Proposal Would Give Pros Eligibility Back for College

The NCAA Management Council will consider a proposal Monday that would allow basketball players who leave college early to return to school if their experience in the professional ranks does not work out.

Charles Harris, chairman of the council, said today’s environment has forced the NCAA into this position. But he said even if the changes are approved, they wouldn’t take effect immediately.

The proposal would also allow high school athletes to accept prize money, sign contracts, compete with professionals, earn money following graduation and enter the draft while retaining their eligibility. It also would allow college athletes to obtain bank loans based on future earnings.

Other proposals would reduce in-season basketball recruiting from 50 days to 40 and summer recruiting days from 23 to 20. And companies that run summer basketball events, such as Nike and Adidas, would be required to disclose financial information to the NCAA.

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Krys Kolanos scored at 4:43 of overtime as Boston College defeated defending champion North Dakota, 3-2, at Albany, N.Y., for the Eagles’ second NCAA hockey championship and first in 52 years. It was Boston College’s first title in any sport since the Eagles won their first hockey championship in 1949.

The Eagles (33-8-2) were making their fourth consecutive trip to the Frozen Four. North Dakota (29-8-9) was seeking to become the first repeat champion since Boston University in 1971-72.

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Jeffrey S. Knepper, 19, a University of Arizona student, said he lost an eye that was damaged by wooden and rubber bullets from police during a riot at Tucson after Monday’s loss of the NCAA basketball championship.

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Loree Moore’s 10 steals set a Women’s Basketball Coaches Assn. All-America game record, and earned her most-valuable-player honors for the White team, which defeated the Red team, 111-80, at Hartford, Conn.

Monique Currie, a Duke recruit, led the White team with 25 points. Moore, a guard from Narbonne High, finished with eight points. Buena’s Courtney Young, who will join Moore at Tennessee, scored nine points for the Red team. Buena Coach Joe Vaughan coached the White team.

Tennis

Paul Haarhuis and Sjeng Schalken defeated David Prinosil and Jens Knippschild, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, at Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, as the Dutch made another strong showing in the Davis Cup, defeating Germany to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1933.

Sweden also advanced by clinching its series with Russia. At Malmo, Sweden, Jonas Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovski, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-2, for the clinching point. At Neuchatel, Switzerland, Roger Federer and Lorenzo Manta of Switzerland defeated Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro of France, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 9-7. France still leads, 2-1.

At Florianopolis, Brazil, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt of Australia defeated Gustavo Kuerten and Jamie Oncins of Brazil, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5). Australia leads the series, 2-1.

Top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain will play compatriot Magui Serna at the Porto Ladies Open final after the doubles partners won their semifinal matches at Porto, Portugal.

Sanchez-Vicario rallied from a set down in her rain-delayed quarterfinal match and in her semifinal match. She defeated Petra Mandula of Hungary, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, then overcame Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1. Serna defeated Silvija Talana of Croatia, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Track and Field

Maurice Greene anchored HSI’s winning 400-meter relay team in the Texas Relays at Austin. Greene, Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams and Curtis Johnson finished in 37.88 seconds--the fastest time in the world this year and 0.48 off the world mark of 37.40 set by the U.S. Olympic team in 1992.

Riverside J.W. North won the 400 relay in a nation-leading 45.79 with Long Beach Wilson finishing third in 46.46. Wilson came back to win the 800 relay in 1:37.93 and the 1,600 relay in 3:40.19.

North’s Chaunte Howard won the high jump in a nation-leading 5-11 and teammate Jeff Garrison finished fourth in the 110 high hurdles in a Southern Section seasonal best of 14.08.

Miscellany

Ronald Sams, 39, an NFL offensive lineman in the 1980s, was sentenced to six months’ home detention and probation in Pittsburgh for failing to make child support payments.

Minnesota’s Clay Strother won two individual events and team champion Ohio State had two winners on the final night of the NCAA men’s gymnastics championships at Columbus, Ohio.

California had the fastest qualifying time (5:43.17) at the San Diego Crew Classic, regarded as the first major regatta of the collegiate season. In the women’s competition, Washington recorded the best qualifying time at 6:26.03 in the first heat. USC took the second heat in 6:28.5.

The Bakersfield Condors won a shootout and defeated the Ice Dogs, 5-4, in an West Coast Hockey League game at Bakersfield.