Basketball

USC basketball coach George Raveling met with Seton Hall Athletic Director Larry Keating on Wednesday to discuss the school’s vacant coaching position, sources said. Raveling is believed to be the leading candidate for the position.

A front-office purge by the Houston Rockets left 11 employees--among them the team mascot--looking for jobs. The employees, including team spokesman Jay Goldberg and ticket operations director Jeff Gaines, were fired for unspecified reasons. Fewer than five front-office employees remain from before owner Les Alexander bought the team last July. About 21 employees have been fired or have left the team since then.

Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks underwent a successful arthroscopy on his right knee to clean out loose cartilage.

Football

The New York Giants hired Ernie Accorsi as an assistant general manager and put him in charge of financial affairs and matters dealing with the salary cap. The team has struggled trying to meet the cap’s $34.8-million limit.

Former UCLA, Ram and Denver Bronco wide receiver Michael Young has agreed to a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Young spent most of last season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Florida State tailback Sean Jackson pleaded no contest to a charge of exposing himself to a student on campus in Tallahassee. Jackson, a fourth-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers, was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and one year of probation. He paid $150 in court costs.

Miscellany

It was confirmed that former heavyweight boxing champion Buster Douglas has been hospitalized. He is in serious but stable condition and is being treated for complications of diabetes in the coronary care unit of a hospital in Columbus, Ohio, a hospital announcement said. Douglas, 34, was admitted Monday.

A federal investigation into the helicopter crash that killed NASCAR star Davey Allison points toward pilot inexperience on his part as a cause of the accident.

A 65-page report released by the National Transportation Safety Board said Allison had only 2.8 hours of flying instruction in his Hughes 369HS before the chopper went down last July 12.

Upper Iowa University baseball standout Rick Perez died in a weekend hiking accident in Southern California, school officials in Fayette, Iowa, said. Perez, 20, of El Monte, died Saturday in the Angeles National Forest, authorities said.

Marc Crawford, who built a reputation for working well with young hockey players, has jumped from a minor league coaching career in St. John’s to take charge of the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques.

Cycling

An estimated 1 million English fans braved the rain near Brighton to watch Francisco Cabello of Spain win the first Tour de France stage held north of the English Channel in 20 years.

American Lance Armstrong remained fifth overall.