Jayson Williams sentenced to five years in prison

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for fatally shooting a hired limo driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey by tearfully apologizing to the victim’s family. He will be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Williams, avoiding a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count that deadlocked the jury at his 2004 trial, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi on Feb. 14, 2002. At the same 2004 trial, he was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting.

The sentences on the assault and cover-up counts will run concurrently. State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman went along with a plea agreement that spelled out the five-year prison sentence and the potential for Williams to be released as early as summer 2011.

In court in Somerville, N.J., a tearful Williams turned and apologized to Andrea Adams, Christofi’s sister, saying, “There’s not a day I wake up that I don’t feel sorry for what I did to Mr. Christofi and that I put you through this.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NCAA accuses Michigan of violations

The NCAA is accusing Michigan of five potentially major rules violations under football Coach Rich Rodriguez, who admitted making “mistakes” but will be back for a third season with the Wolverines.

Incoming Athletic Director David Brandon disclosed the NCAA conclusions Tuesday, but said there were no surprises in the report. He expressed full support for his coach, who is 8-16 in two seasons.

In its notice of allegations -- which Michigan received Monday -- the NCAA said Rodriguez “failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program,” and tracked neither what his staff was doing nor whether his players were following NCAA rules, particularly those limiting the time spent on practice and football-related activities.

ETC.

Wizards’ Howard is out for rest of season

Washington Wizards forward Josh Howard will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Howard was injured Monday night in Washington’s win over the Chicago Bulls, only his fourth game with the Wizards since being acquired from Dallas in a seven-player trade Feb. 13.

Howard started three games for Washington.

The AVP has selected Mike Dodd as its commissioner. Dodd won 75 titles during an 18-year beach volleyball career and a silver medal in the first Olympics to feature beach volleyball.

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FOR THE RECORD:
Beach volleyball: An item in the Day in Sports news roundup in Wednesday’s Sports section reported that the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals had selected Mike Todd as its commissioner. The correct spelling is Mike Dodd. —

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ESPN suspended host Tony Kornheiser for two weeks from his television talk show “Pardon the Interruption” for comments he made on the radio last week about SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm’s clothing.

Kornheiser described an outfit Storm was wearing at ESPN last week as “horrifying,” saying her shirt was too tight and looked “like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body.”

Kornheiser said he apologized to Storm.

Aaron Boone retired after 12 major league seasons and will become a baseball analyst for ESPN.

The chief executive of the Procter & Gamble Co. says he doesn’t know whether golfer Tiger Woods will ever appear in another Gillette commercial. “He doesn’t need to be distracted by us using his advertising, and we don’t need the distraction of us using the advertising, either,” Bob McDonald said.

Meanwhile, WFTV.com in Orlando, Fla., says Woods and his wife, Elin, have offered a personal apology for media attention to parents of children at the preschool that their 2-year-old daughter attends.

Philadelphia University defeated Goldey-Beacom College, 76-65, as Coach Herb Magee won his 903rd game, moving past Bob Knight to become the winningest men’s basketball coach in NCAA history.