Sampson Cited for Violations

The NCAA banned new Indiana men’s basketball Coach Kelvin Sampson from calling recruits and visiting them off-campus for one year, ruling Thursday that he deliberately broke rules by making extra phone calls to potential players while coaching Oklahoma.

The decision, announced by the committee on infractions, also required Indiana to adopt the restrictions Oklahoma put on Sampson, where he coached before Indiana hired him this year.

“This case is a result of the former head coach’s complete disregard for NCAA guidelines for proper telephone contacts with recruits,” infractions committee chairman Thomas Yeager said in a written statement.

“The former head coach created and encouraged an atmosphere among his staff of deliberate noncompliance, rationalizing the violations as being a result of ‘prioritizing’ rules.”

The contract Sampson signed with Indiana on April 20 says the school “may take further action, up to and including termination” if the NCAA “imposes more significant penalties or sanctions than the University of Oklahoma’s self-imposed sanctions.”

Indiana hired Sampson in March amid an investigation into 577 extra phone calls Sampson and Sooners assistant coaches made to 17 recruits from 2000 and 2004. The calls violated NCAA restrictions, and the infractions committee determined Sampson made 233 of them.

The committee called Sampson’s actions “deliberate noncompliance,” “willful violations” and found it “troubling” that he was the president of the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches when the infractions occurred.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, escaped major sanctions from the NCAA inquiry into the improper recruiting telephone calls it deemed a result of Sampson’s “decision to consciously ignore certain recruiting rules.”

The NCAA Committee on Infractions extended Oklahoma’s self-imposed probation for 11 months and issued a public reprimand and censure but otherwise accepted the university’s self-imposed sanctions, which included reductions in scholarships, recruiting calls and trips and visits to the school by prospective recruits.

Memphis forward Shawne Williams, who led the Tigers to their first No. 1 seeding in the NCAA tournament, will make himself available for the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 Williams, the Conference USA freshman of the year, averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds this season. Memphis lost to UCLA in the finals of the Oakland Regional.

Josh Akognon, who led Washington State in scoring last season, announced he is transferring to Cal State Fullerton.

Akognon, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard from Petaluma, Calif., averaged 10.3 points as a sophomore for the 11-17 Cougars. He must sit out next season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, then will have two years of eligibility.

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TENNIS

Germany Wins Spot in Team Cup Final

Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske won their doubles match to help send Germany past the Czech Republic, 2-1, for a berth in the final of the World Team Cup at Duesseldorf, Germany.

Kohlmann and Waske, who won earlier in the week to lift Germany past Italy and Argentina, beat Tomas Berdych and Leos Friedl, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 10-5.

On Saturday, Germany will play for the title against the winner of today’s match between Chile and Croatia.

Top-seeded Anastasia Myskina and second-seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld advanced to the semifinals of the Istanbul Cup in Turkey. Myskina beat sixth-seeded Catalina Castano, 6-4, 7-6 (3), and Groenefeld beat Karolina Sprem, 6-4, 6-4.

Myskina will play ninth-seeded Michaella Krajicek, who defeated Anastasiya Yakimova, 6-1, 6-0. Fourth-seeded Shahar Peer defeated Mara Santangelo, 6-1, 6-2, and will play Groenefeld.

Top-seeded Benjamin Kohlloeffel of UCLA lost the first set but came back to defeat Colorado’s Eric Molnar, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round of the NCAA Division I individual tournament at Stanford.

In the women’s draw, top-seeded Audra Cohen of Miami advanced with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Stanford’s Whitney Deason.

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HOCKEY

Sabres’ Tallinder Is Out for the Season

Buffalo defenseman Henrik Tallinder has a broken left arm and will sit out the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Coach Lindy Ruff announced the news a day after Tallinder was hurt during Buffalo’s 4-3 win over Carolina in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Sabres lead the Hurricanes, 2-1, in the series that resumes tonight at Buffalo.

Ray Shero is the new general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, signing a five-year contract after breaking off talks with the Boston Bruins.

Shero, who had been assistant general manager for the Nashville Predators, replaces Hall of Fame executive Craig Patrick, whose contract was not renewed in April.

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AUTO RACING

Riggs, Mayfield Lead Nextel Cup Qualifying

Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield made it an all-Evernham Motorsports front row by taking the top two qualifying spots for Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Concord, N.C.

Riggs put himself on the pole with a lap of 187.865 mph in a Dodge. Mayfield, also in a Dodge, was the final driver to qualify, and his first lap of 187.292 was good enough for second place.

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JURISPRUDENCE

Gretzky’s Wife, Tocchet Might Sue New Jersey

Wayne Gretzky’s wife and a Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach might sue New Jersey for $50 million each, contending their reputations were damaged after state officials leaked information from wiretaps in a case involving a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring.

In two separate notices -- often a precursor to a lawsuit -- the attorneys named the New Jersey Department of Law and the State Police for allegedly leaking information to the media about recorded conversations. The notices were filed May 8.

Gretzky and his wife, Janet Jones, were linked to the ring allegedly run by Phoenix Coyotes assistant Rick Tocchet, a former NHL player and close friend of Gretzky’s, the Coyotes’ head coach.

Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns was released on $2,500 bail in Centennial, Colo., after he was arrested in a domestic violence case.

Droughns, 27, faces charges of third-degree assault and harassment. He surrendered on Wednesday and spent the night in jail before appearing in Arapahoe County Court, district attorney’s spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh said.

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MISCELLANY

Pepperdine Plays USF for Conference Title

The Pepperdine baseball team will attempt to win its third consecutive West Coast Conference championship series title and an automatic NCAA Division I tournament berth beginning at 1 p.m. today when it plays at San Francisco in the first game of a best-of-three series.

The Dons (37-19 overall and 15-6 in the WCC) earned the right to play host to the series by winning two of three games against the Waves (38-18, 15-6) this season in Malibu.

-- Ben Bolch

About $5,000 has been raised for the Ryan Francis Memorial Fund, which benefits the mother of the USC freshman basketball player who was shot and killed May 13 in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La.

Paulette Francis said in a statement that she wanted to thank everyone who had sent money, cards, gifts and flowers to the family.

Donations may be made to the fund, care of Dan Piershale, Regions Bank, 7265 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, La., 70806. For wiring purposes, the account number is 4302618346 and the routing number is 065403626.

The University of Central Florida extended football Coach George O’Leary’s contract through 2015. The deal delivers $1 million in the first year, with gradual increases to $1.55 million in 2015 and $500,000 in possible incentives each season.