Kentucky Player to Be Charged

Kentucky center Jason Watts will be charged with second-degree manslaughter and drunken driving, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

The charges stem from a Sunday morning truck crash that killed two others--Watts’ teammate Arthur Steinmetz and Christopher Scott Brock, a student at Eastern Kentucky.

Pulaski County Attorney Fred Neikirk said a criminal summons was issued, ordering Watts to appear in Pulaski District Court on Dec. 17. At that time, he will formally be charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of drunken driving, Neikirk said.

Watts’ blood-alcohol content was 0.15, Neikirk said. The level at which a driver is presumed intoxicated is 0.10.

*

Being a nice guy and a class act wasn’t enough to save Jeff Horton’s job. Not after Nevada Las Vegas lost 15 games in a row.

Horton will be relieved of his duties after Saturday’s season-finale against Texas Christian. He will be reassigned to a position in the athletic department for the final year of his $105,000 annual contract.

UNLV is 0-10 this season 13-43 overall in five years under Horton.

*

Trusting a “gut feeling,” Oklahoma tailback De’Mond Parker, the only player in school history to have three 1,000-yard seasons, said he will turn pro after this season but left open the slight possibility of a return. . . . Temple Coach Bobby Wallace acknowledged that’s he has met with Auburn Athletic Director David Housel about the Tigers’ coaching vacancy. Meanwhile, Bill Oliver said he will likely retire at the end of the season if Auburn does not make him the permanent head coach. Oliver took over the job on an interim basis Oct. 23 after Terry Bowden’s resignation.