Baron Davis Has Knee Surgery

UCLA guard Baron Davis underwent what was termed successful surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The surgery was performed by Stephen J. Lombardo, the Lakers’ team physician, and Davis was released several hours later. There is no timetable for his return to basketball.

Davis suffered the injury in the first half of UCLA’s 85-82 second-round victory over Michigan in the NCAA tournament at the Georgia Dome on March 15.

Davis started 31 of UCLA’s 32 games as a freshman last season and averaged 11.7 points, five assists, four rebounds and 2.4 steals.

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The mastermind of the Arizona State point-shaving scandal pleaded guilty to five counts of sports bribery, becoming the sixth and final defendant to take that legal course.

Benny Silman, 26, a former Arizona State student from North Hollywood, faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Federal prosecutors said Silman conspired to bribe two Arizona State basketball players to miss shots so that he and three gamblers could beat the projected point spread on four games in 1994.

The players, Stevin Smith and Isaac Burton, pleaded guilty in December.

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A Cal State Fullerton student pleaded guilty to trying to bribe a Titan basketball player.

Jack Oh, 21, of La Verne faces a maximum of nine months in prison and five years probation when he is sentenced on June 5. He also will enter a treatment program for gambling addicts and perform community service.

Without the agreement, he could have been sentenced to three years in prison.

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Texas Tech has admitted breaking several NCAA rules from 1991-97 and will compensate by reducing athletic scholarships and forfeiting victories--potentially dozens--in several sports.

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Howard Schnellenberger, who coached Miami to its first national championship in college football 15 years ago, was hired as a special assistant to the director of football operations at Florida Atlantic. The school is starting a football program and will begin play in 2001.

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Brigham Young suspended basketball players Ron Selleaze, the team’s leading scorer last season, and Mike Garrett for one year for violating the school’s honor code. They were suspended after allegedly being found in possession of marijuana, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

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Loyola of Chicago fired basketball coach Ken Burmeister. . . . Candi Harvey, coach of the Texas A&M; women’s team, resigned to become coach of the ABL’s Nashville expansion team.

Pro Football

The Dallas Cowboys signed running back Chris Warren to back up four-time rushing champion Emmitt Smith, and released offensive lineman Mark Tuinei. Warren, released a month ago by the Seattle Seahawks, is a three-time Pro Bowl player.

The Atlanta Falcons decided not to make receiver Bert Emanuel the highest-paid player in team history, freeing him to sign a four-year, $16.4-million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. David Brandon, a linebacker who sat out most of last season because of a broken leg, re-signed with the Falcons. . . . Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Bobby Hoying is expected to make a full recovery after an emergency appendectomy Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio. . . . San Francisco 49er offensive lineman Kirk Scrafford, an eight-year veteran, retired because of a neck injury.

Tennis

Magnus Larsson was upset by 18-year-old Russian Marat Safin, 6-3, 6-2, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Thomas Muster struggled to victories on the second day of the Conde de Godo Open in Barcelona, Spain. Kafelnikov, beat hometown favorite Francisco Roig, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Muster defeated Uruguay’s Marcelo Filippini, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Jurisprudence

Marcele Solomon, an attorney for Washington Wizard Chris Webber, said Webber wasn’t present at teammate Juwan Howard’s house at the time an alleged sexual assault occurred. A grand jury is to hear the case Thursday.

Auburn receiver Robert Baker has been indicted on cocaine charges. His trial is scheduled May 11.

Soccer

The Mexican national team will play at the Coliseum for the first time since winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup when it faces Peru in an exhibition tonight at 8.