Drexler Steps Down in Houston

Clyde Drexler quit Thursday as coach at Houston only two years after retiring from the NBA to take over at his alma mater.

“He’s been thinking about it a while,” Chet Gladchuk, the school’s athletic director, said in Houston. “It boiled down to his position that he’s had a 20-year run in basketball as a player and the last two years as a coach and it’s time he needs a break.”

Drexler, 37, said he wanted to spend more time with his family, in spite of his love for his job.

“The time away from home has been difficult,” Drexler said in a statement. “Despite my enthusiasm for the job, I need to re-prioritize my lifestyle.”

Drexler was 10-17 and 10-21 in his two seasons.

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Indiana Athletic Director Clarence Doninger said he was physically threatened by Coach Bob Knight during a recent shouting match and reported it to school administrators, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The disagreement came after the Hoosiers’ 82-71 loss to Ohio State on Feb. 19 and ended with a mutual friend separating Knight and Doninger, the newspaper said, quoting an anonymous source.

School president Myles Brand reported it to university trustees, but no other action was taken, the Star said.

Knight and Doninger were unavailable for comment.

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Florida officials cleared forward Mike Miller to play in the Final Four after determining he made no improper contact with an agent who called him 45 times since last September.

In a story Thursday, the New York Times reported agent Andy Miller could have broken laws in Tennessee and Florida by calling Miller and Tennessee guard Tony Harris. Miller, no relation to the Florida forward, is not a registered agent in Florida or Tennessee--states that have agent laws.

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Robert O’Kelley, the tournament most valuable player, made five three-point shots and had 19 points to lead Wake Forest to a 71-61 victory over Notre Dame in the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Wake Forest (22-14) won its first NIT championship in the first game between the schools. Troy Murphy had 20 points for Notre Dame (22-15).

In the third-place game, Joe Crispin made a layup with two seconds left and stole Damien Wilkins’ inbounds pass to lead Penn State (19-16) to a 74-72 victory over North Carolina State (20-14).

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Arizona’s 7-foot-1 junior center Loren Woods announced that he would not leave school to make himself available for the NBA draft, meaning the Wildcats will retain their seven top players from a team that shared the Pacific 10 championship. . . . Junior point guard Jamaal Tinsley said he will return to Iowa State next season instead of making himself available for the NBA draft. . . . DePaul junior guard Paul McPherson will forego his senior season and make himself available for the NBA draft. . . . Tennessee’s Tamika Catchings and Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma were named The Associated Press’ women’s player and coach of the year.