Indiana’s Jeffries Adds His Name to NBA Draft

Jared Jeffries, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward who helped lead Indiana to the NCAA championship game, added his name to the NBA draft on Monday, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.

Jeffries was the Big Ten’s player of the year and a second-team All-American.

He led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Jeffries dismissed any possibility of pulling his name out of the draft. Players can withdraw until June 19 if they do not sign with an agent. Jeffries said his decision was final --and that he would choose an agent in the next few days.

Jeffries has been projected as a top-15 pick in the June draft. He consulted with NBA team officials in the last week, but declined to say how high he expected to be drafted.

Also, Virginia guard Roger Mason Jr., who led the Cavaliers in scoring as a junior last season, said he will make himself eligible for the draft.

*

After eschewing for years the idea of playing what USC termed “meaningless” nonconference basketball games the weekend after meeting UCLA, the Trojans have reversed themselves.

USC will play host to Pennsylvania of the Ivy League on Jan. 11, 2003, two days after playing UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, and travel to Nevada Las Vegas to face the Runnin’ Rebels on Feb. 8, less than 48 hours after playing the Bruins at the Sports Arena.

The Trojans’ game against UNLV will be broadcast on ABC and is the first in a home-and-home series with the Rebels, as they will come to Los Angeles during the 2003-04 season.

Tennis

Anne Kremer’s victory over Jennifer Hopkins in the opening round of the Bausch & Lomb Championship at Amelia Island, Fla., was allowed to stand despite taking place on a court that was improperly lined.

Kremer beat Hopkins, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, in the first match of the day on the Stadium Court of the Amelia Island Plantation facility. Kremer had 16 double faults, and Hopkins finished with 13 service infractions.

It was discovered that the service court area back line was 18 feet from the net, three feet short of the normal distance. WTA officials announced that the match result would stand with Kremer as the winner.

Qualifier Dinara Safina, Marat Safin’s 15-year-old sister, upset third-seeded Martina Sucha of Slovakia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, in the first round of the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal.

What was once the estyle.com Classic will be known as the JP Morgan Chase Open, as the financial services firm signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the women’s tournament at Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach. This year’s event is Aug. 4-11, and features total prize money of $585,000.

Track and Field

Alan Webb, who set a high-school mile record last May with a time of 3 minutes 53.43 seconds, will compete in the 1,500 at next weekend’s Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut.

Webb, who competed in cross-country last fall for Michigan, is one of five finalists for the James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the top amateur athlete in the U.S.

Olympic figure skating bronze medalist Michelle Kwan of Torrance is also a finalist for the Sullivan award.

The winner will be announced today.

Pro Football

Carolina Panther second-year quarterback Chris Weinke will undergo surgery Wednesday on his throwing shoulder, forcing him to miss the team’s three-day mini-camp next month.

Miscellany

The nephew of former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe was arrested in New York on charges of trying to sell furs stolen from the boxer’s home.

Police recovered more than $600,000 worth of furs taken from Bowe’s Fort Washington, Md., home on Easter weekend.

Another $600,000 in furs is missing.

Police arrested Abraham Wright, 25, and Alicia Medina, 24. Wright is Bowe’s nephew, and Medina is Wright’s girlfriend.

Sprint-car driver Jimmy Johnston, 48, died of a head injury after his car crashed into a wall at more than 80 mph and rolled more than 10 times Saturday at Rossburg, Ohio.

Charlotte Checker goalie Jason LaBarbera, who threw his stick during a game in Atlantic City that injured an 8-year-old boy, was suspended indefinitely by the East Coast Hockey League.

Jorge Rodriguez, was treated for a cut at the Atlantic City Medical Center and released Saturday night.