Self Elects to Stay at Tulsa

Tulsa Coach Bill Self withdrew from consideration for the Nebraska job after Golden Hurricane officials were able to increase his compensation package after a fund-raising drive among corporate leaders.

Self reportedly turned down a deal worth $800,000 to $1 million a year at Nebraska. The Tulsa World reported that Self’s new deal will increase his yearly compensation from $350,000 to $650,000, with a $1-million annuity if he stays five more years.

Self is 74-27 at Tulsa. His team finished 32-5 this season and lost to North Carolina on Sunday in the South Regional final.

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Eastern Washington Coach Steve Aggers, a former Pepperdine assistant, has emerged as the leading candidate for the Loyola Marymount coaching job, a source said.

Aggers, whose team was 15-12 this season and won a share of the Big Sky Conference regular-season championship, will be on campus Tuesday to be interviewed.

Aggers moved to the top of Loyola’s list of possible successors to Charles Bradley, who resigned in February after three losing seasons, when Metro State Coach Mike Dunlap turned down the job this week.

Aggers’ record in five seasons at Eastern Washington is 71-82.

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Jamal Harrison, the brother of the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal, will attend Louisiana State in the fall as a walk-on. Harrison, who is 6 feet 7 and 260 pounds, has been living with his brother and was a redshirt this season at Los Angeles City College.

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Iowa State’s Larry Eustachy and Cincinnati’s Kenyon Martin were named coach and player of the year by the Associated Press.

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Jonathan Holmes got goose bumps when he stepped on the RCA Dome court in Indianapolis for Friday’s practice.

“I’ve never been on that court,” he said. “We always came up short in the state tournament.”

Holmes is a backup freshman guard for North Carolina, but his roots are planted firmly in Indiana. Holmes was a two-time, first-team all-state player for Bloomington South High, and last year finished second to Jason Gardner as Indiana’s Mr. Basketball.

Holmes wasn’t recruited heavily by Indiana, so he left for another basketball mecca.

“This is extra special,” he said. “I’ve been telling the guys all week how great the state of Indiana is.”

Even though he is now a Tar Heel, Holmes didn’t hesitate when asked which is the better basketball state.

“I think the passion still goes to Indiana,” Holmes said. “I grew up in Indiana, no way I’ll turn my back on Indiana now. There’s nothing like basketball in Indiana.”

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Wisconsin guard Duany Duany’s father, Wal, will not be able to attend the Final Four. Wal Duany is in Africa, trying to mediate peace in the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Duany moved his family to America in 1983 after civil war erupted. Four of his children, two sons and two daughters, are playing Division I basketball.

“It’s been real hectic,” Duany Dunay said of his father’s ordeal. “But he’s actually trying to get a satellite dish so that he can watch the game.”

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Wisconsin has used 13 starting lineups, so Friday’s announcement that Roy Boone would start ahead of Maurice Linton at guard was greeted with little fanfare.

“We’ve done it all year,” said Linton, relinquishing his starting spot so Boone can play defense against Mateen Cleaves. “Boone is a real good athlete, he’s getting better every week. That’s our best matchup, Boone on Cleaves. Everybody is so even, it doesn’t really matter.”

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Staff writers Chris Dufresne and Jerry Crowe contributed to this story.