Report: Fisher to Coach San Diego St.

Former Michigan coach Steve Fisher reportedly is on the verge of being hired to take over San Diego State’s sad-sack men’s basketball program.

The deal could be finalized as soon as this weekend, Fox Sports News reported Thursday, citing sources close to Fisher.

Fisher, an assistant with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, did not return phone calls to his room at a Los Angeles-area hotel. The Kings are scheduled to play the Lakers tonight at the Forum.

San Diego State Athletic Director Rick Bay said he still was talking to candidates.

San Diego State (4-22) suffered its fourth losing season in five years under Fred Trenkle, who resigned at season’s end.

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Paul Graham, 48, the new men’s coach at Washington State, said he is intent on turning around a losing program and making Pullman, Wash., “the toughest place to play” in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Graham, an assistant at Oklahoma State since 1993, succeeds Kevin Eastman.

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Lamar Coach Grey Giovanine resigned after six seasons with a record of 80-85. . . . Ohio State’s Scoonie Penn and Stanford’s Mark Madsen are among the six finalists for the Chip Hilton Award, given to the Division I player who has demonstrated character on and off the court. The other finalists are Providence’s Jamel Thomas, Washington’s Todd MacCulloch, Harvard’s Tim Hill and Boise State’s Roberto Bergersen. . . . NCAA President Cedric Dempsey said emergency legislation is an option if a federal judge doesn’t grant a stay of a court ruling striking down minimum SAT and ACT scores for incoming athletes.