Cougars’ Sampson Goes to Oklahoma

Oklahoma ended its two-week search for a basketball coach Monday by hiring Kelvin Sampson of Washington State to replace Billy Tubbs.

Sampson, 38, and his wife, Karen, impressed Athletic Director Donnie Duncan and others on the search committee during an interview Saturday.

“They walked out and the only question they had was, ‘Can we get this guy?’ because of his feelings for Washington State,” Duncan said.

Sampson, 38, departs a program that he turned around during his seven years. The Cougars had losing seasons in his first three seasons, but none after that. They reached the NIT in 1992, and last season finished 20-11 and went to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1983.

Sampson will receive an annual salary of $115,000. The deal also includes a shoe contract, summer camps and radio and television shows that could increase that figure significantly.

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Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton says Rick Pitino intends to remain the school’s basketball coach. Pitino reportedly was close to signing a five-year contract worth $21 million with the Lakers.

Pitino told USA Today that those reports were wrong. He met with his players Monday night at his Lexington home and will hold a news conference today, but the school would not say what Pitino plans to discuss.

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Sonja Hogg, who led Louisiana Tech to two national championships, was hired as women’s basketball coach at Baylor, replacing Pam Bowers, who was fired last month and has filed a $4-million lawsuit against the school.

Soccer

The U.S. national team has added three matches to its schedule of preparatory games for this summer’s World Cup. The U.S. team will play Estonia on May 7 at 5 p.m. and Armenia on May 15 at 3:30 p.m., both at Cal State Fullerton. In addition, U.S. officials today will announce details of a June 4 match against Mexico, tentatively set for the Rose Bowl.

Tennis

Steffi Graf, reacting to death threats, insisted she is not worried about playing in the same tournament in which Monica Seles was stabbed last year. “I am not afraid,” Graf said after practice for the Citizen Cup at Hamburg, Germany. “By playing here, I want to show that I am not worried about an attack.”

Goran Ivanisevic, ranked fifth in the world, was ousted in the first round of the Madrid Open, losing to Jakob Hlasek, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (8-6).

Marcelo Filippini of Uruguay, ranked 77th, defeated fourth-seeded Aaron Krickstein, 6-4, 6-2, and Fernando Meligeni of Brazil, ranked 102nd, beat Mikael Pernfors of Sweden, seeded seventh, 6-0, 6-2, in the first round of the AT&T; Challenge in Duluth, Ga. Steve Bryan, ranked 88th, defeated sixth-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Pro Basketball

The New York Knicks activated guard John Starks and returned suspended forward Anthony Mason to their roster for the playoffs.

Starks, who had been averaging 19 points a game, underwent surgery on his left knee March 12. Mason was suspended for the last three regular season games for what Coach Pat Riley termed conduct detrimental to the team.

More than 17.9 million attended NBA games this season, breaking the record for the ninth time in 11 seasons. Average attendance was 16,246, another NBA record. The old mark was 16,060 last season.

Miscellany

The United States beat France, 5-1, on the opening day of the World Championships at Alba di Canazei, Italy.

The 1995 America’s Cup will feature a best-of-nine final instead of the traditional best-of-seven series. The best-of-nine match will extend the final into two weekends and allow for more extensive television coverage, said Chuck Nichols, president of America’s Cup ’95. The final will begin on May 6, a Saturday.

Names in the News

Top-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan rallied from a 13-9 deficit to win the $40,000 Fort Lauderdale Beach Volleyball Open over third-seeded Gail Castro and Elaine Roque. . . . Russia’s Eugeny Berzin beat Italian Claudio Chiappucci in a two-way sprint to win the Tour of Apennines cycling race at Genoa, Italy. . . . Andre Humphrey, a football and baseball player at Clemson, has been arrested and accused of attempted sexual assault.