Duncan Will Delay NBA to Be a Senior at Wake Forest

All-America center Tim Duncan, projected as a potential No. 1 choice, said Friday he will return for his senior season at Wake Forest instead of joining the parade of underclassmen who have made themselves available for the NBA draft.

“I have a strong desire to complete my degree, which I can do next spring, and believe that the additional time spent here will only benefit my development as a basketball player as well,” Duncan said in a news release.

He will be the only returning All-America next season. Villanova guard Kerry Kittles was a senior, and Connecticut guard Ray Allen and Massachusetts center Marcus Camby, both juniors, and Georgetown sophomore guard Allen Iverson have made themselves available for the draft.

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Mississippi State junior center Erick Dampier, who is 6 feet 11, 265 pounds, said he would make himself available for the NBA draft, but he would not sign with an agent beforehand, holding open the possibility of his returning to the Bulldogs next season.

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Jarvis Turner, a 6-foot-7 forward from South Bakersfield High, signed a letter of intent with USC. . . . Pepperdine completed its first recruiting class under new Coach Lorenzo Romar by signing Billy Jones, a 6-5 swing man from Walker High in New Orleans. . . . Ruthie Bolton scored 20 points to lead the U.S. women’s basketball team to an 81-72 victory over Australia in a four-nation women’s basketball tournament at Sydney. . . . June Daugherty, the women’s basketball coach at Boise State for the last seven years, was named to replace Chris Gobrecht at the University of Washington.

Football

The Canadian Football League’s flagging flagship franchise, the Toronto Argonauts, signed veteran quarterback Doug Flutie to a two-year package that could net him nearly $2 million.

The Washington Redskins signed veteran free agent Bill Brooks, who led the Buffalo Bills in receptions last season, to a one-year contract for $325,000. . . . Six-year veteran linebacker James Williams, an unrestricted free agent who played with Jacksonville last season, signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. . . . Free agent receiver Cory Fleming, who has signed with the Denver Broncos, will be suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy last season with the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Jurisprudence

The Minnesota Vikings say they failed to respond to a judge’s order that money be withheld from defensive end Fernando Smith’s paycheck for child support because a temporary worker mistakenly filed the order. Smith is accused of failing to pay $42,000 in child support.

Drug charges against former New York Yankee outfielder Dion James, 33, who was released hours before he was arrested May 2 and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, were reduced to a disorderly conduct offense in a plea bargain. He was fined $300.

Tennis

Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the third-seeded Russian who is the highest-ranked player left in the field, defeated Sergi Bruguera, a two-time French Open champion, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), to advance to the semifinals of the German Open, on clay in Hamburg.

Marcelo Rios, Roberto Carretero and Alex Corretja also advanced.

Pete Sampras, ranked No. 1 in the world and mourning the death last week of his coach and close friend Tim Gullikson, withdrew from next week’s Italian Open.

Sweden’s Mats Wilander made Vince Spadea his latest victim, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Clay Court Championships at Pinehurst, N.C.

Miscellany

Chris Horner of San Diego edged Nate Reiss of Fort Collins, Colo., by inches to win the closest stage of the Tour DuPont, a 118.2-mile ride from Rock Hill to Greenville, S.C., that took Horner 5 hours 4 minutes 39 seconds.

Lance Armstrong, who assumed the lead after winning Stage 2 on May 2, finished 29th in the main field, 3:57 behind the winner. He has a 1:58 lead going into the final two stages of the 12-stage event.

St. Francis Yacht Club of San Francisco issued a challenge to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, holders for the America’s Cup, to compete for the prize in 2000. St. Francis said America’s Cup veteran Paul Cayard will spearhead the club’s effort to bring the cup back to the United States.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ABC Sports announced an agreement to telecast the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and Indy Racing League races through 1999.

Olympics

The Soling team skippered by Jeff Madrigali took a 2-1 lead over that of Gerard, Peter and Paul Coleman in the best-of-seven match race series off Savannah, Ga., to determine a spot on the U.S. Olympic Yachting team.

Two other classes appeared to be virtually settled, with Courtenay Becker-Dey of The Dalles, Ore., building a seven-point lead in the Europe Class, and Kristina Stookey of Darien, Conn., and Louise Van Voorhis of Rochester, N.Y., holding the same lead in the women’s 470.

Track and Field

Ruth Wysocki, who ran the fastest outdoor 800-meter time in the world this year last Saturday in Irvine, runs in the 1,500 tonight in the Occidental Invitational.

The meet is scheduled for 4-10:30 p.m., but most of the events involving potential Olympians will be held between 6-8 p.m. Some athletes involved in those events are Quincy Watts in the 400 meters, Jon Drummond in the 100 and 200 and Johnny Gray in the 800.

Names in the News

Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids signed veteran British goalkeeper Chris Woods to a two-year contract.

Outfielder Mark Kotsay of Cal State-Fullerton was named Big West Conference player of the year for the second consecutive year. Marcus Jones of Long Beach State was named pitcher of the year, and Long Beach’s Dave Snow and UC Santa Barbara’s Bob Brontsema shared honors for coach of the year.

Jody Robinson resigned as baseball coach at Loyola Marymount.