COLLEGE BASKETBALL

INDIANA’S DAVIS RESIGNS, WILL FINISH SEASON Indiana coach Mike Davis’s rocky six-year stay as the successor to Bob Knight ended yesterday with his resignation, which takes effect at the end of the season. The announcement ended months of speculation and increased criticism during the Hoosiers’ late-season slump. Davis has been under intense pressure almost from the moment he succeeded Knight in 2000. Davis coached Indiana to the NCAA title game in 2002, but has seen a decline since then. From 2001-03, the Hoosiers went 67-38 and made three appearances in the NCAA tournament. But since 2004, the team has gone just 42-38 and has been shut out of the tournament.

“I felt like it was time for this program to be united,” Davis said at a news conference. “I want our players to get it out of their minds whether coach Davis is returning. It’s time for Indiana basketball to move forward.”

BASEBALL

YANKEES SIGN ERICKSON TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL Scott Erickson agreed yesterday to a minor league contract with the Yankees, giving the team another backup in case of pitching breakdowns.The 38-year-old right-hander threw for 10 minutes off a mound yesterday at the minor league complex while manager Joe Torre watched along with coaches Ron Guidry and Joe Kerrigan and vice president Billy Connors. The Yankees gave Erickson the tryout at the suggestion of Jason Giambi.

Erickson was 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA in eight starts and 11 relief appearances last season with the L.A. Dodgers, who cut him in late July. He has a career record of 142-136 with a 4.57 ERA in 14 seasons. His deal calls for a $15,000 monthly salary at Triple-A and if added to the 40-man roster would get a $550,000, one-year contract.

GIANTS PICK UP $10.5M OPTION ON SCHMIDT The San Francisco Giants exercised their $10.5 million option on right-hander Jason Schmidt, hopeful the injuries that limited him to reduced velocity and 12 victories last year are gone.

Because of injuries, Schmidt worked 172 innings in 29 starts last year. But he learned to pitch effectively with less velocity and went 6-2 after the break to finish 12-7 with a 4.40 ERA. Then the Giants decided against a $3.5 million buyout. Now, Schmidt will be pitching for a contract again and is eager to avoid the frustrations that accompanied his worst season with the Giants after he won an ERA title in 2003 (2.34) and went 18-7 in 2004.

HOCKEY

GRETZKY, WIFE WON’T FACE CHARGES IN GAMBLING SCANDAL Wayne Gretzky will not face criminal charges in connection with a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring busted in New Jersey last week, and he is unlikely to be called to testify against others in the case, his lawyer said yesterday. Attorney Ron Fujikawa said he received assurances from New Jersey authorities last week that the hockey great was not in any way a central figure in the criminal investigation.

Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones, also is unlikely to face criminal charges in the case, her lawyer said. Jones wagered more than $100,000 through the ring, a person with knowledge of the investigation has told the Associated Press.

If correct, the attorneys’ statements indicate that the first family of hockey at most placed wagers with the ring but had nothing to do with its operations. Under New Jersey law, it is not a crime to place a bet, even if the wager is with a bookie. People who place bets for others can be prosecuted, however, as can people who profit off someone else’s bets.

GOLF

WILSON TAKES EARLY LEAD AT NISSAN OPEN Dean Wilson navigated his way around Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles without a bogey for a 7-under 64 in the opening round of the Nissan Open, putting him atop the leaderboard with Justin Rose among the early starters.They were two shots clear of a group that included Fred Couples, who wound up with a 66, then went back to bed with the flu. Also feeling ill was Tiger Woods, although it had nothing to do with being allergic to Riviera. Woods, 2-0 for the year but 0-10 at his hometown tournament, recovered from an early double bogey by making four birdies in a five-hole stretch and finished with a 69.

– Associated Press