Report: Houston to hire Sampson

HOUSTON HAS hired NBA assistant and former college coach Kelvin Sampson to replace former coach James Dickey, sources told ESPN.

The deal is for 5 years, sources said.

Sampson, an assistant with the Houston Rockets, was to take over as Cougars coach following the Rockets' game at Toronto last night.

He previously had been a Division I coach at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana. He took the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and went to 11 NCAA Tournaments in 12 seasons at Oklahoma (including a Final Four in 2002). He was at Indiana for two seasons before being fired.

He was let go by Indiana - and hit with a 5-year show cause penalty by the NCAA - after being caught making impermissible phone calls to recruits.

Sampson, 58, has since worked as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Rockets.

He replaces Dickey, who resigned late last month because of "private family matters." Dickey had a 64-62 record in four seasons at Houston, including a 20-13 mark in 2012-13. The Cougars were 17-16 this season.

Tulsa coach Danny Manning toured the Wake Forest campus, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press.

The person said Manning has interviewed for the job and the Demon Deacons have "significant interest" in making him their coach.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the school is not commenting publicly about its search for Jeff Bzdelik's successor.

The former All-America at Kansas has ties to central North Carolina: He attended high school in Greensboro before moving to Lawrence, Kan., as a senior.

Manning led the Jayhawks to the 1988 national championship and played 15 years in the NBA.

He is 38-29 in two seasons at Tulsa and last month led the Golden Hurricane to the Conference USA Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth.

The 6-10 power forward, who was taken by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 1 pick in the 1988 NBA draft, was a two-time All-Star during an injury-plagued career.

He joined Kansas' staff in 2003 and was promoted to assistant coach in 2006 before earning his first head-coaching position with the Golden Hurricane in 2012.

* Missouri junior guard Jabari Brown, an all-SEC pick who led the conference in scoring, announced he will enter his name in the NBA draft, but is not hiring an agent, so that he is able to withdraw by April 15 if he changes his mind.

Underclassmen have until April 15 to withdraw their name from consideration and retain college eligibility. Brown said he will use the time to make an "educated decision."

The 6-5 Brown averaged 19.9 points and topped 20 points 19 times, the most at Missouri since Anthony Peeler in 1992.

* Nebraska coach Tim Miles said two scholarship players and one walk-on are leaving the program at the end of the semester to find more playing time elsewhere: sophomore center Sergej Vucetic, freshman guard Nathan Hawkins and freshman walk-on guard Tim Wagner.

* Ernie Kent was introduced as the new head coach at Washington State. Athletic director Bill Moos said Kent signed a 5-year contract that will pay him a guaranteed $1.4 million a year and includes incentives.

Kent replaces the fired Ken Bone, who had led the Cougars during a period of mounting losses and dwindling crowds.