Sports briefs 6/30/06

Basketball

• Former Missouri guard Thomas Gardner, who left school after his junior season to enter the NBA draft, was not picked Wednesday night.

Gardner was second in the Big 12 with a 19.7-point average, and his decision to sign an agent and go pro was influenced by the Tigers' coaching change. Quin Snyder resigned in February and has been replaced by Mike Anderson.

The 6-foot-5 Gardner, of Portland, Ore., was one of nearly a dozen early entries to the draft who got shut out.

* The NCAA's little guys could still get locked out of the most lucrative championship event in college sports -- even after George Mason's improbable tournament run last year.

On Thursday, the men's basketball committee announced it rejected a coaches' proposal to nearly double the size of the NCAA tournament field from 65 to 128, calling expansion unnecessary and not imminent.

Boxing

• Evander Holyfield, 43, announced the start of his latest comeback bid, an Aug. 18 fight against journeyman Jeremy Bates (21-11-1).

Holyfield hasn't fought in nearly two years, hasn't won in more than four, and hasn't been the heavyweight champ in six years.

The layoff was caused by several things, starting with a three-bout losing skid, also the longest of his career, and a 2-5-2 mark since 1999. His last loss, a unanimous decision that wasn't even close against Larry Donald in 2004, prompted New York officials to revoke his boxing license because of "diminished skills and poor performance."

Miscellaneous

• A state board signed off on a plan Thursday to provide $50 million in tax breaks for renovations to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals stadiums.

A legislative proposal to direct money to the stadiums from the state's income tax on athletes and entertainers failed last year, so Gov. Matt Blunt backed a new plan to help fund the projects through these tax breaks.

Instead of going through the legislature, it took approval by the state Department of Economic Development and the Missouri Development Finance Board.

The board approved the state aid to the $575 million project without a dissenting vote.

-- The Associated Press