MARBURY PAYS UP: It cost Stephon Marbury $542.58 to play in this year's postseason college basketball tournaments.
That's the amount the NCAA ordered the Georgia Tech freshman and his family to repay by March 7 as a condition for being eligible for the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday.The payment was for expenses Marbury and his father, Don, had incurred at an Atlanta hotel during a November 1994 recruiting visit. The problem was compounded when Marbury's high school coach in New York sent Tech a check for the expenses after being contacted by Tech assistant coach Kevin Cantwell, school officials said.
BIBBY STAYS AT USC: Henry Bibby, who was interim coach at Southern California following the firing of Charlie Parker last month, was chosen as coach of the Trojans today.
Bibby, 46, joined the Southern Cal program last May as an assistant. The Trojans were 0-9 under Bibby after Parker was fired Feb. 7.
'NIQUE HEADS TO HOMETOWN: Dominique Wilkins, who never won a championship during his 13 years in the NBA, will get a chance to win the European title in the city where he was born.
Wilkins' Greek club, Panathinaikos Athens, is among the teams that qualified for next month's European Final Four in Paris.
The field, which was completed Thursday night, also includes CSKA Moscow, defending champion Real Madrid and Spanish rival Barcelona.
CAVS ACTIVATE BRANDON: Terrell Brandon was activated from the injured list on Friday, and Harold Miner was placed on the list by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers also announced that they have signed Darryl Johnson to a second 10-day contract. He signed the first contract on March 5.
ROCKETS SIGN BOOKER: The Houston Rockets on Friday signed point guard Melvin Booker to a second 10-day contract.
SUSPENSION ENDS PAYTON'S STREAK: Gary Payton missed Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks because of a one-game suspension for head-butting Orlando's Joe Wolf on Wednesday night.
Payton was suspended for one game and fined $5,000 for the incident. The suspension ends his consecutive game streak at 354 games, 252 starts.
Payton's streak was sixth-longest among active players behind A.C. Green of Phoenix, Michael Cage of Cleveland, B.J. Armstrong of Golden State, John Stockton and Karl Malone of Utah.
SONICS ACTIVATE MCMILLAN: The SuperSonics activated Nate McMillan and placed Vincent Askew on the injured list with a strained left groin Friday.