News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

04.23.06: C-USA relief aces up for Stopper of the Year ... Mother Nature leaves Wolfpack, Heels hanging ... Freshman quarterback shines for Gators ... UCLA duo considering NBA

04.22.06: Apparent West Virginia spy nabbed at Marshall ... Veteran guard plans to leave Georgia Tech ... ECU's tennis seasons end

04.21.06: UNCW coaching search gathers Moss ... ECU women advance in C-USA tennis ... NCAA examining prep diploma mills

04.20.06: Deacs to install FieldTurf at Groves Stadium ... Zags' Morrison headed to NBA ... Walberg to guide Pepperdine hoops program

04.19.06: Krog leads Pirates to C-USA women's golf title ... UConn sophomore opts for NBA ... Another UConn cager eyes different pro route

04.18.06: Two Duke lacrosse players reportedly indicted ... ECU leads C-USA women's golf ... Tar Heels ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball

04.17.06: Pirate track team has success in Knoxville ... ECU's Salisbury wins women's javelin ... FSU's Johnson will examine NBA option

04.16.06: Houston Bowl payouts not yet fulfilled ... Simmons looking at NBA draft status ... More apparent rejections for Wolfpack

04.15.06: Calipari signs new contract with Tigers ... UAB's Davis selects staff ... NBA D- League lowers minimum age

04.14.06: Dooley withdraws from consideration at UNCW ... Redick wins Sullivan Award ... Young's death now believed accidental

04.13.06: Sooners name Capel cage coach ... Bradshaw gives back to alma mater ... Little Leaguers to have their day at ECU ... New Buckeyes threads fuel backlash

04.12.06: Calipari reportedly remaining at Memphis ... U of M grants raise, contract extension to West ... 'Bama booster killed, son in custody

04.11.06: ECU's Smith is Johnny Bench Award candidate ... Calipari visits Wolfpack ... Barnes stays but Texas star headed to NBA ... Temple names in-town successor to Chaney

04.10.06: Memphis AD focusing on keeping Calipari ... Frasure leads Pirates at Clemson ... Hodge recovering from gunshot wounds

04.09.06: Holtz laments spring game deficiencies ... Camels announce return to the gridiron ... Gonzalez to lead Pirates basketball ... The Citadel selects Conroy

04.08.06: Purple-Gold stage is set ... Davis returns to native state as UAB coach ... Army women's basketball coach dies at age 28

04.07.06: 1070 airing Purple-Gold Game programming ... SMU dismisses Tubbs ... Tulane hoops star invited to Portsmouth event ... Colorado College becomes C-USA women's soccer affiliate

04.06.06: Pirates hold final session before Purple-Gold ... Pressler resigns as Duke lacrosse coach ... Division I athletes face summer drug tests

04.05.06: Thirteen C-USA alums in big leagues ... UAB interviews Davis ... Rondo departs Kentucky

04.04.06: ECU hurler Taylor earns league's weekly honor ... Pirates prepare for Purple- Gold Game ... Wooden watches final from hospital

04.03.06: Bruins go for record 12th NCAA hoops title ... Throng watches Texas spring game ... Pirates make strong showing in Florida

04.02.06: Sendek may become a Sun Devil ... Brownell departs UNCW for Wright State ... San Diego State star opts for NBA

04.01.06: J.P., ECU air game in high gear ... Jury awards no dough in suit against Petrino ... Redick reaps AP player of the year honor ... Lightning strikes Tigers twice

The Sporting News reported on its Web site over the weekend that former UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin has been offered the vacant post at N.C. State.

Lavin is working on contract details and has not yet decided whether to accept the job, according to the report from Sporting News senior basketball writer Mike DeCourcy.

Lavin has been out of coaching for three years and working as a television analyst for ESPN since he was dismissed by the Bruins following the 2002-03 season, his only losing year as a head coach.

Lavin had a record of 145-78 in seven seasons as the Bruins’ head coach. He reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament five times in that span, but was criticized by UCLA fans for only once advancing farther and for winning just one Pac-10 championship, in his first season.

Senior Kyle Yunaska, junior Eric Frasure and sophomore Matthew Dennish all picked up individual titles to lead the East Carolina men's track program at the rain-shortened Murray Neely Invitational late Saturday night at the Irwin Belk Track in Greensboro, ECU's athletics media relations office reported.

Yunaska established a new personal mark in the 800 meters with a time of 1:53.71 while Dennish edged out teammates William Collins (3:59.38) and Craig Schmidt (4:05.78) to win the 1,500-meter run event in a time of 3:58.56. Frasure captured his third hammer throw championship of the season with a toss of 60.35 meters.

In addition, the Pirates' 4x100 relay squad surpassed the NCAA qualification minimum for the third time in 2006, finishing second with a time of 40.46.

For the ECU women, sophomore Aisha Bilal-Mack, junior Chelsea Salisbury and junior Lindsey Rosales all captured individual titles.

Bilal-Mack established a new personal record in the 800 meters, winning the event in a time of 2:16.82. Salisbury took home her second javelin crown in as many weeks with a toss of 36.45 meters while Rosales matched her season-best in the pole vault with an effort of 3.65 meters.

Twelve teams will shoot for the 2006 Conference USA Men's Golf Championship title, hosted by Southern Miss, beginning Monday at the Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, MS. The winner of the championship receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.

Three teams — Tulsa (24), Southern Methodist (35) and Houston (42) — are all ranked among the Top 50 nationally by Golfweek entering the championship. The Cougars are the only previous team winners, and have the most men's golf titles in C-USA history with five straight wins from 1997 to 2001. Tulsa and SMU, along with Marshall, Rice, Central Florida and Texas-El Paso, are all making their C-USA championship debuts.

UAB junior Garrett Osborn, a 2005 second-team all-conference selection, will look to improve upon his fifth place finish last season. Memphis will be led by sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard, who was a third team all-conference choice and a member of the 2005 all-freshman Team. Host Southern Miss, under the direction of head coach Steve Johnson, is ranked No. 66 by Golfweek. East Carolina and Tulane round out the field.

The championship consists of 54 holes over three days on the par 72, 7,000-yard course. The first tee time for each day of the competition will be 7 a.m. EDT. For updated results, please check the official Conference USA website at conferenceusa.com.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.