Camby Is Expected to Opt for NBA Draft

Newspaper reports in Massachusetts say Marcus Camby, who led Massachusetts to its first Final Four appearance and won the John Wooden Award along the way, is expected to announce Monday that he will skip his final college season and try to play in the NBA.

But Camby seemed to waver Friday.

“Probably the most aggravating part is people asking, ‘What are you going to do?’ ” he said in an interview with New England Cable News. “And you don’t have an answer at this point.”

Newspapers in Boston and Northhampton, Mass., reported that two of Camby’s teammates, junior guards Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso, said they thought Camby would seek to be included in the June 26 draft.

The Boston Globe said Camby had not signed with an agent, which would allow him to return to school if he changes his mind. Underclassmen have until May 12 to declare their eligibility, but can rescind their decision any time before the draft, providing they haven’t retained an agent.

“Basically, he wants to test the waters, to see how things unfold leading up to the draft,” the source told the Globe.

Massachusetts officials denied knowledge of Camby’s plans.

Camby could make $9.1 million over three years under the NBA’s rookie salary cap if he is the top pick this year, but he also wonders about adapting from college basketball to the NBA.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to live the NBA lifestyle. I don’t know if I’m ready to compete in an 82-game schedule,” Camby said. “There’s no question in my mind that I can play at the next level. I just have to feel comfortable with it.”

Golf

Keith Fergus, who quit the PGA Tour in 1987 to spend more time with his family, then returned in 1995, shot a five-under-par 67 for a two-day total of 137 and a one-shot lead in the Greater Greensboro Classic in North Carolina.

Hisayuki Sasaki, whose best finish in 10 years of professional golf was a tie for 31st in last year’s British Open, was one of three golfers at 138 after shooting a 69 on the rain-soaked Forest Oaks Country Club course. Duffy Waldorf and Mike Sullivan were also at 138.

Marianne Morris took advantage of early calm winds to shoot a four-under-par 68 and take a one-stroke lead over Catrin Nilsmark-Wickberg, Shelley Hamlin and Robin Walton after the opening round of the Sara Lee Classic in Nashville.

Tennis

Thomas Muster survived a rare scare on clay, rallying to beat 19-year-old Sjeng Schalken, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Open at Monaco. It was the 33rd consecutive clay-court victory for the top-seeded Austrian and defending champion, who advanced to a match against Cedric Pioline.

The other semifinal will pit Marcelo Rios and Alberto Costa.

Jose-Luis Clerc of Argentina upset third-seeded Johan Kriek, 6-4, 6-4, in a quarterfinal match at the over-35 men’s tournament at the Riviera Country Club.

Clerc, 38, will play top-seeded Jimmy Connors in a semifinal match today.

The other semifinal will match second-seeded Andres Gomez and the winner of a match between John McEnroe and John Lloyd.

Austrian captain Judith Wiesner will play Mary Joe Fernandez in the opening singles of the Austria-U.S. Fed Cup match in Salzburg, and Jennifer Capriati will play Austria’s Barbara Paulus.

Auto Racing

Ernie Irvan won his first pole position since a serious crash over 20 months ago, taking the top spot for Sunday’s Winston Select 500 stock car race at Talladega, Ala. Irvan’s fast lap of 192.855 mph in a Ford was just good enough to relegate Robert Yates Racing teammate Dale Jarrett to the outside of the front row with a lap of 192.560.

Olympics

John Kostecki of San Diego and Tom Olsen of East Dennis, Mass., one-point leaders going into the race, stayed in contention for a spot on the U.S. Olympic sailing team, despite being dumped in the water off Savannah, Ga., by rough seas that prompted postponement of racing.

The finish dropped Kostecki and Olsen to third place with 31 points, behind the Paul Cayard of San Diego and George Iverson of Marblehead, Mass., and defending Olympic Star class champions Mark Reynolds of San Diego and Hal Haenel of Los Angeles.

Miscellany

The Louisiana State 400-meter team of Astia Walker, Kwajalein Butler, Zundra Feagin and D’Andre Hill breezed to victory in a meet-record 43.66 seconds, despite three poor baton exchanges in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

LSU also had a winner in Suzette Lee, who took the college women’s triple jump at 45 feet 3 inches.

Australian swim Coach Scott Volkers’ two-year suspension was reduced to one year by the sport’s governing body, FINA. Volkers was banned for giving former world 100-meter breaststroke record holder Samantha Riley a headache tablet containing a prohibited substance at the world short-course championships in Brazil last December.

Valeri Karpov of the Ducks scored the tiebreaking goal with 2 1/2 minutes to play for Russia, which beat Canada, 6-4, in the World Ice Hockey Championships.

In the other Pool A game, Germany defeated Austria, 3-0.

The 1996 Eastern Sierra general trout season, encompassing mostly the region between Bishop and Bridgeport, Calif., begins today and will last through October. Anglers with valid California fishing licenses can keep up to five trout per day. Those under 16 do not need a license.

Football

The New York Giants have signed USC punter John Stonehouse to a free-agent contract. . . . The San Francisco 49ers have signed UCLA offensive lineman Matt Soenksen. .. . The Arizona Cardinals have signed wide receiver Kevin Jordan and defensive back Tommy Bennett of UCLA.

Nevada football coach Chris Ault is stepping down to devote his time to his job as athletic director.

Names in the News

Milt Gaston, who had the most Hall of Fame teammates and managers in baseball history, 17, died Friday, three months after becoming only the eighth major leaguer to turn 100 years old.

Gaston played for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. He shares the major league mark for giving up the most hits (14) while pitching a shutout, and also took part in the most double plays (four) by a pitcher in a game.