Times wires
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun said Thursday that he offered to serve his three-game suspension this past season instead of next but was turned down by the NCAA.
In February, the coach was suspended for next season's first three Big East games and the program was put on probation for several violations. The allegations stemmed from the recruitment of Nate Miles. An NCAA investigation found a former team manager helped guide Miles to UConn, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation.
Calhoun's revelation came Thursday during Dan Patrick's nationally syndicated radio show.
"I volunteered to sit out games this year," he said. "Their answer was no. And I said, 'All right, but I don't want to appeal anything.' They said no.
"The three games is fine. I would live with that. If they feel they need something that's penal, that's okay. But I would have liked to have done it at the end of this season, and I thought that would've been more fair. Because why start it up next year?"
Kansas twins to draft: Kansas twins Marcus and Markieff Morris said they will skip their senior seasons. The forwards also said they will hire an agent, meaning they cannot change their minds. Marcus, a second-team All-American, averaged 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. Markieff, an honorable-mention All-American, averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Fresno St.: Rodney Terry, an assistant at Texas the past nine seasons, was hired as coach. He replaces Steve Cleveland, who took a job in the school's athletic department.
Hockey: Shawn Hunwick made 40 saves to lead Michigan past North Dakota 2-0 in the national semifinals in St. Paul, Minn. Ben Winnett scored in the first, and Scooter Vaughan's empty-netter sealed it for the Wolverines (29-10-4), who go for their 10th title Saturday against Minnesota-Duluth. J.T. Brown had a goal and an assist to lead the Bulldogs past Notre Dame 4-3. In its only previously title game, in 1984, Duluth (25-10-6) lost to Bowling Green in four overtimes.
Women's basketball: Tuesday's title game between No. 2 seeds Texas A&M and Notre Dame drew 3.8 million viewers, up from 3.5 million for last season's between No. 1 seeds Stanford and UConn. Average viewership for the tournament was 1.9 million, up from last year's 1.6 million.
Football: Miami reinstated linebacker Ramon Buchanan about three weeks after his arrest. Buchanan, who had 54 tackles in 13 games as a junior last season, was charged with felony counts of resisting arrest and battery after allegedly spitting on and attempting to strike a police officer. A pretrial hearing is set for April 18.