Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó Get ready, South Carolina fans. Youíll likely get your first look at much-talked about quarterback Stephen Garcia on Saturday.
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said sophomore Chris Smelley would start this weekend against No. 2 Georgia. Then Spurrier threw in the words many have waited to hear the past two years: iThereís a good chance Garcia will play this week.î
n Five South Carolina players were involved in a lunchtime fight on campus Thursday.
A report from the universityís police department listed the five players ó linebacker Antonio Allen, safety Akeem Auguste, offensive linemen Terrence Campbell, linebacker Melvin Ingram and receiver C.C. Whitlock ó as victims of a civil disturbance at the Russell House in the middle of campus.
NCAA HOOPS
EL PASO, Texas ó Thousands of people filled the Don Haskins Center on Thursday night to remember the basketball coach in a memorial service that took on the atmosphere of a college game.
The arenaís television screens showed a 1997 roast of Haskins, known to the basketball world as iThe Bearî and to fans and players as simply iCoach,î while a spotlight shone on the 1966 NCAA national championship banner.
The scoreboard was lit up with the final score of that game ó Texas Western College, 72, Kentucky 65 ó as it was during a public viewing for Haskins on Tuesday.
Haskins died Sunday. He was 78.
NBA
MIAMI ó The Miami Heat have re-signed guard Chris Quinn.
Quinn was one of the few bright spots last season for the injury-plagued Heat, averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 assists in the final 17 games.
NHL
RALEIGH ó The Carolina Hurricanes signed Eric Staal to a seven-year contract extension Thursday.
The deal worth $57.75 million will pay the center an average of $8.25 million starting in 2009-10 and will last through the 2015-16 season. A 23-year-old two-time All-Star, Staal was MVP of last yearís All-Star game.