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College basketball digest

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 23, 2001

NEW YORK -- Rick Pitino is headed back to work in college basketball -- not on the sideline, though.

The well-traveled Pitino, who resigned two weeks ago as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, is joining CBS Sports as a game analyst and studio commentator for the NCAA tournament.

The television work appears to be a time-filler until the off-season, when Pitino is expected to land a coaching job, probably in college.

Pitino, coach of Kentucky's 1996 NCAA championship team, will partner a play-by-play announcer in the booth for the first two rounds of the tournament, then move into the studio for the rest.

"Rick will be a great addition to our NCAA tournament lineup. His analysis will be both informative and entertaining, based on his successful collegiate career and his previous work in television," CBS Sports president Sean McManus said Monday.

When he was a college coach, Pitino appeared as a guest commentator for CBS during the NCAAs.

Pitino, who could not be reached for comment Monday, played at Massachusetts, worked as an assistant coach at Hawaii and Syracuse, then coached Boston University and Providence, two programs he took from mediocrity to the NCAA tournament.

Late last year, McManus met with fired Indiana coach Bob Knight about working for the network as a college basketball commentator, but the sides did not come to an agreement.

Big East

ST. JOHN'S 67, MIAMI 63 (OT): Omar Cook scored 17 and had nine assists and Anthony Glover scored all four of his points in overtime as the host Red Storm won its fourth in a row and seventh in eight games.

Glover, who came in averaging 15.8 points, didn't score in regulation but his first points were a layup that brought the Red Storm into a 58-58 tie 50 seconds into overtime. His last points came on a rebound with 2:24left that gave St. John's the lead for good at 62-61.

The 'Canes tied the game with 9.5 seconds left in regulation on a driving hoop by John Salmons.

WEST VIRGINIA: Center Chris Moss left the team for personal reasons and apologized for spitting on a Notre Dame cheerleader.

State

JACKSONVILLE 72, MERCER 69: Brandon Williams and Shawn Platts each sank two free throws in the final 20 seconds to lift the host Dolphins.

TROY STATE 85, STETSON 83 (2OT): Lemayn Wilson scored 22 and Matt Holman added 20 for the visiting Trojans, who scored the last eight points in regulation to tie the game at 72. The Hatters sent the game to a second extra period when Will Roberson scored a lay-up with 14 seconds left, but did not score in the final 1:15 of the second overtime.

DELAWARE STATE 74, FAMU 57: Andre Matthews and Carrington Hightower each had 17 to lead the host Hornets to their third win in a row.

Around the nation

TOP 25 POLL: Fresno State is No. 22 in The Associated Press rankings, their first appearance since early in the 1997-98 season. The Bulldogs enter on a 12-game winning streak. Stanford was again at No. 1, getting 68 first-place votes and 1,748 points.

WASHINGTON STATE: Senior forward Eddie Miller, the Cougars' second-leading scorer, was dismissed from the team because of a weekend curfew violation and "overall attitude," coach Paul Graham said.

ACC: Duke's Shane Battier was named the player of the week and FSU's Michael Joiner was selected rookie of the week.

SEC: Junior guard Jannero Pargo of Arkansas was named player of the week.

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