Prep Star Reportedly Set to Jump to NBA

Hoping to become the first high school player to go directly to the NBA in 20 years, Kevin Garnett is making himself available for the draft, Chicago newspapers reported Thursday.

The 6-foot-11, 217-pound Garnett, who led Farragut High to a city championship in March while averaging 26 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots, is expected to be a top 20 pick, his high school coach, William Nelson, told the Chicago Tribune.

“I helped him with the letter that will be sent to the NBA office. There will be a press conference Monday where Kevin will explain everything,” Nelson said of Garnett, who has been unable to attain the minimum test score required to play Division I basketball as a freshman.

Moses Malone in 1974 and Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby in 1975 made the jump from high school to the NBA.

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Alabama center Antonio McDyess, citing family considerations and the risk of injury, said he will give up his final two years of college eligibility and seek to be drafted by an NBA team. McDyess, a 6-9, 220-pound sophomore, averaged 12.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last season.

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Wake Forest center Tim Duncan said he will return to school for his junior year.

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Patricia Bohanon of Los Angeles has sued the NBA and players’ union for $100 million over exclusive rights granted to her 10 years ago to use the physical and vocal likeness of NBA players in animation form, said her attorney, Monday Abengowe.

Tennis

Andre Agassi breezed into the quarterfinals of the German Open in Hamburg with a 51-minute, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Slava Dosedel of the Czech Republic. Pete Sampras had a much tougher time in ousting Czech Daniel Vacek, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

Agassi should get a tougher test in the quarterfinals against two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain. Bruguera won when Dutchman Richard Krajicek retired because of a knee injury.

Sampras will play Wayne Ferreira, the South African who beat 1993 champion Michael Stich of Germany, 7-5, 6-1.

Fourth-seeded Gabriela Sabatini squandered five match points in falling to 13th-seeded Helena Sukova, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-6), in the third round of the Italian Open in Rome.

The defeat came on a day of upsets in which unseeded American Shaun Stafford defeated 16th-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, and Joannette Kruger of South Africa defeated No. 5 Anke Huber of Germany, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). No. 6 Mary Joe Fernandez beat Meredith McGrath, 6-1, 6-1.

Magnus Larsson beat Nicolas Pereira of Venezuela, 6-2, 6-3, and Jared Palmer ousted Canada’s Greg Rusedski, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), to set up a quarterfinal meeting in the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Pinehurst, N.C. David Wheaton defeated fellow American Patrick McEnroe, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Miscellany

Douglas Leslie, the new attorney for major league baseball’s owners, faced skeptical questioning from a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals while seeking to have an injunction issued against the teams overturned. No ruling date was set.

Heavyweight boxer Felix Savon, on track to win his fifth title, survived hard-hitting Frenchman Christophe Mendy, 9-6, and a badly swollen left eye to lead three Cubans into the finals of the World Amateur Championships in Berlin. The two remaining Americans, light-heavyweight Antonio Tarver and super-heavyweight Lawrence Clay-Bey, fight their semifinal matches today.

Teammates Scott Brayton and Arie Luyendyk took turns bettering the unofficial Indianapolis Motor Speedway track record as the two Lola-Menard drivers continued to dominate practice for the Indy 500. First, Luyendyk beat his own three-day-old record with a lap at 234.332 m.p.h., and minutes later Brayton increased it to 234.656. Luyendyk’s old mark was 234.107. Official records can be set only during the race or time trials, which start Saturday.

Santa Rosa College football Coach Dave Baldwin has been offered the head coaching position at Cal State Northridge, sources said. Baldwin played for the Matadors in 1975-77.

The Loyola High boys’ swimming team will be challenged by Pacific Coast League champion Laguna Hills in trying for its second consecutive Southern Section Division II title in competition tonight and Saturday at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach. Division I finals start tonight at 7, with Division III beginning at noon Saturday and Division II starting at 7 that night.

The Bud Light Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball League will begin its season Saturday with a two-day tournament at Hermosa Beach featuring Janet Cobbs, Kim Oden and Gabrielle Reece. Matches begin at 11 a.m. both days.