FOOTBALL

SOURCE: COLES WANTS OUT OF WASHINGTON

Wide receiver Laveranues Coles has met with Joe Gibbs twice to state his desire to leave the Redskins, including a forthright conversation the day after the season ended, an official within the league told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity yesterday. The Redskins, in turn, have told Coles they want him to have surgery on the chronic toe injury that has plagued him the last two seasons, a procedure that Coles has been reluctant to undergo, the source said.

Coles’s meetings with Gibbs were first reported by the Washington Post, but Gibbs said the Post’s report that the meetings were likely to lead to Coles’s release was “inaccurate.”

Last month, the Redskins granted wide receiver Rod Gardner’s request to seek a trade. Coles and Gardner accounted for a combined 141 catches and 1,600 yards for the Redskins last season, but both were disenchanted with a conservative offense that ranked 30th overall.

Coles will find it difficult to get an outright release from the Redskins unless he is willing to give back some of the $13 million signing bonus he received when he signed a seven year, $35 million contract as a free agent from the Jets two years ago. The Redskins could instead grant Coles permission to seek a trade, as they have with Gardner, but Gibbs said that had not been done as of yesterday.

TITANS RELEASE MASON, ROLLE

Receiver Derrick Mason and cornerback Samari Rolle were among six players released yesterday by the Tennessee Titans in an effort to cut up to $27 million to get under the NFL salary cap. In addition to Mason and Rolle, the Titans released starting defensive lineman Kevin Carter and right tackle Fred Miller. They also cut fullback Robert Holcombe and kicker Joe Nedney.

Mason led all NFL receivers last season with a career-high 96 catches for 1,168 yards and seven touchdowns. The eight year veteran has four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Rolle, considered among the league’s top cover cornerbacks, was arrested last week on a domestic assault charge. A Pro Bowl selection in 2000, Rolle played in 12 games last season before having surgery on his left knee. He had 28 tackles.

GOLF

SCOTT WINS RAIN-SHORTENED NISSAN OPEN

Adam Scott made a 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole yesterday morning to beat Chad Campbell in a sudden-death playoff at the Nissan Open, the first PGA Tour event in nine years to be cut to 36 holes. The playoff came shortly after the final two rounds were canceled because of rain that saturated Riviera Country Club, leaving Scott and Campbell to play for the difference of $386,000. Scott earned $864,000 and moved up to no. 7 in the world ranking, his highest spot. But because the tournament was only 36 holes, he will not get credit for an official victory – only 54-hole tournaments can be deemed official.

Darren Clarke and Brian Davis were one shot behind, and Colin Montgomerie, who has never won a PGA Tour event, finished his 36 holes just two shots back. Tiger Woods, who needed to finish fourth to replace Vijay Singh at the no. 1 ranking, ended in a tie for 13th, four shots out of the lead.

FIELD SET FOR MATCH PLAY

The field was set yesterday afternoon for the Match Play Championship. All that remained in doubt was when it would start. Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Retief Goosen are the top four seeds in the 64-man field at La Costa Resort. The seedings were determined by the world ranking from a week ago; Ernie Els (no. 3) previously said he would skip this World Golf Championship for the second straight year.

The big concern yesterday was the weather. While the sky above La Costa was surprisingly blue, the golf course was a combination of green grass and brown rainwater that raged across fairways and covered bridges. Heavy rain was in the forecast for today,and it might not be until Wednesday before tournament officials can say if the course is suitable for play.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NEVADA ENTERS TOP 25 FOR FIRST TIME

For the second time in three weeks, a school entered the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time ever. Nevada, winners of six straight games and nine of 10, was no. 25 yesterday, the first time the Wolf Pack cracked the rankings. Two weeks ago, Pacific, no. 19 this week, moved into the poll for the first time.

Illinois, the lone unbeaten team in Division I, was no. 1 for the 12th straight week. For the fourth consecutive poll, the Illini were a unanimous choice. The Illini (27-0) won road games against Penn State and Iowa last week and received all 72 first-place votes from the national media panel. Boston College (22-1), which beat Syracuse on Saturday in a matchup of Top 10 teams, jumped from sixth to no. 3, the highest ranking in school history.

VILLANUEVA LEADS NO. 17 UCONN OVER NOTRE DAME

Charlie Villanueva matched his career high with 25 points and sophomore point guard Marcus Williams was a rebound shy of a triple-double in no. 17 Connecticut’s 88-74 victory over Notre Dame last night. The Huskies (18-6, 10-3 Big East) won for the sixth time in seven games and lifted Jim Calhoun within two wins of becoming the sixth active coach with 700.

Williams finished with 17 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. He entered the game averaging a Big Eastbest 7.9 assists and he added in some solid defense against Chris Thomas, who had 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting for the Fighting Irish (16-8, 8-6).

OKLAHOMA HANDS KANSAS THIRD STRAIGHT LOSS

Terrell Everett scored 19 points and freshman David Godbold added a career-high 15 to help no. 22 Oklahoma beat Kansas 71-63 last night, handing the Jayhawks their first three-game losing streak since 1994.

Kansas (20-4, 10-3 Big 12), which lost to Texas Tech in double overtime and Iowa State in overtime last week, rallied from 19 points down in the first half to get within a point midway through the second half, but the Sooners (20-6,9-4) held on to drop the Jayhawks out of a first-place tie with Oklahoma State. Wayne Simien finished with 17 points and six rebounds for Kansas, which hasn’t lost four in a row since an eight-game losing streak in 1988-89.

In other Top 25 action yesterday, Mark Walters scored a season-high 22 points and New Mexico (20-6, 7-4 Mountain West Conference) earned a 65-54 win over no. 13 Utah (23-4, 11-1), snapping the Utes’ 18-game winning streak.

– Associated Press