C.J. Fair will return to school for his senior year. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Syracuse forward C.J. Fair will return for his senior season, the school announced Wednesday in a release.

Fair had considered entering the NBA Draft. He would likely have been a second-round pick, and he could improve his draft stock with a strong season.

Fair led the Orange with 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last year. He was second-team All-Big East and helped lead Syracuse to the Final Four.

The school moves to the ACC next season, and Fair’s return will help with the transition. Duke and North Carolina are both expected to be strong next season, but with Fair, the Orange may be able to compete for a conference title in their first year in the league.

The Jets are reportedly interested in quarterback Ryan Nassib. (Nate Shron/Getty Images Sport)

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is “very high” on quarterback Ryan Nassib, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported Wednesday (via Rotoworld).

Nassib, out of Syracuse, is one of the top prospects in what experts say is a weak quarterback class. Most mock drafts have West Virginia’s Geno Smith as the first quarterback off the board. Nassib, USC’s Matt Barkley, Florida State’s E.J. Manuel and NC State’s Mike Glennon are also expected to go in the first three rounds of this week’s draft.

The Buffalo Bills have been linked with Nassib from the beginning of the draft process. Nassib’s college coach, Doug Marrone, was just hired as Buffalo’s coach.

KING: Breaking down the quarterback class

Initially, it looked like Buffalo might be able to wait until the second round to pick the quarterback, if they are interested in him. But Nassib’s stock seems to be rising, and the Bills may need to act sooner.

“The Buffalo Bills want Ryan Nassib,” Paolantonio reported. “But they’re very concerned the Jets will take him later in the first round. So the Bills may be forced to take him at No. 8.”

The Jets, with the No. 9 and No. 13 picks in the first round, have a lot of options — and a lot of needs. The team’s interest in Nassib could be sincere. Mark Sanchez struggled last season, and general manager John Idzik may think the team needs a new quarterback to start the rebuilding process.

DEITSCH: ESPN, NFL Network unveil NFL draft plans

But this could also be a smokescreen from the Jets. This close to the draft, it can be hard to tell what’s true. The Jets may be leaking their supposed interest in Nassib to try to pressure Buffalo into selecting him with the No. 8 pick. If Buffalo did pick Nassib there — and the Jets weren’t actually interested in the quarterback — New York’s chances of getting the players they want with their two first-round picks would increase.

Oklahoma senior quarterback Drew Allen will transfer to Syracuse. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Drew Allen, a senior quarterback at Oklahoma with one year of eligibility remaining, is transferring to Syracuse, he told The Post-Standard’s Michael Cohen in an interview Friday.

“It is the toughest decision of my life just because of the uniqueness of the situation,” Allen told Cohen.“Coming out of high school, I was basically deciding where I was going to go for the next four or five years of my life. With this, it was a decision that would span a matter of months — a one-year deal.

“So it’s been a long process, and I’m really excited that it’s come down to me going to Syracuse.”

Allen was a three-star recruit coming out of Alamo Heights High in San Antonio, redshirting in his freshman season. But he fell behind Landry Jones, and he would find stiff competition for a starting role with the Sooners next season.

At Syracuse, meanwhile, Allen already looks like the favorite to win the starting job over seniors Charley Loeb and John Kinder and junior Terrel Hunt. With first-year head coach Scott Shafer, Allen could find himself in a similar situation as Greg Paulus in 2009 with then-first-year coach Doug Marrone. After playing four years of basketball at Duke, Paulus transferred to Syracuse and was named the Orange’s starter.

Michael Carter-Williams is projected as an NBA lottery pick after a breakout sophomore season at Syracuse. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Syracuse sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams has decided to leave college and declare for the NBA Draft after two seasons.

Carter-Williams followed up a nondescript freshman season in which he averaged 2.7 points, by leading the Orange to the Final Four this season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 steals.

He is projected to be an NBA lottery pick.

“He’s coming off a tremendous season and we appreciate all he’s done for Syracuse basketball,” Orange coach Jim Boeheim said in a statement. “We wish Michael the best of luck as he pursues a pro career.”

Syracuse sophomore Michael Carter Williams (left) said his family was OK after his house caught on fire during Saturday night’s game. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Massachusetts home of Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams caught fire while the sophomore was playing in an NCAA tournament game against California on Saturday, according to Boston TV station WCVB.

Family members were watching the game in the Hamilton, Mass., house — owned by Carter-Williams’ mother, Mandy Carter-Zegarowski — when the fire started at about 10:15 p.m., the report states. The fire caused significant damage to the house, but the family was unharmed.

The exact cause of the fire is unknown, though firefighters believe it started in a wood stove outside. They “had a difficult time dousing the flames because of heavy smoke but were able to get it under control after a couple of hours,” according to the report.

