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BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo has hired Bobby Hurley to take over as its men’s basketball coach.

Buffalo hires Bobby
Hurley as coach

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo has hired Bobby Hurley to take over as its men’s basketball coach.

Hurley, who was introduced at a news conference Tuesday, completed his first season as an associate coach at Rhode Island this month, working under his brother, Dan Hurley. He spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at Wagner, also with Dan serving as head coach.

At Buffalo, he takes over for Reggie Witherspoon, who was fired two weeks ago after 14 seasons on the job. Witherspoon went 14-20 this past season. Hurley, a superstar high school guard while playing for his father, Bob, Sr., in New Jersey in the 1980s, is best known for his playing days at Duke, where he established himself as one of the nation’s top point guards. He led the Blue Devils to two national championships and three Final Four berths.

AP Source: Miami’s Johnson
has minor knee surgery

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami center Reggie Johnson had surgery Tuesday to repair a minor meniscus issue, said a person familiar with the situation.

Johnson did not accompany the Hurricanes to Washington on Tuesday night, though he could play in the Final Four if Miami wins the East Regional this weekend, the person told The Associated Press because the school did not publicly disclose the surgery.

Miami (29-6) plays Marquette (25-8) on Thursday in the East Regional semifinals. The winner of that game will meet either Indiana or Syracuse for a trip to Atlanta and the Final Four.

Johnson has appeared in 26 games for Miami this season, starting nine. The 6-foot-10, 292-pound senior is averaging 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds for Miami, and his presence could have been a major help against Marquette, which has outrebounded its opponents by 4.5 per game this season.

Pacers hoping to get
injured players back soon

INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers coach Frank Vogel says he’s hoping to get all four of his injured players back during a four-game road trip that begins tonight in Houston.

Indiana played Monday night without swingmen Danny Granger and Lance Stephenson, point guard George Hill and power forward David West.

Vogel says Stephenson (strained right hip flexor) probably will play tonight and that West could play. West has missed the past five games with a sprained lower back but did some post-practice work Tuesday.

Granger, who has missed most of the season with patellar tendinitis in his left knee, and Hill (strained left groin) are more likely to miss at least one more game.

From wire sources