BASKETBALL

Fredette signs with Bulls

The Chicago Bulls and free agent guard Jimmer Fredette have announced a contract that covers the rest of the season. Fredette, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, was bought out by the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and cleared waivers Saturday. He is averaging 5.9 points and 11.3 minutes in his third season. The 25-year-old Fredette said the Bulls were the best option for him because of how hard they play and Coach Tom Thibodeau’s ability to get the best out of his players. The Bulls are hoping the 6-foot-2 Fredette can provide consistent outside shooting. He is shooting 49 percent from threepoint range this season.

North Carolina Coach Sylvia Hatchell said she’s scheduled to start what she hopes is her final chemotherapy treatment for leukemia this week and “there’s a chance” she could return for the NCAA Tournament. Hatchell attended Sunday’s regular-season finale between her No. 14 Tar Heels and No. 7 Duke. The five-day treatment would keep her out of this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, but Hatchell said before the game she is hoping to return in a supporting role for the NCAAs. Hatchell, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in September, hasn’t coached all season. Hatchell’s doctor said in January her leukemia is in remission after several chemotherapy treatments. Associate head coach Andrew Calder has led the Tar Heels in her absence.

The Charlotte Bobcats waived seldom-used guard Ben Gordon on Sunday. Charlotte’s roster now stands at 14 players. Charlotte got Gordon from the Detroit Pistons with a future first-round draft pick in June of 2012 for Corey Maggette. The Bobcats will get Detroit’s pick this year if it is outside the top eight. Gordon was making $13.2 million this season. Gordon never saw significant playing time in Charlotte. He played in only 19 games this season, averaging 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.7 minutes.

Jermaine O’Neal’s misplaced passport left the Golden State Warriors one man short Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. O’Neal was unable to travel with his teammates to Canada on Saturday because his passport was either lost or stolen, Warriors Coach Mark Jackson said. After beating the Knicks in New York on Friday night, Golden State flew north of the border on Saturday. Jackson said O’Neal’s missing passport was discovered late Saturday afternoon, and the team didn’t have enough time to find a solution. Toronto is the fourth stop on Golden State’s six-game road trip. O’Neal will rejoin the Warriors in Indiana on Tuesday.

FOOTBALL Byrd, Bills talks stall

People familiar with contract negotiatons between the Buffalo Bills and safety Jairus Byrd have told The Associated Press that negotiations have stalled, and no further discussions are scheduled. The people spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity because neither side has publicly discussed negotiations. The Bills face a deadline Monday to apply a franchise tag on Byrd and retain the three-time Pro Bowlplayer’s rights before free agency opens March 11. One person said, Buffalo offered a multiyear contract that would have paid Byrd about $30 million over the first three seasons. The full value and length of the Bills’ offer were not revealed. Byrd played under a one-year, $6.9 million franchise tag last season. The price would increase to about $8.4 million if the Bills tagged him this year.

Former Texas Tech quarterback Michael Brewer said he will transfer to Virginia Tech, where he can compete to replace Logan Thomas. Brewer posted on his Twitter account: “Excited and humbled to announce that I will be attending Virginia Tech.” He is set to graduate from Texas Tech in May so he’ll be eligible to play for the Hokies next season. Virginia Tech is trying to replace three-year starter Thomas.Virginia Tech could not yet confirm Brewer’s decision. Brewer was expected to compete for the starting job last year in Lubbock, but a back injury cost him preseason workouts and much of the season. As a sophomore, he played in four games and completed 7 for 10 passes for 65 yards. The Austin, Texas, native has two years of eligibility left.

HORSE RACING First Ranger wins at Aqueduct

First Ranger pulled a 13-1 upset on Sunday in the $55,860 allowance feature for New York bred 3-year olds at Aqueduct. Trained by James Ferraro, First Ranger prevailed by a head over Mental Iceberg in a three-way photo finish with Storm only a neck back in third. Apprentice jockey Jonathan Zayas was aboard for the 1 mile, 70 yards in 1:45.03 on the fast track. First Ranger paid $28.80, $11.40 and $11.20 for his second victory in five starts. Mental Iceberg returned $4.30 and $4.20 while Storm paid $5.90 to show.

SKI JUMPING Stoch wins in Finland

Kamil Stoch of Poland won the ski jumping event at the Lahti Ski Games on Sunday in Lahti, Finland, to reclaim the lead in the overall World Cup standings. Stoch scored 281 points from his two jumps, beating Severin Freund of Germany in second place with 277.4 points. Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer was third with 270.2. The victory gave Stoch 1,131 points in the overall standings, ahead of Slovenia’s Peter Prevc with 1,078 and Freund with 907. Stoch, who was leading the standings before the Sochi Olympics, was briefly pushed down to second place on Friday by Prevc who finished sixth Sunday.

TENNIS Delbonis tops in Brazil

Argentine Federico Delbonis has won his first ATP title by defeating Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Brazil Open final on Sunday. Delbonis broke Lorenzi’s serve to start the decisive set and held on to close the match in 2 hours, 6 minutes. The 23-year-old Argentine was playing only in his second ATP final. He had lost to Fabio Fognini of Italy last July after upsetting Roger Federer in the semifinals in Hamburg. With the victory at the ATP 250 tournament in Sao Paulo, Delbonis will move to 45th in the ATP rankings, a career best. The 32-year-old Lorenzi, ranked 114th, had never advanced past the quarterfinals of an ATP singles tournament.

FOOTBALL Malzahn adds another award

Gus Malzahn isn’t through winning awards from this past season.

The first-year coach who led Auburn to a record-tying turnaround, an SEC championship and a berth in the national championship game, was named the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year by Birmingham’s Over the Mountain Touchdown Club on Sunday.

Malzahn, who also was the consensus pick for SEC Coach of the Year and The Associated Press Coach of the Year, tied the NCAA record for the biggest turnaround in history by improving by 8 1/2 games, a mark matched only by the 1999 Hawaii squad.

In 2013, Malzahn, a former Arkansas Razorbacks assistant and longtime high school coach in the state, engineered a turnaround season, taking a Tigers team that was 3-9 to 12-2 and within a late touchdown pass of the national title.

In the five years the Over the Mountain Touchdown Club has presented the Bowden Award, no coach outside the state of Alabama has ever won it. Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik won the 2010 award, and Alabama’s Nick Saban has won it three times.

Malzahn was chosen from among finalists Baylor’s Art Briles, Duke’s David Cutcliffe, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio by the Over the Mountain Touchdown Club and a panel of voters from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Bobby Bowden will present the award to Malzahn on March 2 at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham.

Sports, Pages 16 on 03/03/2014