SIU-Edwardsville hires coach to aid transition

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Former Bradley assistant Lennox Forrester was named Monday as the new men's head basketball coach at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he will guide the Cougars as they seek to transition to NCAA Division I status.

Forrester, 38, succeeds Marty Simmons, who resigned last month to become men's basketball coach at his alma mater Evansville, where he also had been an assistant.

The Cougars, who have competed in Division II since 1967, recently announced plans to seek promotion to Division I. The men's program has belonged to the Great Lakes Valley Conference since 1994.

The reclassification could take several years, during which time the school would have to seek a conference affiliation and raise money to cover the larger budget needed for staffing, recruiting and facilities.

Wright declares for draft

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Julian Wright, the versatile but inconsistent power forward who helped Kansas win two straight Big 12 titles, is skipping his last two years to go into the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-8 Chicago native insisted all year long he would be back for his junior season.

Often inconsistent but at times spectacular with his long wing span and rare athletic gifts, Wright averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in helping the Jayhawks win their second straight Big 12 Tournament title. In the regular season, he averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds.

His best scoring game was a 33-point performance at Missouri.

MSU hires women's coach

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Nyla Milleson, women's basketball coach at Drury University, was named head women's basketball coach at Missouri State University on Monday.

Milleson, 44, replaces Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who resigned last month after five seasons at the university. The Lady Bears finished 7-21 this season, the program's worst record in 21 years.

Milleson had a 185-36 record at Division II Drury, twice reaching the NCAA regional finals.

-- The Associated Press