In Brief

COLLEGES

Notre Dame quarterback Rees pleads guilty to two charges

Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees apologized to police, the school and fans after pleading guilty Monday to misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor in connection with his arrest outside an off-campus party in the spring.

The 20-year-old junior quarterback was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and 11 months of probation. He also must write a letter of apology to officers involved in his May 3 arrest in South Bend, Ind. He was given a suspended sentence of 30 days in jail.

Notre Dame released a statement from Rees in which he apologized to his "family, friends, the Notre Dame community, Fighting Irish fans and the South Bend Police Department" for his actions.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound Rees was pepper-sprayed and arrested after he allegedly ran away from an off-campus party and knocked the wind out of a police officer who caught up to him.

Rees, from Lake Forest, Ill., is one of four quarterbacks vying for the starting job this season. He started 12 of 13 games as the Irish went 8-5 last season.

Also: Michigan suspended running back Fitzgerald Toussaint after he was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Saline Police Department detective Don Lupi said Toussaint was stopped for a traffic violation at 11:45 p.m. Saturday. He was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and taken to the Saline Police Department, where Lupi said he tested over the legal limit during a breath test.

Toussaint, a redshirt junior, rushed for 1,041 yards in 2011, finishing second on the team behind quarterback Denard Robinson.

The Insight Bowl is now the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl under a new sponsorship agreement. The bowl game is played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Suspended Oklahoma State basketball player Darrell Williams, accused of sexually assaulting two women at a Stillwater house party in December 2010, was convicted on three of the five counts he faced. Jurors convicted Williams on two counts of rape by instrumentation and one count of sexual assault. He was acquitted on two other counts of rape by instrumentation.

Before he was suspended in February 2011, Williams led the team in rebounding and averaged 7.1 points per game.

PRO BASKETBALL

Former Bishop Gorman player Watson signs deal with Nets

The Brooklyn Nets officially signed C.J. Watson to back up Deron Williams at point guard. General manager Billy King announced the signing, but terms were not disclosed.

Watson, a former Bishop Gorman High School standout, played in 49 games for Chicago last season, making 25 starts because of injuries to Derrick Rose. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.6 assists in 29.2 minutes as a starter.

Also: Kirk Hinrich is back with the Chicago Bulls, with the team officially announcing the move to bring back a player it drafted in the first round nine years ago. The signing gives the Bulls a reliable point guard while Derrick Rose recovers from knee surgery.

Hinrich played his first seven seasons with the Bulls before being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2010 and later being sent to the Atlanta Hawks.

MISCELLANEOUS

Els' British Open win reopens talk of banning long putters

One day after Ernie Els won the British Open to become the third major champion using a belly putter, the Royal & Ancient said long putters were "firmly back on the radar" and that a decision could come soon on whether players can keep using them.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said discussions with the U.S. Golf Association about longer putters anchored to the body began before Els holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the claret jug at age 42.

Keegan Bradley at the PGA Championship and Webb Simpson at the U.S. Open both used belly putters. Former UNLV standout Adam Scott, who had a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the British Open, was using a long putter that he says helped turn around his game.

Tiger Woods was among those this year who recommended that the putter simply be the shortest club in the bag. Els once criticized the long putters, but when he struggled mightily with his putting, he switched to a belly putter last year.

"As long as it's legal, I'll keep cheating like the rest of them," Els said in October.

Also: Months after asking the Columbus Blue Jackets to trade him, star forward Rick Nash had his wish granted and is headed to the New York Rangers.

Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson announced the club dealt the big right wing, the team's captain and career leader in most offensive categories, along with a 2013 third-round draft pick and a minor league defenseman. In return, the Rangers sent centers Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, defenseman Tim Erixon and a first-round pick next year.