Associated Press
The college basketball notebook …
DAVIDSON ó After leading Davidson within a missed 3-pointer of the Final Four, coach Bob McKillop is close to an agreement on a new long-term contract.
McKillop said Tuesday there would be a news conference announcing the deal “in the very near future.”
McKillop didn’t discuss details of the contract. A school spokesman declined comment.
Behind sophomore star Stephen Curry, Davidson upset Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin in this year’s NCAA tournament. Jason Richards then missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in a 59-57 loss to eventual champion Kansas in the Midwest Regional final.
McKillop was mentioned as a candidate for several coaching jobs after the season, but stayed at Davidson. He’s 340-225 in 19 seasons at the Southern Conference school.
MORGAN DIES
DURHAMó The starting center on Duke’s first NCAA tournament team has died.
The school said Tuesday that Junior Morgan, a center for the Blue Devils from 1953-56, died Saturday of prostate cancer at his home in Winnetka, Ill. He was 74.
Morgan had a team-best 9.1 rebounds as a junior in 1954-55 in leading the Blue Devils to a 20-8 record and their first berth in the NCAA tournament, where they lost their opener to Villanova.
The following season, he averaged 11.2 points and a team-leading 9.8 rebounds to help Duke finish 19-7.
He was picked in the seventh round of the NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks, but instead worked in manufacturing for Goodyear in Akron, Ohio, and playing for a semipro team.
SKEEN SUSPENDED
WINSTON-SALEM ó Wake Forest forward Jamie Skeen has been suspended by the university for the fall semester for violating an academic policy.
Coach Dino Gaudio said Tuesday in a statement that the rising junior made a poor decision and said the suspension will be a “learning experience” for Skeen.
Skeen averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29 games last season. The Charlotte native was The Associated Press men’s prep basketball player of the year for North Carolina in 2005 while playing for North Mecklenburg.
DUQUESNEPITTSBURGH ó Two former Duquesne basketball players are suing the school over a 2006 shooting that injured them and three other teammates.
Kojo Mensah and Shawn James accuse the university of negligence in the on-campus incident. They are seeking punitive damages.
Mensah and James say in the suit filed Monday that the university failed to provide adequate security at the back-to-school dance on that September night.
They also seek punitive damages for the “willful, wanton and reckless disregard” they say coach Ron Everhart displayed after they were shot and injured. Mensah was shot in the shoulder and arm. James was shot in the foot.
FINAL FOUR HOSTS
Indianapolis and New Orleans are among 10 cities that submitted bids Wednesday to host the 2012-16 NCAA Men’s Final Fours.
San Antonio, which hosted this year’s final won by Kansas; Detroit, the 2009 host; Houston (2011) and Indianapolis (2010), which has held more Final Fours than any other city ó five ó are all in the running again.
Phoenix is the only city looking to hold their first Final Four.
Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Arlington-Dallas-Fort Worth, are the other prospective hosts.
Finalists will be announced in August and the five winning cities will be revealed in November.
FRANCIS MARION
FLORENCE, S.C. ó Furman junior forward Stanley Jones will finish his career at Francis Marion.
Patriots coach Gary Edwards said Tuesday that the 6-foot-9 Jones would leave the Paladins’ program to join the Division II school.