Anderson bolts Missouri for Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., March 23 (UPI) -- Missouri head basketball Coach Mike Anderson has left the Tigers to coach at Arkansas, school officials announced Wednesday.
Anderson, who guided Missouri to a 23-11 record this season before losing to Cincinnati in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, was an assistant coach at Arkansas from 1985-2002.
Before compiling his 111-56 record at Missouri, Anderson was the head coach at Alabama-Birmingham from 2002-06.
"Mike is one of the outstanding head coaches in college basketball," Arkansas Athletics Director Jeff Long said. "His teams play an exciting brand of basketball that has already proven successful at both UAB and Missouri."
Anderson replaces John Pelphrey, who was fired after racking up a 69-59 record during a four-year stay with the Razorbacks.
Bonds friend: Slugger asked about steroids
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23 (UPI) -- A boyhood friend of former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds testified Wednesday that he researched the effects of steroids for the home run king.
Steve Hoskins told a federal court jury Bonds admitted using steroids to him on several occasions, including in 1999 while the two were still business partners, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Bonds is on trial for allegedly perjuring himself four years later before a grand jury investigating a northern California lab that supplied steroids to area athletes.
Prosecutors accused baseball's all-time home run leader of lying when he denied using performance-enhancing substances produced by the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative.
Bonds denies ever knowingly taking steroids. Hoskins, however, testified Tuesday that his friend told him, "Find out what (Winstrol) does and what are the side effects of it and is it good or bad."
Winstrol, which helps the body to shed fat and build muscle mass, is legal when prescribed by a doctor but banned by many sports authorities. It is the same substance that cost sprinter Ben Johnson his gold medal in the 1988 Olympics Games, the Chronicle reported.
Phillies' Oswalt OK after drive to head
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla., March 23 (UPI) -- Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt emerged essentially unscathed after being hit in the head by a line drive during a Florida spring training game.
The right-handed starter went down immediately Tuesday after being struck behind his right ear by a line shot by Tampa Bay's Manny Ramirez in the fourth inning. Oswalt was able to turn away a bit before the blow, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.
Trainers at the Port Charlotte, Fla., facility rushed to the mound but the 33-year-old hurler was able to leave the field under his own power and never lost consciousness, the newspaper said.
X-ray exams were taken as a precaution and proved negative, the team announced. Oswalt was diagnosed with a neck contusion.
The 10-year veteran finished the day allowing three runs on four hits over three-plus innings, walking none and striking out four batters.
Gillispie named Texas Tech hoops coach
LUBBOCK, Texas, March 23 (UPI) -- Billy Clyde Gillispie became the 14th head basketball coach of Texas Tech Wednesday, signing a five-year contract, school officials said.
The former Kentucky coach was introduced at a press conference in Lubbock, Texas, where he takes over for Pat Knight, who was fired March 8 after three disappointing seasons.
"I am so grateful to be the head basketball coach at Texas Tech University," Gillispie said. "This morning (I) signed the contract to make it official and I can't tell you how excited we both are about the future of this program."
"Over the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to spend significant time with Billy and I am absolutely confident that he will lead our basketball program back to the national spotlight while positively representing our university," Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt added.
Gillispie last coached for the Wildcats, compiling a 40-27 record with the, from 2007-09. He won SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2007-08 but parted ways with the school in 2009 after the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.
