Daily forum Did the hest team win the NCAA Tournament' re you disappointed by your favorite team's coverage' ust plain bored' Stop yelling from the sidelines. Speak your mind at michigandaily.com/forum. We'll see you there. michigandaily.com/sports aJbz £iIihan B&dg 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 . . Ann Arbor, Michigan Saturday* April712001 Race begins at 9 am. Pre-registration starts at 7 am.