Arizona’s Olson Will Be Offered Longer Contract

Arizona basketball Coach Lute Olson, who led the Wildcats to the 1997 NCAA championship, has agreed to a $1.6-million, two-year contract extension through 2002, the Arizona Republic reported Saturday.

Olson also is expected to receive $400,000 per year from a shoe deal, a 50% raise from last year.

Olson, who will be 67 when his contract expires and is expected to retire, was unavailable for comment.

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Minnesota forward Courtney James, who was suspended for the 1997-98 season after being convicted of domestic assault last month, has decided to leave school and pursue a professional basketball career.

James, who helped the Gophers reach the Final Four, was convicted on one misdemeanor count of intending to cause fear after hitting his girlfriend in the face with an address book.

Pro Basketball

Chicago Bull General Manager Jerry Krause denied a report that the Bulls are shopping forward Scottie Pippen at the NBA meetings in Orlando, Fla.

Pippen, who was nearly traded to the Boston for Antoine Walker and three No. 1 picks, did not play in his his All-Star exhibition game at the United Center Saturday because of a bone spur in his left foot.

A deal that would have sent Dennis Scott from the Orlando Magic to Dallas for Derek Harper and former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon, was squashed at the last minute by Maverick ownership.

Another deal that would send oft-injured swingman Scott Burrell from Golden State to Chicago for Dickey Simpkins is expected to be finalized early this week.

Golf

Tim Herron had an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey in shooting a course-record-tying 64 to take third-round lead at the LaCantera Texas Open in San Antonio with a 54-hole total of 14-under-par 202.

Rick Fehr shot a 66 and was second at 203. P.H. Horgan III, who had a 66, and Duffy Waldorf, who shot a 70, were tied for third at 12-under.

Larry Nelson shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead in the Comfort Classic, a Senior PGA tournament at Indianapolis. Nelson, who had eight birdies, including four in a row on the front nine, was at 10-under 134 after 36 holes.

David Graham, who missed a five-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish with a 69, was tied for second with Raymond Floyd and Bud Allin.

Nancy Harvey and Liselotte Neumann made birdies on the 18th hole and shared a four-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA Welch’s Championship at Canton, Mass. The leaders were tied at 10-under-par 206 after Neumann shot a 69 and Harvey a 71.

Greg Turner of New Zealand shot a six-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead over European Ryder Cup player Thomas Bjorn of Denmark in the British Masters at Coventry, England. Turner had a 205 for the 54 holes. Bjorn shot a 66 and was at 207.

Tennis

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain staved off seven match points and defeated Yayuk Basuki of Indonesia, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, in the semifinals of the Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo. She will play top-seeded Monica Seles in the title match.

Soccer

Ted Chronopoulos scored his first two goals of the season, including the game-winner in the 69th minute, as the New England Revolution defeated the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, 3-2, in front of a Major League Soccer crowd of 36,273 at Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium.

Ivan McKinley also scored for the Revolution (14-17), who moved two points ahead of the MetroStars (12-18) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Antony De Avila and Mark Semioli scored for the MetroStars.

Miscellany

Jacques Villeneuve took his eighth pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix by driving his Williams-Renault to a lap of 1 minute, 10.304 seconds to average 137.579 mph on the 2.687-mile Spielberg circuit. . . . Joe Bessey held off Busch Series leader Randy LaJoie for his first career victory in the MBNA 200 at Dover, Del. Bessey averaged 94.912 mph to beat LaJoie by .405 seconds. . . . Long Beach’s Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil led all scorers with 22 points, but the StingRays were beaten, 86-83, by the Seattle Reign in an American Basketball League exhibition game in front of 1,676 at Mercer Arena in Seattle. . . . Lee Hayley, athletic director at Auburn from 1972 to 1981 and senior associate athletic director at Georgia from 1981-94, died at age 67 at Auburn, Ala. . . . World champion Maurice Greene fell .32 of a second short of his personal best in winning the 100 meters at an invitational track meet in Jakarta, Indonesia. Greene was clocked at 10.18 seconds.