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Bulls reel in versatile guard from Lake Wales

By TIMES STAFF WRITER and TIMES WIRES
Published October 3, 2006

TAMPA - USF basketball coach Robert McCullum picked up his first oral commitment of the recruiting season, getting a pledge Sunday from Dominique Jones, a 6-4, 202-pound guard from Lake Wales.

"(McCullum) was the one coming after me the hardest, and it felt the most like home," said Jones, who averaged 19.5 points as a junior.

Jones, who made an official campus visit this weekend, had been recruited by Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Boston College.

He can play both guard positions, is eager to help at the point or as a shooter and isn't lacking for confidence, either.

"When I go pro after college, I'll go as a one (point)," he said.

Also visiting USF this weekend was Dustin Scott, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Tallahassee Community College. Scott has been offered scholarships from Georgia, Maryland, Oklahoma and Arizona State, TCC coach Eddie Barnes said, but his top choices are USF and Virginia Commonwealth, where former Florida assistant Anthony Grant is coach.

Both players are expected to make their decisions binding when the early signing period begins Nov. 8.

Also, the Bulls announced that nearly half the team's regular-season games will be televised, highlighted by a national ESPN2 broadcast against Wake Forest on Dec. 29 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

- GREG AUMAN, Times staff writer

TENNIS

Wind blows Tursunov's way

Dmitry Tursunov won his first ATP Tour title, defeating Tomas Berdych 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a Mumbai Open final in India that twice was interrupted by monsoon showers. The monsoon lashed the city Sunday, forcing the final to be postponed a day. Rain disrupted the title match for 1½ hours during the second set and again for 30 minutes with the third set 5-5.

JAPAN OPEN: Third-seeded Maria Kirilenko lost to Akiko Morigami 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) in Tokyo. Marta Domachowska eliminated fifth-seeded Sofia Arvidsson 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1). Top-ranked Roger Federer has a first-round bye and plays Wednesday.

PORSCHE GRAND PRIX: Fifth-seeded Patty Schnyder beat Chanda Rubin 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the second round in Stuttgart, Germany. Michaella Krajicek defeated Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-7 (7-2), 6-1 in the only other first-round match.

DAVIS CUP: Patrick McEnroe received a two-year contract extension to stay on as captain of the U.S. team, charged with ending the country's longest title drought since the competition began in 1900.

PRO BASKETBALL

Baker joins Wolves

Vin Baker, a former All-Star who has struggled with injuries and alcohol problems, signed with the Timberwolves after playing eight games last season with the Clippers. The forward, 34, agreed to a nonguaranteed contract.

BOBCATS: Melvin Ely signed a one-year, $3-million qualifying offer. The 6-foot-10 power forward averaged a career-best 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds last season.

ET CETERA

DOPING: Athletes attending an anti-doping symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland, urged longer bans and financial penalties for those caught using banned drugs. They proposed extending bans from two to four years for a first offense and having cheaters retroactively return prize money and possibly pay damages.

FENCING: American Rebecca Ward won the women's sabre title, leading an American 1-2-3 finish at the world championships in Turin, Italy. Ward, 16, beat 2004 Olympic gold medalist and teammate Mariel Zagunis 15-11 to become the first U.S. woman to earn an individual world championship medal.

SOCCER: A seven-month investigation into illegal payments in England has been narrowed to 39 transfers involving eight teams. In an interim report released to the Premier League, former London police chief John Stevens said he needed two more months to scrutinize the transfers that have shown possible criminal violations. ... The United States will receive a formal invitation to Copa America within 24 hours and will decide by the end of the month whether to play in South America's nations championship.

Compiled from Times wires.

[Last modified October 3, 2006, 01:11:48]