Cavaliers courting Michigan State’s Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo has another suitor.

Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis told the Associated Press on Monday the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested in replacing fired coach Mike Brown with Izzo.

“There is not a contract offer on the table,” Hollis said in a telephone interview. “Last week, there was talk that Chicago and New Jersey were interested. If I was anywhere but at Michigan State, I would be interested in Tom too, because he’s the best coach in college basketball.”

The News-Herald of Willoughby, Ohio, reported Sunday the Cavaliers have made an offer to Izzo, citing an unidentified league source.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert discussed the framework of a deal, worth about $6 million a season for up to five years, with perks such as using one of his private jets.

Gilbert reiterated in an e-mail to the AP that the team’s policy is to not comment on “any rumor about potential new hires, trades, free-agent signing, etc.”

Messages by phone and text were left with Izzo.

The New Orleans Hornets have scheduled a Tuesday afternoon news conference to formally introduce Monty Williams as their head coach.

The 38-year-old Williams, who played at Notre Dame and then for several NBA teams spanning nine seasons, has been an assistant to Portland Coach Nate McMillan since 2005.

FOOTBALL

NFL penalizes Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have been ordered by the NFL to cancel their final offseason training camp because of a violation of workout rules.

Reacting to a complaint filed by the players’ association against the Ravens, the league canceled the last week of Baltimore’s organized team activities, scheduled for June 14-18.

According to the NFL, the Ravens “violated the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills conducted on the club’s organized team activity days.”

The league also cited the Ravens for “the length of time spent by players at the team facility” on those days.

The St. Louis Rams announced that they have acquired four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Isaac Bruce from San Francisco in advance of a retirement news conference on Wednesday. A spokesman said team officials wouldn’t comment on Bruce’s career until then.

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is still playing professional football, albeit in the United Football League.

The 33-year-old Culpepper, who made five starts and appeared in eight games last season for the Detroit Lions, has signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

ETC.

Chiodo gets top honor

Outfielder Victoria Chiodo from Granada Hills Kennedy has been selected the softball player of the year in the City Section Championship division. Teammate Christian Carbajal was named the pitcher of the year.

Times columnist Eric Sondheimer has been honored by the California Prep Sports Writers Assn. for writing its top column in the last year. The column, published in November, chronicled how Kyle Merrill became a star football player for Los Angeles Cathedral High after a car accident that claimed the life of his brother and two friends. Sondheimer also won the award in 2007 and 2008.