Carter-Williams, 21, is a highly touted prospect and potential first-round NBA draft pick. The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 assists and 2.7 steals this season, and scored 12 points in Syracuse’s 66-60 win to advance to the Sweet 16 on Saturday in San Jose, Calif.

He tweeted Sunday morning that his family was OK.

Thanks for the prayers everyone all thats important to me is my family is okay—
Michael Carter-Willi (@MJCWilliams) March 24, 2013

Syracuse forward James Southerland is suspended because of an NCAA investigation into the program’s academics. (Nate Shron/Getty Images)

Syracuse forward James Southerland’s suspension is due to an NCAA investigation into the Syracuse basketball program’s academic records, according to a report from Mike Waters in The Post-Standard.

SU announced before last Saturday’s game against Villanova that Southerland, its go-to scorer off the bench, would be ineligible to play indefinitely.

Waters reported that Southerland was first temporarily suspended just before the Orange took on Providence on Jan. 9, but was cleared to play after he made “a payment to reimburse for improper benefits.” This current suspension, which came two days after the game against Providence, relates to whether a tutor wrote some of one of Southerland’s term papers, Waters reported.

SU head coach Jim Boeheim cited privacy issues when declining to elaborate on the reasons for Southerland’s eligibility. But he opened up somewhat in a subsequent interview while touring ESPN’s studios on Monday.

“Kids are going to get in situations and over the years they have,” Boeheim said. “We have been fortunate to be very careful. We have two academic advisers, we have several people that work with our players through all kinds of issues and I think that’s why we never had that many problems over the years. But when they do strike, obviously, it is troubling.

“We will get through it and, hopefully, James will get through this.”

The sixth-ranked Orange will travel to take on No. 1 Louisville on Saturday. If Southerland is not reinstated, he will not be allowed to make the trip with the team.

Syracuse will reportedly replace the departed Doug Marrone by hiring defensive coordinator Scott Shafer as head coach. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Syracuse will hire defensive coordinator Scott Shafer to be its next head coach, CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman reported Monday night. Shafer will replace Doug Marrone, who left after four seasons at Syracuse to become the head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

Shafer has been the Orange’s defensive coordinator for the duration of Marrone’s tenure at the helm and helped lead a drastic turnaround of what had been a porous Syracuse defense. In his first year on the job, SU improved from 114th to 37th in total defense. The following season, the Orange was seventh in total defense. This year, though, it slipped to 44th.

Shafer became a frontrunner for the job when word leaked that Marrone was leaving the program on Sunday, along with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. ESPN reported during its broadcast of the BCS national championship game Monday night that Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco was also a candidate.

Syracuse Athletic Director Daryl Gross said on ESPN radio Monday that the department would move immediately on a new hire to replace Marrone. He also stressed favoring some signs of continuity that would build on Syracuse’s “momentum” from the last three seasons, in which it earned two trips to the Pinstripe Bowl and won both games. The Orange is preparing for a move to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

“You’ve got to look at ‘How do we keep the momentum we’ve created?’ That’s what our focus is. And we’re going to do what the right thing is to keep that going,” Gross said, according to The Daily Orange’s Chris Iseman. “We’ve got great momentum, we’re getting ready to go to the ACC. We want to make sure everything is stable. We’ve created a culture that’s a winning culture and that’s what we want to enhance.”

Before coming to Syracuse, Shafer was the defensive coordinator at Michigan and Stanford. He has more than 20 years of coaching experience.

Jim Boeheim has won the second-most NCAA games of all time. (Mike Stobe, Getty Images)

Jim Boeheim added another accolade to his impressive coaching career tonight, with the Orange’s head coach capturing his 903rd career victory as a coach. Boeheim passed Bobby Knight with his team’s win over Rutgers, and now trails only Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewsky on the NCAA’s all-time wins list in men’s basketball.

Boeheim has amassed every single one of those 903 wins with the Syracuse Orange, which is also his alma mater. Boeheim has had the men’s basketball head coaching job in Syracuse since 1976.

Syracuse running back Adonis Ameen-Moore and tight end Max Beaulieu won’t play in Saturday’s New Era Pinstripe Bowl after being suspended for the game due to violations of athletic department rules, reports ESPN.com.

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone made the announcement late Tuesday night. The Orange will already be without linebacker Marquis Spruill and running back Steven Rene for a portion of the game after they were arrested Dec. 2. Both have misdemeanor charges pending after an incident with Syracuse police.

Ameen-Moore, a sophomore running back, has played in six games this season for the Orange, rushing it 30 times for 108 yards and five touchdowns. Beaulieu, a junior tight end, has played in just one game this season, against Connecticut.

