Donaghy made many calls to fellow official

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy made more than 100 phone calls to a fellow official at the same time he was providing information to gamblers during the 2006-07 season, Fox News reported Monday.

Citing court documents and phone records it obtained, Fox reported Donaghy placed 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers.

It’s not known what information was exchanged during the calls between Foster and Donaghy, who is awaiting sentencing this month in federal court.

The 41-year-old Donaghy pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers in the 2006-07 season. He faces up to 33 months in prison.

“The government had complete access to Tim Donaghy’s phone records and thoroughly investigated this matter, including conducting an interview of referee Scott Foster,” the NBA said in a statement. “The government has said that they have found no evidence of criminal conduct aside from that of Mr. Donaghy. Once again, the only criminal conduct is that of Mr. Donaghy.”

According to a story published on Fox News’ website, the majority of the phone calls lasted no more than two minutes and occurred before and after games Donaghy officiated. Reached for comment by Fox, Foster was asked whether he was being investigated by the NBA, the government or anyone else.

“Not that I know of,” he said.

He declined to comment on his relationship with Donaghy and the nature of the calls.

BASKETBALL

USC recruit DeRozan is academically eligible

Top USC basketball recruit DeMar DeRozan said university officials have academically cleared him to begin basketball activities with the Trojans.

DeRozan, a 6-foot-6 forward from Compton High, was prepared to enroll in summer classes to ensure he’d be eligible to play at USC.

He said he took an ACT college entrance exam in June, and the score, combined with his grade-point average, clinched his eligibility. He said USC compliance officials informed him Friday.

“I can go work out with the team, get in the weight room, without worrying about the classes or extra tests,” DeRozan said.

-- Lance Pugmire

--

Former UCLA star Kevin Love had 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in his debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Summer League at Las Vegas. Love’s team was routed by the Dallas Mavericks, 90-74.

The fifth overall selection in last month’s draft, Love committed four fouls in the first quarter before settling in.

“I had to get the jitters out,” Love said. “I was shaking out there a little bit because it hadn’t sunk in that I was an NBA player.”

TENNIS

Davenport withdraws from Bank of the West

Lindsay Davenport’s troublesome right knee forced her withdrawal from the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford.

Davenport was scheduled to play eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone in a first-round match tonight.

--

Defending champion and third-seeded Dmitry Tursunov won his opening-round match at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, rallying to beat Igor Kunitsyn, 6-3, 7-5.

Second-seeded Gilles Simon won his match, beating Nicolas Mahut, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

MISCELLANY

Nolan won’t return as Islanders coach

Ted Nolan’s brief run as the New York Islanders’ coach ended when he and General Manager Garth Snow decided he should not return for a third season behind the bench.

The rift between Nolan and Snow grew during last season when the Islanders failed to make the playoffs. Snow said he thought the team was underachieving, and Nolan countered that he lacked adequate personnel.

--

The AST Winter Dew Tour, which will feature superpipe and slopestyle competitions in snowboarding and skiing, will debut Dec. 18-21 at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.

-- Pete Thomas

--

Ryan Newman, winner of Daytona 500, said he and Penske Racing agreed to part ways after this season. Newman, 30, had said he has been disappointed with his team’s performance since Daytona and might not re-sign with Roger Penske’s team. Newman is 16th in the standings, currently out of contention for the Chase for the Cup title playoff.

-- Jim Peltz

--

Greece had an easy time before a home crowd and was joined by winners Croatia, New Zealand and Slovenia in a 12-nation basketball tournament at Athens that serves as a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics.

Greece routed Lebanon, 119-62; Croatia defeated Cameroon, 93-79; New Zealand downed Cape Verde, 77-50; and Slovenia beat South Korea, 88-76.

PASSINGS

Kentucky Derby track announcer Kruytbosch

Luke Kruytbosch, the track announcer for the Kentucky Derby for the last 10 years, was found dead at his home in Indiana. He was 47. Vanderburgh County, Ind., coroner Don Erk said Kruytbosch appears to have died of cardiac-related natural causes.