Jalen Rose

SuperSonics: Seattle fired coach George Karl on Tuesday, two weeks after his team was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Team president Wally Walker said the Sonics "decided not to pursue" any further talks on renewing Karl's contract. Karl coached the Sonics for 6 1/2 seasons and had the best winning percentage (.719, 384-150) in the club's regular-season history.Pacers: Jalen Rose missed last night's fifth game of the Eastern Conference finals after being suspended for leaving the bench area during a scuffle in Monday's Game 4 in Chicago.

ABC will enter the cable-dominated TV terrain of such shows as "Pawn Stars" starting March 24 with the debut of "Ball Boys," a 12-episode, Saturday-afternoon, reality TV series set in Baltimore County at Robbie's 1st Base. ABC announced the show on its portion of the TCA press tour in Los Angeles. Here's an account from "Channel Guide" magazine: Ball Boys comes from the producers of Pawn Stars and will follow the action at Robbie's 1st Base in Baltimore, and the family-like relationships of the sports fanatics who work there, Robbie Sr. and Junior, Sweet Lou and Shaggy.

East: North CarolinaRecord: 32-4Conference: Atlantic CoastCoach: Dean SmithKey players: C Eric Montross, F George LynchRoad to Final Four:1.East Carolina, 85-652.Rhode Island, 112-673.Arkansas, 80-744.Cincinnati, 75-68 OTLast Final Four appearance: 1991 (lost in semifinals)National titles: 1957, 1982Midwest: KansasRecord: 29-6Conference: Big EightCoach: Roy WilliamsKey players: G Rex Walters, G Adonis JordanRoad to Final Four:1.Ball State, 94-722.Brigham Young, 90-763.California, 93-764.Indiana, 83-77Last Final Four appearance: 1991 (lost in final)

Baseball Braves: Announced that P Everett Shull refused assignment to Richmond of the Triple-A International League and has become a free agent. Cubs: Optioned P Micah Bowie, P Scott Downs, P Phil Norton, INF Chad Meyers and INF Julio Zuleta to Triple-A Iowa of the PCL. Mariners: Optioned P Steve Sinclair and P Jordan Zimmerman to Triple-A Tacoma of the PCL. Marlins: Optioned 1B Nate Rolison to Triple-A Calgary of the PCL. Padres: Optioned P Brandon...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Michigan has a cute nickname, an exhilarating style and an abundance of talent. But the Wolverines have an additional characteristic that sets them apart from the typical basketball team.They like to talk. A lot.In the vernacular of the day, they like to talk "trash" to their opponents. And that is in stark contrast to their opponent for today's 4 p.m. Southeast Regional final at Rupp Arena.By comparison, the Ohio State Buckeyes are quiet, controlled, almost shy. Well, most of them, anyway.

UP: Quentin Richardson The fourth-year guard is scoring 10 more points a game this year than last for the Clippers, and his timing couldn't be better: He'll be a restricted free agent after the season. DOWN: Danny Fortson There are plenty of ways to play enforcer, all of them better than what the Dallas forward did against Phoenix's Zarko Cabarkapa, when he drew a three-game suspension for a flagrant foul last week. UP: Chauncey Billups The guard seems to have found a home in Detroit.

Baseball Houston Astros -- Announced that IF Casey Candeale has agreed to terms on a one-year contract.Milwaukee Brewers -- Promoted Chris Bando, manager at Double-A El Paso last season, to their Triple-A team, the location of which is not yet determined.Montreal Expos -- Announced that manager Felipe Alou has agreed to a two-year contract.Texas Rangers -- Purchased the contract of P Terry Burrows from Triple-A Oklahoma City.College NCAA -- Restored the eligibility of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose and Eric Riley, Michigan basketball players who had been suspended for their involvement in a charity tournament, and cleared Webber, Rose, Riley and two other unidentified Michigan players for accepting fees to speak at high school basketball camps.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Duke showed Michigan's heralded freshmen the difference between good and very good.Bobby Hurley scored four of his 26 points in overtime yesterday to lead the top-ranked Blue Devils to an 88-85 victory over the No. 18 Wolverines."

BasketballNBA: Suspended Pacers G Jalen Rose one game and fined him $5,000 for tripping Knicks C Patrick Ewing and throwing a forearm in Wednesday's game. Fined Ewing$2,500 for escalating the altercation with Rose.Heat: Activated F Jamal Mashburn.Nuggets: Placed Keon Clark on the injured list with a partially collapsed lung.CollegeErskine: Named Kevin Nichols baseball coach.Georgia Southern: Named Rob Wilkes and Carl Nash assistant men's basketball coaches.Holy Cross: Named Ralph Willard men's basketball coach.

NEW ORLEANS -- They had been down this road before. Last year it was Duke in Minneapolis. Last night it was North Carolina here at the Louisiana Superdome. Teams from Tobacco Road have not been kind to the Michigan Wolverines."We're not frustrated for one thing, we should be proud and happy," Michigan coach Steve Fisher said after losing to the Tar Heels, 77-71, before a crowd of 64,151. "Our team has been through a long road and great times and great games. We have to move on. We have two years left, and we're not going to give up."