two runs in the third. “If I did, the whole team would have crumbled. They are dependent on me as their ace, as their senior pitcher.”

Corona certainly did his part.

He scattered six hits, struck out seven and walked just one, but the third-seeded Tigers bats couldn’t muster enough run support as they fell 2-1 to No. 1 South Bronx in the PSAL Class B baseball championship game Friday at MCU Park. Queens Vocational won the title in 2007.

Christina Santucci

Queens Vocational pitcher Daniel Corona allowed just two runs.

“Danny is an emotional kid and he can get the team cranked up,” Tigers coach Robert Schimenz. … “There has really been no time this year where Danny’s emotions cost us.”

The third was the only frame he was hit hard allowing three straight, two-out extra base hits including an RBI double by Danauris Baez and a booming triple to pitcher Kevin Victoriano that brought home the second run for South Bronx (21-0). Corona stranded two runners in the fourth and picked off Rodriguez in the fifth to erase a leadoff single. He began mixing in more curves and tried to work away more.

Queens Vocational (19-2) scored its lone run in the top of the sixth on a double by Jose Monegro, who Schimenz said blossomed this year. A wild pitch eventually brought him home to make it 2-1. Victoriano stifled them all day, striking out 11, including the game’s final batter and allowed just two hits. The Tigers scouted his curve ball, but struggled with it.

“We didn’t handle it and we have a great batting team,” Schimenz said.

His team, which includes nine seniors, grew up playing together and really matured as this season wore on to reach the finals. Schimenz said there is talk of the Tigers moving to the ‘A’ league, but he believes they are fine where they are with a bulk of their talent graduating, crediting the kids with how hard they worked to get the program to this point.

“It was surreal,” Corona said. “Getting here was a huge journey and very difficult for me and my team. … We all worked together and helped out and then we noticed we were in the championship game. It didn’t feel like it. I was like, ‘Wow. We made it.’”

jstaszewski@nypost.com

Daniel Corona, Queens Vocational, Tigers coach Robert Schimenz., Tigers, Kevin Victoriano, Jose Monegro, Danauris Baez, South Bronx ebook download, the Tigers

Nypost.com

The Post Line

NHL Playoffs

Tomorrow

Favorite

Line

Underdog

DEVILS

-110-110

Kings

Boxing

Tomorrow

WBO Welterweight Title

At Las Vegas

Favorite

Line

Underdog

Pacquiao

$350-450

Bradley

Home team in CAPS

Welterweight, NHL

Nypost.com

Gupta lawyers question Blankfein on confidential data

Lawyers for Goldman Sachs Group director Rajat Gupta, showcasing another pillar of their defense, tried to cast doubt Friday on government claims that corporate information allegedly passed by Gupta to hedge-fund manager Raj Rajaratnam was actually confidential.

Gary Naftalis, Gupta's lawyer, quizzed Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein about whether it was publicly known in July 2008 that Goldman Sachs was considering buying a commercial bank. As part of his questioning, Naftalis showed jurors several analyst reports from the time that mentioned meetings with senior Goldman Sachs managers.

REUTERS

Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc board member Rajat Gupta (right) arrives at Manhattan Federal Court with lawyer Gary Naftalis today.

Prosecutors have alleged that Gupta confirmed to Rajaratnam, co-founder of Galleon Group, rumors that the investment bank's directors had discussed the possibility of acquiring a bank or an insurer at a strategic meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, in late June 2008. The alleged tip occurred on a July 29, 2008, wiretapped phone conversation: the only call captured on tape between the two men and played earlier in the trial. However, Rajaratnam never traded on the information, prosecutors said.

Naftalis's line of questioning came in the third day of testimony by Blankfein, one of the last witnesses expected to be called by the government. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Friday. "Items your senior management disclosed to analysts are no longer confidential under Goldman's confidentially policy?," Naftalis said.

"Yes," Blankfein said.

Prosecutors have alleged that Gupta, also a former director of Procter & Gamble Co., secretly provided confidential information about Goldman Sachs and P&G to Rajaratnam, who was convicted of insider-trading charges last year and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Gupta has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and securities-fraud charges.

Blankfein testified earlier this week that items discussed by the company's board were confidential and that he never authorized Gupta to provide information from board discussions to anyone outside the investment bank.

To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal

Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Raj Rajaratnam, Rajat Gupta, Goldman Sachs Group director Rajat Gupta, Gary Naftalis, Galleon Group, Manhattan Federal Court, commercial bank, Naftalis, investment bank

Nypost.com