USA TODAY International Edition
tops North men’s Carolina recruiting basketball class
Defending men’s national champion North Carolina is nowhere to be found in the preseason polls after losing its top seven players from the title team, but if the Tar Heels’ recruiting haul is an indication, their absence will be only temporary.
UNC has received commitments from three
top- 10 players and three other solid prospects
to rise to the top of the nation’s recruiting
classes after the early signing period began
Wednesday.
Point
guard Tywon Lawson of Oak Hill
Academy ( Mouth of Wilson, Va.) is joined by
6- 9 forward Brandan Wright of Brentwood
( Tenn.) Academy and 6- 4 guard Wayne Ellington of Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa.
Also heading for Chapel Hill: Deon Thompson, a 6-8 forward from Torrance, Calif.; Alex
Stepheson, a 6-8 forward from North Hollywood, Calif.; and William Graves, a 6- 5 wing
from Greensboro, N. C.
“ It was important for ( coach) Roy Williams
to get a class this good coming off the national
championship in April,” said analyst Bob Gibbons of All Star Sports Report. “ After losing seven players, the cupboard was bare. Theywere able to sign three frontline players, complementing a great backcourt that can play right away.”
Ohio State coach Thad Matta also signed a highly regarded class, including Greg Oden, the 7- foot center from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis who was USA TODAY’s player of the year last season, and his Lawrence North High teammate, point guard Mike Conley.
Oden, however, is expected to be NBA-bound after next season. “ Greg Oden makes this class very special, but they’ll only have him one year,” Gibbons said.
Among women’s programs, Southern California landed the premier class. It included Jacki Gemelos, 5- 10, of St. Mary’s in Stockton, Calif.; Hailey Dunham,
6- 1, from Winward
in Los Angeles; Morghan Medlock, 6-0, from Narbonne in Harbor City, Calif., and Aarika Hughes, 6- 1, from Southridge in Beaverton, Ore.
“ USC was coming off a good season, and to follow it up with the top recruiting class will have them knocking on the door of national prominence,” said analyst Dan Olson of All- Star Girls Report. “ Getting a highly rated player like Jacki Gemelos is a dramatic step forward.”
Union to Eagles: Just cut him
NFL Players Association chief
Gene Upshawwants the Philadelphia Eagles to immediately release
Terrell Owens if they won’t reinstate the allpro receiver after his four- game suspension. The Eagles suspended Owens for conduct detrimental to the team, docking him more than $800,000 in salary, and coach Andy Reid has insisted he would then deactivate the controversial player for the rest of the season. “ We’re not asking them to play him; we can’t force them to do that,” Upshaw told the Associated Press. “ But if they’re not going to let him practice and do all the other things associated with that, then we want them to cut him, let him become a free agent now.” The union A led a grievance, to be heard by arbitrator Richard Bloch on Nov. 18, that seeks full reinstatement. It contends the intent to deactivate Owens exceeds the maximum penalty allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.
Clijsters defeated again at Championships
Lindsay Davenport’s hold on the year-end No. 1 ranking seems a little stronger after she defeated Patty Snyder 6- 3, 7- 5 and Amelie Mauresmo defeated No. 2 Kim Clijsters 6- 3, 7-6 ( 7- 4). Wednesday’s loss was the second in two days for Clijsters in the round- robin play at the WTA Championships at Los Angeles. “ I was not at 100% to play my best tennis,” Clijsters said. “ These last two days, I haven’t been hitting the ball very clean or seeing the ball. It’s a matter of playing a lot and being a bit tired.” Mary Pierce, who beat her Tuesday, defeated Elena Dementieva 6- 2, 6- 3 for her 500th career win Wednesday.
Tyson accused of assaulting cameraman in Brazil
Mike Tyson was questioned by police in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early Thursday after a television cameraman accused the former heavyweight champion of assaulting him outside a nightclub. Tyson could face charges of assault and destruction of property, police spokeswoman Kelly Pinheiro said. A court hearing has been scheduled for Friday, but Tyson can send a representative. Carlos Eduardo da Silva, a cameraman with the Brazilian television network SBT, told police Tyson pushed him and threw his camera to the ground outside the club, then removed a videotape. Police said Tyson acknowledged damaging the camera but denied pushing Silva.
Elsewhere . . .
Four- time Indianapolis 500 winner
Al Unser was resting and expected to make a full recovery after doctors in Colorado removed a tumor from his liver Wednesday. “ He’s good for another 100,000 miles,” his wife, Susan, said jokingly. . . . Two- time MLS defender of the year Robin Fraser of the Columbus Crew is retiring from professional soccer. Fraser, 38, was one of 16 players to have played in all 10 MLS seasons. . . . Canada’s women’s hockey team extended itswinning streak against the USA to A ve games Thursday with a 5-0 victory in an Olympic test tournament at Torino, Italy. They play again Saturday in the A nal and will meet four more times before the Olympics: Nov. 27 in Columbus, Ohio; Dec. 1 in Chicago; Dec. 30 in St. Paul; and Jan. 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.