Gonzaga’s Morrison Will Stay in School

Gonzaga’s leading scorer, Adam Morrison, will return for his junior year.

Morrison had been the subject of speculation he might make himself eligible for the NBA draft after his stock rose sharply near the end of the season. But he decided he wanted to remain a part of Gonzaga basketball.

“I think it’s the right decision,� his father, John Morrison, said Wednesday. “It gives him a chance to get stronger and work on ball-handling and three-point percentage.�

Adam Morrison was not immediately available for comment. Coach Mark Few, traveling to the Final Four in St. Louis, also was not available for comment.

Morrison’s decision means Gonzaga will have four starters returning from a team that was 26-5 and finished No. 10 in the final poll. The Bulldogs were upset in the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season.

Morrison, a 6-foot-8, 205-pounder, averaged a team-high 19 points a game last season.

*

Pat Ewing Jr. is transferring from Indiana after two seasons with the Hoosiers.

Ewing, the son of former NBA great Patrick Ewing, will transfer to another school at the end of the spring semester, Coach Mike Davis said.

A 6-8, 215-pound forward, Ewing started five of the 29 games in which he played this season, averaging 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in Indiana’s 15-14 season.

*

Seton Hall guard J.R. Morris has made himself available for the NBA draft, the school announced.

Morris, a junior shooting guard, averaged eight points and 3.5 rebounds in 79 career games with the Pirates. He was averaging 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds through 21 games this season before Coach Louis Orr suspended him for academic reasons.

*

Baylor women’s Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson is being rewarded with a new contract for leading the Bears to the Final Four. A university source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Baylor offered Mulkey-Robertson a six-year contract that runs through the 2010-11 season.... Suspended Connecticut backup point guard Antonio Kellogg was arrested and charged with possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, police said.... Brian Nash was hired as the coach at St. Francis, N.Y., after working as a Seton Hall assistant since 2001.... Charles Ramsey, the top assistant coach at Michigan the last four seasons, was named head coach at Eastern Michigan.

*

South Carolina Coach Dave Odom has made himself quite comfortable in the National Invitation Tournament.

He has a championship, a runner-up finish and a 15-3 record in five trips.

“I certainly take pride in it,� Odom said of his NIT success. “There is not a coach in the country who aspires to have his legacy be ‘He was a great NIT coach.’ But I will tell you that I’m not ashamed of that.�

South Carolina (19-13) will face St. Joseph’s (24-11) for the title tonight at Madison Square Garden.