Barkley pleads guilty to drunk driving

Charles Barkley will serve time in jail after pleading guilty yesterday to charges of driving drunk in Scottsdale, Ariz. According to Scottsdale court records, the 45-year-old former NBA star pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to the same drunken driving arrest Dec. 31. Barkley, who works as a TV analyst, is set to begin a five-day sentence March 21. The Hall of Famer must pay more than $2,000 in fines and attend an alcohol treatment program. Under Arizona law, he'll also be forced to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles . . . Wizards star Gilbert Arenas took another step toward a possible return from knee surgery this season by taking part in non-contact drills during practice. Injured center Brendan Haywood, working his way back from a torn wrist ligament, also took part in the drills . . . Rockets guard Tracy McGrady will be out 6-12 months after microfracture surgery on his left knee scheduled for today . . . Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni will miss practice today to attend an arbitration hearing for Stephon Marbury's grievance against the team. The Knicks suspended Marbury for a game and fined him nearly $400,000 for refusing to play in a game Nov. 26. Marbury contends he never refused to play, only that he preferred not to . . . The Los Angeles Sparks signed All-Star DeLisha Milton-Jones to a three-year deal that will keep her with the WNBA franchise through 2012.

Danny Briere is feeling stronger, fresher, and more confident that he finally can return to the Flyers lineup this week after missing 33 games with groin injuries. Briere had set tomorrow as his target date, but the star center now expects to play against the Canadiens Friday . . . Goaltender Martin Brodeur is ready to play for the Devils and all the four-time Vezina Trophy winner is waiting for is his first starting assignment since having elbow surgery roughly four months ago. Coach Brent Sutter refused to pick a date for Brodeur's return, saying he wants to see how the 36-year-old does at practice the next two days . . . Boston University's men's team remained in first place in the USCHO poll, but dropped to second behind Notre Dame in the USA Today poll. Northeastern ranked fourth in both polls.

Marvin Harrison's agent said the Colts have agreed to release him in a salary cap move. Harrison, who is second in NFL career receptions (1,102), turns 37 in August and is coming off the least productive non-injury plagued season of his 13-year career. Cutting him could save the Colts about $6 million on next season's salary cap. Harrison caught 112 of his 128 career touchdowns from Peyton Manning, making them the top receiver-quarterback tandem in league history . . . Former Connecticut standout Dan Orlovsky says he's going to test free agency rather than accept an offer from the Lions to be a backup quarterback to Daunte Culpepper . . . The Falcons announced they will not re-sign safety Lawyer Milloy, 35, a four-time Pro Bowler. A former Patriot, Milloy can pursue other options when free agency starts Friday . . . The Raiders released veteran tackle Kwame Harris and fullback Justin Griffith, freeing more than $8 million in salary cap space. Harris would have collected a $6 million roster bonus had he remained with the team . . . Vikings great Carl Eller was sentenced to 60 days in the county workhouse for resisting Minneapolis police officers after a traffic stop last April, a punishment that went beyond prosecutors' recommendations. Hennepin County District Judge Dan Mabley said he wanted to send a message that he thought Eller's public criticism of the courts and police were baseless. Eller has filed a federal lawsuit claiming officers violated his civil rights, used excessive force, and concealed videotape evidence of his arrest.

The Big 12 Conference suspended Texas Tech men's basketball coach Pat Knight for one game for complaining about the officials after Saturday's loss to Texas A&M. He received a technical foul during the game and then ripped the officials, telling reporters he didn't care what the Big 12 thought. Knight said he wasn't surprised by the penalty because he "broke a rule." . . . Boston College football coach Frank Spaziani completed his staff by naming Mike Dawson special teams assistant. Dawson spent the past three seasons as linebackers coach at the University of Akron . . . Former Miami coach Larry Coker is one of three finalists to become the first coach for Texas-San Antonio's program.

Emily Cook of Belmont, Tiffany Davenport of Kingston, Dylan Ferguson of Amesbury, Hannah Kearney of Norwich, Vt., and Michael Morse of Duxbury were named to the 17-member US team for the freestyle world skiing championships, March 2-8, in Fukushima, Japan. Cook and Kearney were on the 2006 Olympic team and Kearney was the 2005 moguls world champion . . . Italian authorities have closed all legal action against Formula One team McLaren for its part in a spy scandal with Ferrari. McLaren was fined a record $100 million by governing body FIA in 2007 and kicked out of the manufacturers' championship after Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney leaked a 780-page technical dossier on the Italian team's cars to McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan . . . Jack Vallely, who compiled a 726-278-4 record in an NCAA-record 51 seasons as the head baseball coach at Curry College, died at 89. Obituary, B14.