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Hamilton
hired as Florida State’s basketball coach
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. — Leonard Hamilton will be hired as Florida State’s
basketball coach Tuesday after rebuilding programs at Oklahoma State
and Miami, The Associated Press has learned.
The
school scheduled an afternoon news conference to announce its new
coach.
Hamilton
will succeed Steve Robinson, a source close to the program told
the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Robinson was fired last
week after four consecutive losing seasons.
Hamilton
also briefly coached the Washington Wizards. He helped revive Oklahoma
State and took Miami to three NCAA appearances and two NIT tournaments
between 1990 and 2000.
He
was 144-147 with Miami but he took the program from the bottom of
the Big East to its first round of 16 in the 2000 NCAA tournament.
Hamilton
was twice named Big East coach of the year while at Miami and was
known for creating intense, defense-oriented players.
Astros
buy back naming rights to ballpark
HOUSTON
(AP) — Letter by letter, Enron Corp.’s name is being stripped
from the field the once
mighty energy giant called its own.
On
Tuesday, the Houston Astros took down one of the three remaining
huge outdoor signs which once beckoned baseball fans to the team’s
downtown ballpark.
Astros
spokesman Todd Fedewa said the team hopes to have all the outdoor
and indoor signage down by the team’s home opener April 2,
when the team starts its third year in the park.
If
the team doesn’t come to a naming rights agreement by the time
the first pitch is thrown, the stadium will be known as Astros Field
but won’t be labeled that way, Fedewa said.
The
Astros bought back the naming rights to the ballpark Feb. 27, paying
about $2.1 million to the bankrupt energy trader.
Stars
trade players for better playoff chances
DALLAS
(AP) — The Dallas Stars tried boosting their playoff chances
Tuesday by sending center Joe Nieuwendyk and forward Jamie Langenbrunner
to the New Jersey Devils
for center Jason Arnott, forward Randy McKay and a first-round pick.
Two
years ago, the Stars and Devils met in the Stanley Cup finals, with
Arnott scoring the series-clinching goal in the second overtime
of Game 6.
This
season, both teams have fired their coaches and are now using this
trade-deadline deal to reshape their rosters in hopes of making
another title run — and maybe even just securing a playoff
spot.
Dallas
is fourth in the Pacific Division, but only seven points behind
first-place San Jose. The Stars hold the West’s final playoff
spot, but only by one point going into Tuesday night’s games.
New
Jersey has 73 points, third in the Atlantic Division and seventh
in the East. The Devils might need the offensive boost to counter
the New York Rangers’ move Monday of adding Pavel Bure.
Nieuwendyk,
the Conn Smythe winner when the Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999,
has been the source of trade rumors much of the season. He was expendable
because Dallas already has Mike Modano and in the offseason signed
Pierre Turgeon.
Jordan
could return to the court as soon as Sunday
WASHINGTON,
D.C. — Michael Jordan could return to the Washington Wizards’
lineup as soon as Sunday, according to a report in Tuesday’s
Washington Post.
Jordan
wants to increase his workout routine and then practice with the
team to test his injured knee, Wizards head coach Doug Collins told
the Post. He may join the Wizards on the road in Denver or Utah
later this week. He is not expected to play in either of those games.
The Wizards visit Toronto on Sunday.
“He
could show up at any time,” Collins told the Post. “It
depends on how he’s feeling. He might jump on a plane and say,
‘Let’s go.’ He said he was doing some defensive slides,
some
shooting and he said he was going to pick up the pace to see how
he was going to handle it. He said his right knee feels 100 percent
better than it did before the surgery.”
Jordan
is expected to practice several times before returning to the court.
“He
wouldn’t play without practicing,” Collins said. “I
would expect him to try and get two or three practices with us.”
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