The Orange (7-5) face West Virginia (7-5) on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Syracuse have taken the past two games in the series.

Prosecutors have ended a child-molestation investigation of ex-Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine won’t be charged in the criminal investigation of child-molesting accusations federal prosecutors said Friday morning. Fine, 66, has denied all wrongdoing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Clymer filed court papers this morning saying it was over, eight days short of the one-year anniversary of the day that two former SU ball boys, Bobby Davis and stepbrother Mike Lang, accused Fine on national TV of molesting them decades ago when they were children.

Neither Fine nor anyone else will be charged, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney John Duncan said.

“The nature and seriousness of these allegations, which involved conduct typically committed in private with individuals who are reluctant to come forward, warranted a thorough federal investigation,” U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said.

Syracuse fired Fine 10 days after the allegations became public Nov. 17, after assisting head coach Jim Boeheim for 35 years.

According to The Syracuse Post-Standard, Fine has turned into a recluse,  put his house up for sale, and suffered embarrassment at details of his marriage exposed during the investigation.

Steve Fisher and San Diego State will host Syracuse on deck of USS Midway. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Sources told Syracuse.com that Friday’s Syracuse-San Diego State basketball game scheduled to be played on the deck of the USS Midway will be moved to Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

The official announcement of the date change should come at 7 p.m. today, sources said. At that point, any further logistical information should be available.

The game originally was scheduled to tip off on the retired aircraft carrier docked in San Diego Harbor at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, before the National Weather Service predicted a 75 percent chance of showers in San Diego between 4 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Saturday.

The Sunday forecast for San Diego is more conducive with temperatures in the high 60s, with winds of 8 mph and no chance for rain.

SU guard Brandon Triche sent out a message on Twitter that has since been deleted.

“San Diego game is pushed back to sunday due to rain (((((,” the tweet said.

UPDATE: A 25-year-old man was stabbed tonight at Syracuse’s Orange Madness basketball event at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse.com reports.

The victim was taken to a local hospital and listed in stable condition, said Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan. The victim was not identified.

Several fights broke out in the concourse area near the concession stands, Connellan said. Nobody involved in the fights was affiliated with Syracuse University, he said.

The victim has not cooperated with police and no suspects have been identified, Connellan said.

The stabbing occurred at about 9:30 p.m., after which officials decided to end the event about a half hour early, he said.

Syracuse’s Orange Madness basketball event may have been marred by a stabbing inside the Carrier Dome, according to NewsChannel 9 WSYR and WTVH-TV.

NewsChannel 9 is tracking reports that a person is being treated for stab wounds inside the Carrier Dome.

Details about the stabbing have not yet been released.

Police are currently responding the scene.

Michael Benny of WTVH-TV in Syracuse tweeted more information including information from spectators claiming to be in the Carrier Dome:

Stabbing at Midnight Madness at the Carrier Dome (inside) #Syracuse police spokesman on the way to scene – nothing more right now.—
Michael Benny (@MichaelBenny) October 13, 2012

Inside info on Carrier Dome stabbing @ThePhenom_33 "my girlfriend and I were at the dome. Tons of blood, workers were cleaning up .."—
Michael Benny (@MichaelBenny) October 13, 2012

From the WTVH-TV website:

Syracuse Police are investigating a stabbing that happened inside the Carrier Dome. The incident happened as the Syracuse basketball event Orange Madness was ending Friday evening.

Police are not yet revealing who was stabbed, or the extent of the persons injuries.

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly promised to draft Syracuse guard Dion Waiters. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

When former Syracuse guard Dion Waiters cancelled his workouts and interviews at the NBA Draft Combine, the prevailing wisdom was that a team drafting late in the lottery promised to take him with its pick.

The Journal Times‘ Gery Woelfel reports that the Phoenix Suns, which hold the No. 13 pick in the draft, are the team.

Phoenix finished .500 this season, missing the playoffs by three games. The team’s near future depends on whether two-time MVP Steve Nash returns.

The 38-year-old Nash is a free agent and may leave Phoenix, where he has the last eight seasons, for a contender in his quest to win a championship.

Nash is past his prime but still highly effective. He averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game this season. With Nash, the team Waiters will reportedly join is poised to compete for a playoff spot. Without Nash, the Suns could be looking at the start of a long rebuilding process.

Zach Tomaselli, who accused former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine of sexual abuse, admitted Friday that he has been lying for months, according to CNY Central.

“It has become a burden of a lie and I am sick of it,” Tomaselli told CNY Central. “Bobby Davis told me what to tell detectives and it pretty much took off from there. The evidence that supports me is just pure luck, not real evidence. I made the ENTIRE thing up. I have never met Bernie in my life.

