My Sports News Digest

LEWISTON, Maine A Maine man says he lied when he accused former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting him. Zachary Tomaselli of Lewiston said Friday that he fabricated the allegations and took pride in his ability to convince people his claims were true. He told The Associated Press he’s a “habitual liar and sociopath” who lacks feelings for others. Two other men made accusations against Fine but prosecutors say too much time had passed to consider charges related to their allegations. Federal prosecutors examining Tomaselli’s claim did not comment. A district attorney said in December that evidence undercut [...]

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VILLANOVA, Pa. Villanova junior guard Dominic Cheek will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter his name in the NBA draft Cheek joins guard Maalik Wayns as the second Wildcat since the end of the season to skip his senior year. Cheek was a 2009 McDonald’s All-American and a standout at St. Anthony’s High in Jersey City, N.J., before coming to Villanova. He averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. Cheek says the time is right to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. Villanova coach Jay Wright says he supports the decision. NHL playoffs: Martin Havlat’s [...]

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LAS VEGAS One of the nation’s top high school basketball players is headed to UCLA. Shabazz Muhammad announced Wednesday he would play for the Bruins next year. The 6-foot-6 highly recruited wing had narrowed his list of finalists to include Kentucky and Duke. Muhammad is a senior at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas but trimmed the hometown UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Kansas from his list in recent days. Muhammad says it came down to his comfort level with the coaching staff. He wants to help UCLA rebuild after a couple of down years. He is one of the [...]

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LEXINGTON, Ky. Top prospect Nerlens Noel announced he’s joining Kentucky, bolstering the Wildcats’ hopes of defending their recent national championship and finishing with a fourth consecutive No. 1 recruiting class. The 6-foot-10 center from the Tilton School in New Hampshire selected the Wildcats over Syracuse and Georgetown on Wednesday night. “I’ll be taking my talents for college to play at the University of …” Noel said on ESPNU before turning around in his chair to show off the “UK” shaved in the back of his signature flat top hairstyle. The Wildcats won their eighth title in school history just over [...]

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MIAMI Some of Isiah Thomas‘ former players at Florida International say they want to play elsewhere because of his firing, and that the school is refusing to release them from their scholarships. The team sent a letter Wednesday to FIU president Mark Rosenberg and other administrators, asking for help in getting those releases and for an explanation why the Basketball Hall of Fame player was fired. FIU fired Thomas last week after he went 26-65 in three seasons, saying it wanted to go “in a different direction.” Thomas had two years remaining on his contract. “We ask that under such [...]

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WACO, Texas Quincy Miller has decided to stay at Baylor to play his sophomore season. Miller, one of the Big 12-s top freshmen last season, announced his decision Tuesday. His announcement came a day after Perry Jones III said he was bypassing his final two seasons of eligibility with the Bears for early entry into the NBA draft after his sophomore season. Jones last year skipped the chance to be Baylor’s first one-and-done player. Miller had considered doing that this time. Miller averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting 35 of 37 games as Baylor advanced to the NCAA [...]

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INDIAN OLIS Christian Watford and Cody Zeller helped Indiana’s basketball program turn things around this past season. They have even bigger plans for next season. The two players said Tuesday they would return to school next season, putting off the NBA and making the Hoosiers one of the Big Ten favorites. “Cody is a player who, along with his unique skill set, makes everyone around him better,” coach Tom Crean said in a statement issued by the athletic department. “He is going to have great opportunities ahead of him. … He will have the opportunity to be as good as [...]

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LAWRENCE, Kan. Thomas Robinson, the brawny Kansas forward who overcame personal tragedy to lead his team to a national runner-up finish this season, is leaving for the NBA. Robinson made the formal announcement Monday, with coach Bill Self and 9-year-old sister Jayla by his side. Robinson, the first unanimous first-team All-American since Blake Griffin, led the Jayhawks to the national championship game against Kentucky, where they lost 67-59. He averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game in 31.8 minutes in his junior season and led the nation with 27 double-doubles. “Coming to college as a basketball player should be [...]

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