Nba Draft

The University of Memphis gave Kentucky permission Monday to speak to John Calipari about the Wildcats' head coaching position, then made a final push to try to keep the coach. Some of Memphis' key boosters met with Calipari on Monday. One booster expects Calipari to go to Kentucky, though the person, speaking to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged the coach was torn between the two great opportunities. The Wildcats had a short meeting at their practice gym Monday afternoon.

NCAA wrestling 7 p.m. [ESPN2] While some guys playing in the basketball tournament are wrestling with a decision on whether to enter the NBA draft, other athletes are wrestling, period. ESPN2 is carrying coverage of the Division I championships (left), perfect for those of you who have a wrestling mania, as opposed to WrestleMania.

ACC petitioning to limit NBA draft status window col. basketball The Atlantic Coast Conference is pushing for legislation to sharply reduce the time given underclassmen to decide their NBA draft status, and league president John Swofford said the movement has support from the other five major conferences. According to current rules, underclassmen must declare for the draft in late April and have until mid-June to withdraw and return to school if they haven't hired an agent. Under the proposal, that period would be cut to seven to 10 days after the Final Four.

It didn't take long for Houston Rockets forward and Baltimore native Donte Greene to make some teams reconsider their decision to pass on him in the NBA draft. Greene, who was picked 28th by the Memphis Grizzlies and then traded to the Rockets, scored 40 points in his first game as an NBA-contract player. The scoring outburst came in a 100-97 win over the Phoenix Suns in the Las Vegas Summer League on Monday. The total was the most points scored by any player so far and was just two points short of the Summer League record.

First round 1. Chicago, Derrick Rose, g, Memphis. 2. Miami, Michael Beasley, f, Kansas State. 3. Minnesota, O.J. Mayo, g, Southern California. 4. Seattle, Russell Westbrook, g, UCLA. 5. Memphis, Kevin Love, f, UCLA. 6. New York, Danilo Gallinari, f, Armani Milano (Italy). 7. L.A. Clippers, Eric Gordon, g, Indiana. 8. Milwaukee, Joe Alexander, f, West Virginia. 9. Charlotte, D.J. Augustin, g, Texas. 10. New Jersey, Brook Lopez, c, Stanford. 11. a-Indiana, Jerryd Bayless, g, Arizona State.

Donte Greene finally fulfilled his dream of making the NBA, even if it took a little longer than expected. The 6-foot-10 small forward and Baltimore native was selected 28th by the Memphis Grizzlies last night in the first round of the NBA draft. Greene, who played his high school ball at Towson Catholic, was projected to go between the 13th and 20th pick. "It was definitely tough, seeing teams that told you, `If you're there we're going to pick you,' " Greene said. "It feels good to finally be drafted and to finally have that weight off your shoulders and get back to work."

The Chicago Bulls won the NBA's draft lottery last night. The Bulls had just a 1.7 percent chance of landing the top choice. Chicago will likely draft star freshmen Michael Beasley, the Kansas State forward who averaged 26.2 points and an NCAA-best 12.4 rebounds, or Derrick Rose, the point guard who carried Memphis within minutes of the national title. The Miami Heat will draft second and the Minnesota Timberwolves will go third. The rest of the top 14 are the Seattle SuperSonics, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors.

News item: The Miami Dolphins drafted Jake Long with the first pick of the NFL draft yesterday. My take: If you were looking for suspense, you came to the wrong place. I think they signed the guy to a long-term contract during halftime at the Capital One Bowl. News item: The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a tentative deal to acquire troubled cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones from the Tennessee Titans for a fourth-round draft pick. My take: No one's saying, but it's probably a conditional pick.

All-America junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis will enter the NBA draft, joining teammate Derrick Rose in leaving early for the pros. The school announced the decision yesterday. Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 18.1 points a game last season. Also entering the draft is UCLA junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. More college basketball -- Pat Flannery retired after 14 years as Bucknell's coach. He led the small Patriot League school to two NCAA tournaments, highlighted by a victory over Kansas in 2005.

Syracuse forward Donte Greene is not that different from others in what is widely considered the best freshman class in college basketball history. He has spent most of the season showing his flair - and his flaws. Greene has incredible range, well beyond the three-point line, but he sometimes has no conscience in heaving questionable shots. He is a terrific shot blocker but often gets outmuscled by older, stronger opponents. While the Orange has recently turned things around by winning its past three games, Greene is in the midst of his worst shooting slump, making only 22 of his past 65 shots (in four games)