LSU center Glen “Big Baby” Davis is moving on to the next stage of his basketball life as the 6-foot-9-inch, 290-pound junior said Tuesday he will skip his senior year to enter the NBA draft.
“After my toughest year, I now feel I am physically and mentally ready for the NBA,” Davis said at a news conference. “In my mind and in my heart, I felt that it was time for me to move on.”
He has signed with agent John Hamilton of Performance Sports Management but will remain at LSU until the end of the semester. Davis averaged 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
– Jamont Gordon had 16 points as Mississippi State (21-13) defeated Florida State 86-71 in the NIT quarterfinals. . . . Frank Young scored 25 points as West Virginia (25-9) edged North Carolina State 71-66.
– Danny Manning will become an assistant coach at Kansas next season after Tim Jankovich leaves to become head coach at Illinois State. . . . Despite a trip to the NCAA tournament, Long Beach State will not renew the contract of fifth-year coach Larry Reynolds.
– In the women’s tournament, Ivory Latta had 17 points and North Carolina went on a 15-0 run midway through the second half as the Tar Heels (32-3) rallied for a 60-51 win over Notre Dame. Charel Allen had 21 points for the Irish (20-12). . . . Candace Parker had 30 points and 12 rebounds as Tennessee (30-3) earned a 68-54 win over Pittsburgh (24-9). . . . Mississippi (23-10) forced 29 turnovers as it pulled off an 89-78 upset of defending national champion Maryland (28-6).
