Francis Extends Stay in Houston

The Houston Rockets signed point guard Steve Francis to a six-year contract extension Monday, keeping him with the team through the 2008-09 season.

The 25-year-old Francis is entering the last season of a four-year deal worth just over $14 million. His new contract will pay him between $80 million and $90 million over the six years.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Francis was an NBA All-Star for the first time last season, when he averaged 22 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. But he’s recovering from surgery on his right shoulder and is treating an inner-ear disorder that caused debilitating headaches last season.

The injury and the headaches kept Francis out of 25 games. He said Monday his ear treatment is going well and doesn’t anticipate the headaches to recur this season.

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The San Antonio Spurs signed veteran center Kevin Willis. Willis, who turns 40 on Sept. 6, averaged 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 52 games for the Houston Rockets last season.... The Minnesota Timberwolves signed point guard Troy Hudson to a multiyear contract. Hudson averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 3.1 assists in 81 games as a reserve for the Orlando Magic last season.... Reserve Orlando center Steven Hunter tore a ligament in his right knee, and the Magic said that he will miss four to six months.... The Toronto Raptors exercised their contract option on forward Morris Peterson, keeping him with the team through the 2003-04 season.

College Basketball

NCAA officials reportedly are investigating allegations of men’s basketball recruiting violations leveled against Lorenzo Romar’s new staff at the University of Washington. Gonzaga Coach Mark Few, Eastern Washington Coach Ray Giacoletti and Washington State Coach Paul Graham are allegedly upset over what were described as multiple instances of contacts by Romar’s staff, particularly assistant coach Cameron Dollar, during “quiet” recruiting periods.

Reports on the allegations were carried by the Seattle Times and ESPN.com.

Among several specific allegations is that the Huskies attended practices at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High in June during a quiet period, in which coaches cannot recruit off campus. Rainier Beach is the home of the highly regarded twins Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart, who have announced they will attend USC instead of Washington in the fall of 2003.

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Long Beach State freshman guard Anthony Davis was granted a release from his scholarship and intends to transfer to another school.

Miscellany

The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Ken Sutton and forward Dave Roche. Sutton, 32, has 23 goals and 80 assists in 388 NHL games with Buffalo, Edmonton, St. Louis, New Jersey, San Jose, and the New York Islanders. Roche, 27, played for the Islanders and Cincinnati and Bridgeport of the AHL last season, and had 31 goals and 21 assists in 77 AHL games.

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Goaltender Ryan Miller will forgo his senior season at Michigan State after agreeing to a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Miller, the Sabres’ fifth-round pick in the 1999 draft, won the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player in 2000-01.

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Natalie Coughlin, Aaron Peirsol and Jason Lezak added to the United States’ gold-medal count at the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Yokohama, Japan. Coughlin swam the second sub-one minute 100-meter backstroke in history, winning the event in 59.72 seconds. Peirsol won the 100 backstroke in 54.22 seconds, while Lezak won the 50 freestyle in 22.22.

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Vitaly Smirnov, Russia’s top international Olympic official, denied that there is credible evidence to support accusations that a reputed mobster fixed two skating events at the Salt Lake City Games. A three-day IOC executive board meeting begins today in Lausanne, Switzerland.