Piggie Is Given Harsh Sentence

Myron Piggie, the amateur basketball coach who admitted he gave money to high school basketball standouts--including brothers JaRon and Kareem Rush--was sentenced to more than three years in prison Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo., and ordered to pay more than $320,000 in restitution.

Piggie was sentenced to 37 months on one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and one year on a misdemeanor count of failure to file income taxes. The sentences were to run concurrently, with no chance of parole.

He was ordered to pay restitution of $256,617 to four universities, the NCAA and Pembroke Hill High, a private Kansas City prep school attended by JaRon and Kareem Rush. JaRon played for UCLA and left early intending to play for the NBA but was undrafted. Kareem plays at Missouri.

Piggie also must pay $67,662 to the Internal Revenue Service. Under a plea agreement, 10 other charges against Piggie were dismissed.

Besides the Rush brothers, players involved were Corey Maggette, who played one season at Duke and now plays for the Clippers; Korleone Young, who made himself available for the NBA draft without playing in college; and Andre Williams of Oklahoma State.

Clemson has penalized itself two scholarships for the 2002 season and frozen the salary of an assistant coach after reporting several NCAA secondary rules violations regarding the football program.

It is the first problem with the NCAA for the Tigers since Coach Tommy Bowden took control in December 1998.

Pro Football

Receiver Carl Pickens is retiring from the NFL because of a hamstring injury.

Pickens sat out six games with the Tennessee Titans last season because of the injury, but had rehabilitated it enough that he felt comfortable signing a one-year, $500,000 contract last month with the Dallas Cowboys.

Two-time NFL rushing champion Edgerrin James failed to show for the second consecutive day at the Indianapolis Colts’ voluntary summer practice.

James’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, told the Associated Press that James’ absence was not related to any dissatisfaction with the Colts but that he had no intention of participating in the practices.

The Denver Broncos signed free-agent quarterback Steve Beuerlein to a multiyear contract as a backup to Brian Griese.

Beuerlein, 36, has played 14 seasons in the NFL. He started all 16 games for the Carolina Panthers last season, completing 324 of 533 passes for 3,730 yards and 19 touchdowns, with 18 interceptions.

Defensive end Chuck Smith of the Panthers is still slowed by an arthritic condition in his knee and the team has no idea if he will be able to play again. . . . The New York Jets signed the left side of their offensive line, tackle Jason Fabini and guard Kerry Jenkins agreeing to one-year contracts. . . . The Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Chris Taylor from Texas A&M;, making him the third of the team’s seven draft picks to sign. . . . Free-agent receiver Sean Dawkins, released by the Seattle Seahawks for salary cap purposes in March, signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. . . . Quarterback Tony Graziani signed a one-year contract with the Avengers. To make room on the 24-man roster, the team waived fullback-linebacker Kelron Sykes.

Hockey

The Buffalo Sabres have opened discussions with Dominik Hasek to begin assessing the all-star goaltender’s uncertain future with the NHL team.

The Sabres hold a one-year option to re-sign Hasek for $9 million, which is deemed too expensive for the small-market franchise. Hasek, who if unsigned would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has remained mum on his plans, including whether he would be willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

Right wing Matthew Barnaby re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Miscellany

The Utah Starzz ruined Cynthia Cooper’s coaching debut, crushing the Phoenix Mercury, 81-62, in a WNBA opener before 9,057 at Phoenix. Natalie Williams had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Utah.

Australia upset defending champion Mexico, 2-0, at Suwon, South Korea, and world champion France routed South Korea, 5-0, at Daegu, South Korea, on the opening day of the FIFA Confederations Cup. Mexico’s Claudio Suarez played his 157th international game to tie the record set by Egypt’s Hossom Hassan. . . . Thailand gained the last berth in the finals of Asian qualifying for next year’s World Cup by tying Lebanon, 2-2, at Bangkok. . . . European soccer’s governing body confirmed that Frank De Boer, Barcelona’s Dutch defender, had failed a second doping test and faces a disciplinary hearing.

Sydney Olympics organizers sold a record 88% of the 7.6 million tickets available for the Summer Games, raising $551 million, according to a final marketing report on the 2000 Games from the International Olympic Committee.

The percentage of tickets surpassed the record of 82.3% sold in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. Sydney organizers sold 6.7 million tickets.

Arizona freshman Chris Nallen and Georgia Tech junior Kris Mikkelson shot six-under-par 66s to share the lead after the first round of the NCAA men’s golf championships at Durham, N.C. Arizona had a commanding nine-shot lead.