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SPORT'S
TUESDAY
APRIL 3, 2001
11
11
I *1
CHRIS
DuPREY
Devis
S
in
,arm
liea ell.
Bo, ootball
*an. Juan
Gonzalez?
Some Tuesday morning musings.
Bo knows Big Ten basketball?
We'll find out.
This past Thursday's hiring of Bo
Qyan as Wisconsin basketball coach
was an exercise in humility for athletic
director Pat Richter. On March 19,
when Richter relieved interim coach
Brad Soderberg of his duties, he said
he wanted nothing other than "a big
name."
So Richter called Utah's Rick
Majerus who, along with Tulsa's Buzz
Peterson, earns the award for attracting
the most employment overtures from
Osperate athletic directors. Majerus,
citing his mother's health as a reason,
declined to be seriously interviewed.
Richter was refused permission by
California to talk to Ben Braun, leav-
ing him with no real "big names" to
pursue. With egg on the face of the
motion 'W,' he meekly accepted
another Hyphen Coach. He shouldn't
t ave overlooked Ryan in the first
ace.
In 1995, the Badgers took a chance on
Dick Bennett, another Hyphen Coach.
Bennett had spent a combined 19 years at
Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Wisconsin-
Green Bay. Known for engineering
See SCOOP, Page 12
Duke takes national title 82-72
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It's com-
plete. Shane Battier's work is done.
"All that's left for me is to ride off
in the sunset on a white horse,"
Duke's all-everything senior forward
said.
With a national title in his hand.
The top-ranked Blue Devils won
their third championship - and sec-
ond in the Metrodome - with an 82-
72 victory over Arizona last night.
Even though Battier and fellow
All-American Jason Williams had off
nights, sophomores Mike Dunleavy
and Carlos Boozer picked up the
slack, enabling Mike Krzyzewski to
move into impressive coaching com-
pany.
Still well behind UCLA's John
Wooden's 10 national champi-
onships, Krzyzewski was one behind
Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and tied
his college coach, Bob Knight, who
won three at Indiana.
Coach K celebrated by hugging
Battier for what seemed to be an eter-
nity, a farewell embrace for his
national player of the year and team
leader.
To get to this game, Duke (35-4)
had to overcome a 22-point deficit in
Saturday's semifinal win over
Maryland. The last time the Blue
Devils won it all, it was by 20 points.
The loss ended Arizona's bitter-
sweet season and kept the Wildcats
(28-8) from matching their own
record of beating three No. 1 seeds in
the NCAA tournament, which they
did when they won it all in 1997.
"All the emotions they had to go
through and they withstood them and
did a great job to get to the final
game," Arizona coach Lute Olson
said. "It's tough. Someone's got to
lose it. Duke is deserving. We gave
them a good run and couldn't get it
done."
Loren Woods had 22 points to lead
Arizona, the team that rebounded
from a poor start and overcame the
death of Olson's wife on Jan. I to
reach the championship game.
Duke's other titles came in consec-
utive years, and the second in 1992
was won in this building after the
same trip through the tournament -
Greensboro, N.C., Philadelphia and
Minneapolis for the Final Four.
Dunleavy, playing in front of his
father, Portland Trail Blazers coach
Mike Dunleavy, led Duke with 21
points, 18 in the second half.
Dunleavy hit a career-high four 3-
pointers, while Boozer, who just
returned last weekend after missing
six games with a broken foot, had 12
points and 12 rebounds and six
See BLUE DEVILS, Page 12
THE MICHIGAN DAILY/ PIZZA HOUSE
NCAA TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE
So, how many of you realized when we printed the scores
yesterday that Jamar Rush had already won? With 95 points,
Rush took home the pizza - 10 Pizza House pizzas, to be
exact. His bracket was not exactly packed with upsets, but he
picked six of the Elite Eight teams, and got every game after
that right. Pretty impressive.
Here are the top five finishes:
1. J. Rush Rush
2. L. Buck
P. 'Westcott
4. A. Levin
5. M. Jo
But of course, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't acknowledge Karl Ecklund,
proud holder of the butt-naked-last finish. With 33 points, Karl doesn't really
win anything, except the pity of anyone that had the privilege of seeing his
bracket. Come on, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State and Georgia Tech in the Final
Four? Are you serious?
AP PHOTO
Mike Dunleavy may have a baby-face, but he was all man last night as his
18 second-half points led the Blue Devils to the championship.
- I
,Eagles' minds on '98
championship game
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Editor
Boston College senior assistant cap-
in Bobby Allen cannot even bear to
atch the tape.
Just three years ago, his Eagles were
six minutes away from a national title.
With his team holding a 2-1 lead over
upstart Michigan the defenseman could
smell victory and could feel a champi-
onship ring forming on his fingers.
But then it started to slip away, one
bounce at a time.
With 6:16 remaining in the third peri-
od, Michigan freshman Mark Kosick
qlied a rebound goal to tie the game at
and turn the tide of momentum.
Then, with just 4:36 left, Allen had to
leave the game after re-injuring his right
shoulder, which forced the freshman to
sit out the rest of regulation and the
ensuing overtime period.
Allen watched helplessly as two of his
teammates hit the post and crossbar in
the extra session before Josh Langfeld
ored the game-winning goal and'sent
Me Eagles home empty-handed.
Adding salt to Allen's wounds was
the fact that the prior year - his senior
year at Cushing Academy - his season
was ended by a player who would beat
him again in the NCAA title game -
Michigan's Geoff Koch, who played for
Philips Exeter Academy in New
Hampshire.
But it is Allen's vivid memory of the
1998 title game that adds a twist to the
gles' Frozen Four matchup with
Michigan this Thursday in Albany, NY
"We still remember it like it was yes-
terday," Allen said. "A lot of us just
can't watch that tape. It gives us a little
extra motivation - to beat Michigan
and end their season like they ended
ours."
While Allen said the loss was the
& oest point he's ever had as a hockey
ayer," his senior class has experienced
that empty feeling at the conclusion of
the past two seasons as well.
Although the Eagles' seniors comn-
prise the winningest class in school his-
tory, registering 115 wins since the
1997-98 season, they have fallen short
a sense of urgency, because there's no
more last chances for us."
The Eagles' senior class has saved its
best for last, leading Boston College to a
school-record 31 wins - including vic-
tories in eight of its last nine games -
heading into its national semifinal
matchup with Michigan.
Boston College boasts a three-time
Hobey Baker Award finalist in senior
center Brian Gionta, who was deemed
the "most dynamic, and exciting player
in the country" by coach Jeny York.
But Gionta is just one spark in the
nation's most explosive offense. Six
Eagles have scored over 30 points this
season, including two freshman.
With such an even matchup between
the two teams on Thursday, there's a
good chance that the game may be
decided by a fickle bounce of the puck,
much like the 1998 NCAA champi-
onship game.
"You need to be good this time of
year to put yourself in this situation,"
Michigan associate coach Mel Pearson
AP PHOTO
Boston College's senior Brian Gionta is yearning to exact revenge on Michigan.
said. "But at the same time, to play
against good teams and to put a string of
wins together, you need some luck on
your side."
"And we feel pretty lucky this year,"
he added with a smile."
1
20k * 10k * 5k. Mitral Mile * Mini-Mitral
Domino's Farms
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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Saturday* April712001
Race begins at 9 am.
Pre-registration starts at 7 am.