Eddie Griffin

The Houston Rockets were prepared to draft former Maryland standout Terence Morris with the last of the team's three NBA first-round choices last night. Then the telephone rang, with the New Jersey Nets calling to offer former Seton Hall standout Eddie Griffin - the No. 7 selection overall - for all three picks. There was one stipulation: The Rockets had to draft Pepperdine guard Brandon Armstrong at No. 23, the pick with which Houston was hoping to take Morris. It was the first in a series of telephone calls that finally ended with Houston obtaining Morris, who had been picked early in the second round and 34th overall by the Atlanta Hawks, for a future draft choice.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - There was a moment, early in Seton Hall's game with the University of Hartford on Dec. 27, when the status of the Pirates' basketball program was captured perfectly. For the duration of a 90-second television timeout, coach Tommy Amaker leaned forward in his padded bench chair while his players hunched over on little green stools that the managers set out during breaks in the action. Marcus Toney-El, the lanky freshman forward, sat to Amaker's left, spindly freshman point guard Andre Barrett was in front of him and the enormous sophomore center, Samuel Dalembert, was flush right.

Fact: While the Orioles' current bullpen craters, four members of the club's deposed 1999 bullpen are thriving. Heathcliff Slocumb, Mike Fetters, Ricky Bones and Arthur Rhodes have a combined 2.43ERA in a combined50 appearances through Monday night's games. And Jesse Orosco will be pitching again soon for the Cardinals after a trip to the disabled list. Opinion: An appropriate punishment that would devastate Indiana's little dictator, Bob Knight? No, don't fire him and make him a martyr.

Consider this fair warning: Do not go to see "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" if you offend easily. You will be offended. Do not go to see "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" if you hate being grossed out. You will be grossed out. Do not go to see "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" if the prospect of seeing Rob Schneider's rear end on the big screen causes you to break out in hives. You will exit the theater scratching.But for all that -- and granted, that's a lot -- "Deuce Bigalow" is surprisingly funny, a deep-down-good-hearted take on that oldest of comedy conventions, the ill-prepared rube caught up in a situation that somehow never gets the best of him.Schneider is Deuce, a fish-tank and fish-pond cleaner we first meet cleaning the inside of a public aquarium nude.

SoccerUnder-12 -- The Greater Harford Rockets won their third straight indoor soccer game at the Maryland Sports Arena with a 3-2 comeback victory over the Harford Kicks.Although the Kicks opened the scoring quickly with a goal around the four-minute mark, Rockets center forward Chris Martin scored soon after off an assist from Giovanni Julian.The Rockets went ahead less than 10 minutes later on a goal by Ben Healey to go up, 2-1, to end the half. Healey scored another unassisted goal later in the second half.