By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published October 10, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - Jason Rich, a 6-foot-3 guard at Orlando Dr. Phillips and one of the nation's top prospects, committed to Florida State during a news conference at his school Thursday.
"It was a tough, long thought-out process," said Rich, who had narrowed his choices to FSU and Kentucky. "It was a very tough decision, but it was one that I definitely felt like it was time to make and it was the right one."
The Sporting News preseason basketball magazine rates him No. 23 among seniors.
"He's a phenomenal all-around player," said his coach, Anthony Long. "He's a very good shooter, has great court vision, is well built; he's the total package."
Rich's commitment comes just three days after one from highly touted point guard Isaiah Swann (Hargrave Military Academy), with whom he could team in a versatile backcourt.
Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton has four available scholarships. The early signing period begins Nov. 12.
TENNIS: At the ITA All-American Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., FSU's Mat Cloer upset the ITA's No. 2-ranked player, Bo Hodge of Georgia, then was eliminated in the next round. The Seminoles doubles team of Jeff Groslimond and Chris Westerhof won its seventh straight match. Also, Florida's Janne Holmia won his match in the round of 64, then fell in the next round, and teammate Hamid Mirzadeh lost his opening match. USF ended its participation quickly with first-round losses in the main draw and consolation draw. ... At the women's ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Florida's Alexis Gordon, Jennifer Magley, Zerene Reyes and Julie Rotondi advanced to the round of 16 while the doubles team of Magley and Reyes reached the quarterfinals.
BASKETBALL: The Southeastern Conference awarded the 2005 and 2006 women's tournaments, respectively, to the BI-LO Center in Greenville, S.C., and the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.
TENNIS: Clijsters an easy winner
Her No. 1 ranking on the line, Kim Clijsters overwhelmed Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinals in Filderstadt, Germany. Clijsters needs to reach the final to hold off No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne. In other matches, fourth-seeded Jennifer Capriati was knocked off by Mary Pierce 6-4, 6-2, and Lindsay Davenport, playing her first match since the U.S. Open, ousted Ai Sugiyama 6-2, 6-4.
CA TENNIS TROPHY: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer struggled to reach the quarterfinals at Vienna, beating Karol Beck 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
ET CETERAARENA FOOTBALL: Expansion New Orleans and Austin, Texas, will join the Tampa Bay Storm, Orlando and Georgia in a revamped Southern Division after the league realigned in an attempt to stimulate geographic rivalries for the 2004 season. Carolina moves to the Eastern Division, which includes Columbus (formerly Buffalo), Dallas, New York and expansion Philadelphia.
TRACK AND FIELD: A second drug test indicates U.S. sprinter Kelli White used a stimulant during the World Championships this summer, when she won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races. She has admitted taking a medication for a sleep disorder that contains modafinil. U.S. officials must now decide whether the case constitutes a doping offense.
HORSE RACING: The Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 25 lost another top contender when Eurosilver was declared out with a bucked shin.
CYCLING: David Millar of Britain dominated the men's time trial event at the World Championships in Hamilton, Ontario, winning in 51 minutes, 17.29 seconds.
- BRIAN LANDMAN, FRANK PASTOR and Times Wires[Last modified October 10, 2003, 02:04:01]
