Steve McNees, star basketball player at Shenango High School, won't be playing at Duquesne University next season.

McNees has asked new Duquesne coach Ron Everhart for a release from his letter of intent. Bill McNees, Steve's father and Shenango's coach, said Everhart agreed Friday to the release. McNees, a 6-foot-2 guard, signed with Duquesne in November when Danny Nee was coach.

"Coach Everhart said he would start the process for us," Bill McNees said. "Duquesne was very understanding. They still wanted Steve, but we just weren't completely comfortable with the situation. We thought it would be best to look at other options."

McNees had scholarship offers from other Division I schools when he signed with Duquesne. The offers were from Kent State, Akron, Eastern Kentucky and James Madison, among others.

McNees was one of the top players in the WPIAL and was selected to the Post-Gazette Fabulous Five.

Wooden Awards

Duke's J.J. Redick and LSU's Seimone Augustus capped their exceptional college careers by winning the John R. Wooden awards, presented yesterday in Los Angles to NCAA Division I's players of the year.

Redick, completing a sweep of the men's player of the year awards this spring, collected 4,646 points to edge Gonzaga's Adam Morrison by 74 points in the third-closest balloting by the panel of over 1,000 voters.

Augustus, a 6-foot-1 senior, has won the women's award each of the past two years to join Virginia's Ralph Sampson (1982-83) as the only two-time winner. Augustus collected 298 points to finish 83 points ahead of North Carolina's Ivory Latta.

Maggie Dixon funeral Tuesday

The funeral service for Army women's basketball coach Maggie Dixon will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Charles Church in North Hollywood, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., or the Army Athletic Fund.

Contributions for Notre Dame High School in can be made by contacting Sharon Marciniak at 818-933-3600 or 13645 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423. Donations to the Army Athletic Fund can be made by contacting Matt Borman at 845-938-2322 or 639 Howard Road, West Point, NY, 10996.