Kevin Willard was hired yesterday as the basketball coach at Iona, which hopes the former Rick Pitino assistant can revive a team that began the season 0-22 and finished with the worst record in the program's 62-year history.

Willard spent the past six seasons at Louisville as an assistant and is a head coach for the first time. He succeeds Jeff Ruland, who was bought out of the final two years of his contract.

Willard is a former Pitt player (1995-97), having played for his father, Ralph Willard.

"Last year doesn't concern me," Willard said at a campus news conference. "I know they went through a hard time, but this is a clean slate."

The Gaels, often starting five freshmen and hampered by injuries, went 2-28 season last year.

Iona president James Liguori offered Willard the job last week.

Before working at Louisville, Willard spent four years as a coaching associate/scout under Pitino with the Boston Celtics.

UCLA

All-American Arron Afflalo is passing up his senior year to enter the NBA draft. Afflalo, who averaged 16.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists and led the Bruins to consecutive Final Fours, announced his decision at a news conference on campus. Afflalo, a 21-year-old junior from Compton, declared for the NBA draft last year, but withdrew his name and returned to school after attending evaluation camps. A player who declares a second time isn't allowed to return to school.

North Carolina

Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough will return for the Tar Heels next season and not head to the NBA. Both announced their decisions during the Tar Heels' annual awards ceremony at the Dean Smith Center. Hansbrough averaged a team-leading 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds, while Lawson averaged 10.2 points, 5.6 assists . Last night's announcements leave the Tar Heels only one more player to wonder about -- freshman forward Brandan Wright, who did not speak to the media and has not yet made a decision. The 6-foot-9 freshman, who averaged 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds this season and is projected as a top-10 pick, must make a decision by April 29, the NBA's early entry deadline.

Texas A&M

Mark Turgeon was introduced as Texas A&M's basketball coach, five days after Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky. Turgeon comes to Texas A&M from Wichita State, where he led the Shockers to a 17-14 record last year, including 8-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Turgeon was 128-90 in seven seasons at Wichita State. He led the Shockers to three consecutive 20-plus win seasons from 2004-2006, culminating with a trip to the round of 16 in the 2006 NCAA tournament.

Penn State

The Penn State men's basketball team will play in the eight-team Old Spice Classic over Thanksgiving weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. The Lions will play three games. Other teams in the field are: Central Florida, George Mason, Kansas State, North Carolina State, Rider, South Carolina and Villanova.

Michigan

Michigan hired Kevin Borseth, 52, to turn around the women's basketball program that won only 10 Big Ten games in the past four seasons. Borseth coached at Wisconsin-Green Bay and replaces Cheryl Burnett, who retired last month after leading the Wolverines to a 35-83 record in four years.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts and men's coach Travis Ford agreed to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2014-15 season.