Huggins off to West Virginia

Bob Huggins, after only one season as coach at Kansas State, resigned Thursday to become coach at West Virginia.

Kansas State administrators thanked Huggins for turning around the Wildcats’ fortunes, but it was clear they weren’t happy about his dash out of town.

“Bob is a good guy. I think he made a bad decision, but he is a good person,” Athletic Director Tim Weiser said. “He was great to work with. He is much different than I think he is portrayed as being.”

Huggins replaces John Beilein, who left the Mountaineers to become Michigan’s coach.

“You should know that we moved heaven and earth to keep Bob Huggins here,” Kansas State President Jon Wefald said. “Tim in effect said, ‘You tell us what your salary should be. Whatever West Virginia is offering, we will match it and then some. Same for the assistant coaches.’ ”

Huggins told Weiser and Wefald of his decision Wednesday night, after returning from Cincinnati.

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Florida Coach Billy Donovan spurned a chance to return to Kentucky and will remain coach of the Gators.

But players Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah announced they will give up their final seasons of eligibility and declare themselves available for the NBA draft.

Kentucky received permission to talk to Donovan about its coaching vacancy Wednesday. The coach and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart spoke Thursday. Donovan then met with Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley and agreed to stay.

He has two years left on his contract worth $1.7 million annually, but is expected to sign a long-term extension.

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UCLA assistant Kerry Keating has accepted the head coaching position at Santa Clara, Bruins Coach Ben Howland said.

Keating, 35, who was on Howland’s staff for four seasons, will replace Dick Davey, who was forced out after 15 years as Broncos coach.

-- Peter Yoon

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Rice player Jonathan Bailey was stabbed to death early Thursday outside a bar in College Station, Texas.

Bailey and his twin brother, Janson, were involved in a fight inside the bar.

Police found the Bailey brothers at about 1:45 a.m. They had been stabbed multiple times. Janson Bailey was listed in fair condition at a nearby hospital.

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Washington freshman center Spencer Hawes said he will make himself available for the NBA draft but won’t hire an agent, leaving the possibility of his return to the Huskies. The 7-footer led Washington in scoring, averaging nearly 15 points.

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Arizona sophomore Marcus Williams announced that he will give up his final two years of eligibility and make himself available for the NBA draft. Williams, who averaged 16.6 points this season, said he will hire an agent and will not return.

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The Big East and Southeastern Conference will match up for men’s basketball games each of the next four years. The Big East/SEC Invitational will start in December with four games over two nights at two sites, all televised by either ESPN or ESPN2.

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Sherri Murrell resigned as Washington State’s women’s coach. Murrell, 39, was 27-114 at Washington State, including an 8-82 record in Pacific 10 Conference play.

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Washington has scheduled a news conference for today at which it is expected to name Duke assistant Tia Jackson as its new women’s coach.

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Former USC and UCLA men’s assistant Jim Saia was named coach at Fresno Pacific.

TENNIS

Williams advances with win over Tu

Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Meilen Tu at Amelia Island, Fla.

Williams will play eighth-seeded Tatiana Golovin in the quarterfinals of the clay-court tournament. Golovin beat 12th-seeded Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-1.

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U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe made Andy Roddick the No. 1 player for the quarterfinal Davis Cup match with Spain, which begins today in Winston-Salem, N.C.

SOCCER

Colorado businessman buys stake in Arsenal

U.S. businessman Stan Kroenke bought a 9.99% stake in the Arsenal soccer team from British television network ITV. Kroenke, a real estate developer, also owns the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids.

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Tottenham soccer fans fought with Spanish police in riot gear during the English team’s UEFA Cup quarterfinal at Sevilla, Spain. Seven fans of the London club were reportedly hospitalized -- mostly with cuts to their heads.

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Two Manchester United fans stabbed during clashes before a Champions League match with AS Roma remained hospitalized in Rome.

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Diego Maradona, hospitalized in Buenos Aires, showed marked signs of improvement from an acute hepatitis condition blamed on alcohol abuse.

JURISPRUDENCE

Arrested coach files complaint against officer

Larry Harris, a North Carolina State assistant coach, filed a complaint against a Raleigh police officer, a day after being arrested and charged with a misdemeanor of resisting an officer.

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Florida offensive lineman Ronnie Matthew Wilson was arrested in Gainesville, accused of firing a semiautomatic rifle in the air during a dispute with another man that started in a nightclub. Wilson has been suspended from team activities.

MISCELLANY

Michigan State, Boston College to meet in final

Michigan State defeated Maine, 4-2, and Boston College beat North Dakota, 6-4, to advance to the Frozen Four championship game in St. Louis. The teams meet Saturday for the title.

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NFL kicker John Carney, 43, was released by the New Orleans Saints. Carney asked for his release after the team obtained Olindo Mare in a trade with Miami.... Patrick Crayton re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys to remain the No. 3 receiver behind Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn. The Cowboys offered Crayton, who was a restricted free agent, a one-year, $1.3-million tender.

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Washington State’s Diana Pickler won the heptathlon at the Texas Relays in Austin for the second time in three years, finishing with 6,204 points. USC won the men’s 3,200 relay in 7:18.43.

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The third day of Louis Vuitton Act 13 fleet racing off the coast of Valencia, Spain, was called off because of poor weather.