National Digest

NBA trade DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons shook the NBA in a big way — landing former MVP Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets. The Pistons gave up All-Star point guard and former NBA finals MVP Chauncey Billups, top reserve Antonio McDyess and project Cheikh Samb. Iverson is in the final year of his contract, making $20.8 million this season. He could debut with the Pistons on Wednesday night in Toronto. Billups is in the second season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $46 million with a $14 million team option for a fifth year. The Pistons kept McDyess off the free-agent market by giving him a $13.5 million, two-year contract extension, and they would love to have him back if the cost-cutting Nuggets buy out his contract. The Pistons played Monday night at Charlotte and overcame their wild, emotional day to crush former coach Larry Brown’s new team 101-83. Fulmer exits KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer has been forced out as coach after 17 years that included a national championship. Fulmer, 58, his voice cracking and pausing to keep his composure, announced at a news conference that he will step aside at the end of the season. He said he was “accepting the university’s decision.” Fulmer had a 150-51 record with the Vols, including a national championship in 1998. But Tennessee fell on hard times this season and is just 3-6, including 1-5 in the Southeastern Conference after a 27-6 loss at South Carolina on Saturday. Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract in the summer which was worth $2.4 million this season. A buyout of the contract after this season would cost $6 million. He is the nation’s third-winningest among active coaches with 10 years of experience, trailing only Florida State’s Bobby Bowden and Penn State’s Joe Paterno. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Tyler Hansbrough made The Associated Press’ preseason All-America team for a record third straight year as its leading vote-getter — and for the first time, the North Carolina forward was a unanimous selection. Joining Hansbrough on the team Monday were UCLA guard Darren Collison, also a repeat from last year, Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody and Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin. Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 senior and the reigning national player of the year, missed being a unanimous pick last season by one vote, and he fell seven votes short as a sophomore. The last unanimous pick was Duke guard Jason Williams in 2001-02, and the last repeat selection was Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves in 1999-00. Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and the Final Four last season. He will miss about two weeks of practice after being diagnosed last week with a stress reaction in his right shin. Hansbrough has played in all 108 games in his first three seasons and he did not miss a practice his first two years and only one as a junior. Hansbrough was a second-team All-America after his sophomore season and was a unanimous pick after last season. He is the first national player of the year to return to school since Shaquille O’Neal at LSU in 1991. Curry, who led Davidson’s surprising run to the regional finals of last season’s NCAA tournament, was second in the voting with 66. Curry averaged 32 points and was 23-of-51 from 3-point range during the tournament run despite seeing defenses aimed at stopping the slender guard. The 6-8 Harangody, who was named on 58 ballots, was the Big East player of the year last season after averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. His inside presence allowed the Fighting Irish to average 79 points, tied for the No. 1 spot in the conference. Collison, a third-team All-America selection after leading the Bruins to a third straight Final Four appearance last season, received 46 votes. The 6-1 senior averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 assists last season, and he will combine with Josh Shipp to give UCLA one of the nation’s top backcourts this season. Griffin, who received 45 votes, surprised many when he decided to return to the Sooners for his sophomore season. The 6-10, 250-pound Griffin averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds last season in leading Oklahoma through a rough Big 12 schedule and into the NCAA tournament. BASEBALL DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed to a new contract with the team. Epstein revealed the agreement on the first day of the annual GM meetings. Epstein left Boston for nearly three months after his previous contract expired at the end of October 2005, and his current deal was to expire at the end of last month. Epstein wouldn’t say how long his new deal runs for. Under Epstein, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007. Before that, they hadn’t won the title since 1918.