“It was a game to me. It was fun trying to make this story come alive. I was told by [former Syracuse ball boy] Bobby Davis what kind of porn Bernie likes. So I would add we were watching lesbian porn and going on and on. But, it didn’t pan out because of my school records, there was a hole I didn’t fill.

“I NEVER met Bernie fine or went to an autograph session. I sat in the nosebleeds at the Pitt game at the dome in 03 but that is it. I lied.”

As for why he lied for so long, Tomaselli wrote to CNY Central: “I don’t have feelings most of the time. I just hate people without caring.”

Tomaselli said his lie was motivated by a deep dislike for the Syracuse Orange because they beat his favorite Kansas Jayhawks in the 2003 championship game, according to CNY Central.

Fine was fired by Syracuse in November amid the allegations of Tomaselli and Davis, who also accused Fine of sexual abuse.

While West Virginia has reached a settlement to leave the Big East and join the Big 12 for the 2012-13 season, Pittsburgh and Syracuse will not leave the Big east until after next year, according to CBS.

West Virginia, who filed suit to leave the conference as early as this summer, will have to pay a reported $20 million in order to enter the Big 12 next season. Pittsburgh and Syracuse will reportedly not attempt such an exit until next summer.

The reasoning behind their decision, according to CBS, is that they do not want to be any more disruptive to the conference’s plans. If the two schools were to bolt for the ACC now, the Big East would have just five football teams next season.

An affidavit by one of the victims former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine is accused of molesting claims that Fine’s wife had sex with numerous players on the team, according to the New York Daily News.

The accuser’s affidavit claims that he overheard Fine’s wife, Laurie, discussing sexual acts she had with players with the wife of another coach. The accuser also stated that Laurie Fine attempted to initiate a sexual relationship with him while he was still in high school.

The accusations against Fine led to the coach’s dismissal from the University in late November. Since the statute of limitations have passed on the alleged crimes, some of the victims have filed a lawsuit. The suit has also charged Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim of defamation.

Boeheim initially said that the accusers were lying and in search of a cash settlement. He has since backed off those statements considerably.

The 20-0 Syracuse Orange put their undefeated record on the line this weekend as they begin a road swing at Notre Dame and Cincinnati, and they’ll be without a key player. Center Fab Melo is staying home due to academic reasons, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz.

A source told Katz that Melo is out “due to an unresolved academic issue from the first semester.” Citing school policy and federal student privacy laws, the university declined to give any further details.

The Orange open their three-game road trip against the the Fighting Irish at 6 p.m. ET. The university is hoping to clear the issue up by next week, when the team returns home. Syracuse plays host to West Virginia next Saturday, Jan. 28.

“It’s obviously a big loss in the middle,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said to Syracuse Sports Network’s Matt Park. “We’re hoping that Fab can get back. We have to clear some hurdles. We feel very strongly about our team. Everybody’s going to have to work a little bit harder on the boards. We’ll be ready.”

Two men who claimed they were sexually abused by Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine will reportedly file a civil suit over the matter, sources have told ESPN. The suit will reportedly name head coach Jim Boeheim and the University itself among the defendants.

The two former Orangemen ball boys, Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, have accused Fine, who until recently served as an assistant coach under Boeheim at Syracuse, of sexually abusing them in the 1980s. It was reported last week that Fine could not be charged for the allegations of child abuse levied against him because the statute of limitations for the crimes had run out.

When the news first broke about the accusations against Fine, Boeheim adamantly defended his longtime assistant, stating that the accusers were out for money.

“The Penn State thing came out and the kid behind this is trying to get money. He’s tried before. And now he’s trying again,” Boeheim said several weeks ago. “If he gets this, he’s going to sue the university and Bernie. What do you think is going to happen at Penn State? You know how much money is going to be involved in civil suits? I’d say about $50 million. That’s what this is about. Money.”

He later apologized for his comments about the accusers intentions, stating that he “misspoke very badly.”

Former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine cannot be charged for recent allegations of child abuse levied against him because the statute of limitations for the crimes have run out, The New York Times reports.

William Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County, N.Y. district attorney in charge of the investigation on Fine told The Times that while the accuser’s claims could not result in a criminal charge, he believed them to be credible. Two former Orangemen ball boys, Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, have accused Fine, who until recently served as an assistant coach under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, of sexually abusing them in the 1980s.

“It’s not my place to say that Bernie Fine is guilty of anything,” Fitzpatrick told The Times. “It is my place to say that the two victims are believable.”

Fitzpatrick also told the paper that he wished the allegations were brought to his office in 2002, when reports of the abuse first arose.

Fine was fired by Syracuse in November after audio recordings of his wife and one of the accusers emerged that lent credence to at least one of the assault claims.