Sports in Brief: Nets' Williams is Turkey-bound

Deron Williams, an all-star guard with the New Jersey Nets, has agreed to play with the Turkish basketball team Besiktas during the NBA lockout, according to several media reports.

Besiktas manager Murat Murtezaoglu told the Associated Press Thursday that talks were under way with Williams, a U.S. Olympian who averaged 20.1 points per game with Utah and New Jersey last season.

Besiktas coach Ergin Ataman confirmed the contract in an interview with the New York Times. Ataman also said he planned to pursue Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

It is uncertain how Williams' contract with the Nets would be affected if he were hurt playing for another team. Commissioner David Stern has said the league would not keep players from going overseas during the lockout. The Nets would not comment.

Former 76ers star Allen Iverson joined Besiktas after he failed to land with an NBA team last season. His time in Turkey was cut short because of injury.

COLLEGES: Penn State recruit Jarron Jones, a defensive tackle from Aquinas Institute in Rochester, N.Y., has taken back his oral commitment for 2012.

A Rochester television station reported that the 6-foot-7, 290-pound Jones, rated the second-best player at his position in the country by Scout.com, is still considering Penn State along with Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Jones said he hoped to make a final decision by the start of his senior season.

Ohio State is on track to submit its reply by Friday to NCAA charges of major violations that led to football coach Jim Tressel's forced resignation and the departure of star quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Athletic director Gene Smith said Ohio State would answer the questions stemming from charges that players received cash and discounted tattoos from a local businessman and that Tressel had covered up his knowledge of the NCAA violations.

Washington announced that 6-foot-9 Shawn Kemp Jr. has signed a basketball scholarship agreement, becoming the sixth player for the Huskies' 2011 class. His father starred for the Seattle SuperSonics.

FOOTBALL: The United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks added running back Maurice Clarett to the active roster. Clarett spent last season with the team. The former Ohio State star spent 31/2 years in prison for holding up two people outside a Columbus, Ohio, bar in 2006.

HOCKEY: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired center Ryan Russell from the Montreal Canadiens for winger Mike Blunden.  

The New Jersey Devils ceased operations of their Trenton team in the East Coast Hockey League as they restructure their player development system. The Trenton Devils played for five seasons.

The Phoenix Coyotes promoted former Flyers goalie Sean Burke to director of player development.

SOCCER: Former France great Zinedine Zidane says he will be Real Madrid's new sporting director. The former Real Madrid star and three-time world player of the year was an adviser to team president Florentino Perez.

BOXING: Paul Williams (39-2, 27 knockouts) will take on Erislandy Lara (15-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight bout Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. In his last fight, Williams was knocked out by Sergio Martinez in November.

- Staff and wire reports