The Southern Illinois Sports Club will have its first Judo Tournament (Shiai) Saturday at Bowen Gym on the Carbondale High School campus.

Competitors from all over the central United States are expected to attend. The competition begins at 11 a.m. and is free to the general public.

For information, contact Bob Whelan at 351-9606.

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Investigation turns to Jones’ videotapes

Investigators seized 51 videotapes from a former Fresno State basketball player’s apartment after a report that one may show him pointing a gun at a teammate, according to court records.

The seizure of the videotapes is part of an investigation that will decide whether to charge Avondre Jones with threatening an acquaintance, Colin DeForrest, with a gun and beating him with swords in Jones’ apartment.

Jones and recruit Kenny Brunner were arrested March 17, the day after the Bulldogs beat Memphis in the NIT. Both have denied the allegations. Jones was kicked off the team, and Brunner was placed on indefinite suspension.

According to a Fresno municipal court affidavit, DeForrest told investigators that he had seen a videotape of Jones putting a gun to the head of his teammate, Tremaine Fowlkes. Jones would not discuss that allegation, and Fowlkes was unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, an assault case against Fresno State point guard Rafer Alston was dismissed Wednesday after he showed a judge proof that 40 hours of community service had been completed. Alston had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge for punching and choking neighbors last year.

Ex-Northwestern athletes plead not guilty to

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Two former Northwestern athletes pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges involving point-shaving in basketball games. Bond of $4,500 was set for the two along with a third man in the case.

Innocent pleas were entered by former basketball player Dewey Williams, former football player Brian Ballarini and Brian Irving, who authorities said was involved in a game-fixing conspiracy.

Williams was accused in a federal indictment along with former teammate Kenneth Dion Lee of conspiring with gamblers to fix three games in 1995.

Federal officials say Irving and Kevin Pendergast, a former kicker at Notre Dame, bet on Northwestern’s opponents and persuaded others to place bets in Las Vegas and Reno. The two were accused of then conspiring to fix games.

The university called in federal officials two years ago after discovering that some of its athletes had been involved in gambling. Both Irving and Pendergast now live in California, authorities said. Pendergast is set to appear on the charges April 9, and Lee is scheduled for arraignment April 20.

Lee and Williams face maximum sentences of five years if convicted. Lee came off a suspension from the basketball team for gambling in December 1994, the same month Northwestern administrators handed the results of its internal investigation of gambling over to federal officials.

Red Sox reportedly considering new stadium next door

The Boston Red Sox are considering a replacement stadium for Fenway Park across the street from and possibly bigger than the 86-year-old ball field, according to published reports.

Such a move could resolve the team’s desire for a modern stadium, and go part way toward meeting the wishes of some fans and mayor Thomas M. Menino to preserve Fenway Park, one of the two oldest ballparks in the major leagues.

The Boston Herald reported Wednesday that the Red Sox were considering either renovating Fenway Park or building a new stadium next door.

The Boston Globe Thursday said the team is considering building a stadium with at least 40,000 seats across Yawkey Way from Fenway Park. Seating capacity at Fenway is 33,871, the smallest in the major leagues behind Chicago’s Wrigley Field, which has 38,884.

The Red Sox would continue playing home games in Fenway Park while the new facility was built. Then the playing field, the left field wall known as the Green Monster and other parts of Fenway Park either would be moved to the new park, or recreated there, the Globe said.

Restaurants, bars, a former car dealership and gasoline station now occupy land that would be used for a new ball park.

The Herald reported that a group called Save Fenway Park prepared its own plan to preserve the dimensions of the field and walls of Fenway Park, but add 10,000 seats and improve amenities for players and fans.

We are investigating several options, Red Sox spokesman Dick Bresciani told the Globe. But we don’t want to come out and say anything until we absolutely know what direction we’re going.

He told the Herald that officials of the team were concentrating on the opening of a new baseball season and would deal with stadium issues later.

The Boston City Council voted Wednesday to hold a public hearing on the future of Fenway Park. Fenway and Detroit’s Tiger Stadium share the distinction of being the oldest baseball stadiums. Both opened April 20, 1912.