The Sporting News articles from March 2001

The Sporting News archives from March 2001

Caught on the Fly.(conduct of athletes)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to be The Tackler? * Coach Andy Murray is getting tired of watching his Kings get crowned, especially at this make/break time of year. So while the team was visiting Calgary, Murray decided to take his players on an...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... 1 Baseball contracts. Ten Diamond-backs agreed to defer large chunks of their salaries to help the financially strapped team. Which, coincidentally, is what season-ticket holders have been doing for years. 2 Alabama football. The NCAA is...

DUSTBIN.(first US Football League game in 1983)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... March 6, 1983 The United States Football League opened its inaugural season with a bang, drawing high TV ratings and big crowds. The game to watch on the opening weekend was the New Jersey Generals at the Los Angeles Express. New Jersey...

Voice of the fan.
March 5, 2001... Choice voice `In memory of Dale Earnhardt, it's the title of a recent (February 12) TSN cover story that says it all: "Hard core to the finish."' --Cyndi Crosby, Valdosta, Ga. Some fine work The February 19 issue was, in my...

With a heavy hand, Costas grasps the issues.('On the Record' television program hosted by Bob Costas)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... For the record, Bob Costas is a serious star with his new HBO vehicle, On the Record You can tell because he gets 57 minutes in quasi-late night (Wednesdays at 11 p.m. ET). That's more than Jay Leno and David Letterman, who have...

`He's catching up'.(Golden State Warriors player Antawn Jamison)
March 5, 2001... A draft-night change of uniforms will forever link former North Carolina teammates VINCE CARTER and ANTAWN JAMISON. After two rough seasons, Jamison is living up to his end of the trade that sent him to Golden Slate. Peel away the layers...

Sixers stand tallest with acquisition of Mutombo.(Philadelphia 76ers player Dikembe Mutombo)
March 5, 2001... When it comes to roster management, I've always adhered to the Charles Oakley philosophy, which states, "If it ain't broke, don't break it." But something tells you that the move pulled off by the 76ers last week was the correct roll of...

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(basketball team news)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... WHO'S HOT Bucks SG Ray Allen learned he could stand out among the league's best players during the All-Star Game, and he has applied that lesson to his play since the break. Allen shot 56 percent in his first six post-break games,...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(basketball team and player news)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... WHO'S HOT Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal said he would come back "with a vengeance" from his foot injury, and the early results are promising. He averaged 30.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.7 blocks in his first seven games. The...

Viewers hitching on to Chuckwagon.(television broadcaster and former basketball star Charles Barkley)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... The Fat Butt, still foisted on us. Is that so bad? Our protagonist is Charles Barkley, the artist formerly known as The Round Mound of Rebound, now a rookie-of-the-year analyst on Turner Sports' Inside the NBA. His role is the same as...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(National Basketball Association - team/player updates)
March 5, 2001... Atlanta NEW LINEUP: The trade with the Sixers gives the Hawks a foundation to build upon: Theo Ratliff in the middle, Toni Kukoc at small forward, Loronzen Wright at power forward, Jason Terry at shooting guard and Brevin Knight at point...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(National Basketball Association - team/player updates)
March 5, 2001... Dallas A CONTENDER: PF Juwan Howard bolsters the team up front. His arrival from the Wizards gives the Mavericks a chance to end their playoff drought. He is a legitimate low-post scorer and gives the team a rebounding lift. Defense isn't...

Crisis manager.(Steve Lavin )
March 5, 2001... Despite some shocking losses, unrelenting critics and Rick Pitino's shadow, UCLA coach Steve Lavin isn't going anywhere just yet The Arizona game has been over for 97 minutes. The students who rushed the floor at the end have been gone...

Davis might add more light to Knight's dimming legacy.(Mike Davis)
March 5, 2001... It's the same as it ever was at Indiana, isn't it? Practice is over, and so is the 40-minute post-practice period in which stars Kirk Haston and Jared Jeffries work voluntarily on their games. Now, the team's big-deal freshman is reclined on...

ONE ON ONE with Mike Tranghese.(Big East commissioner)(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 5, 2001... TSN associate editor Jeff D'Alessio talks polls and boards with the Big East commissioner, who moonlights as chair of the D-I Men's Basketball Committee. TSN: As the selection committee chair, do you pay any attention to the polls? ...

CONFERENCE CALL.
March 5, 2001... [TABULAR DATA NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

The combine experience.(NFL Scouting Combine)
March 5, 2001... A draft hopeful's account of the weighing, measuring, probing, drilling, testing and interviewing that goes on at the annual scouting combine INSIDE THE COMBINE The NFL Scouting Combine made its annual appearance last weekend in...

Despite spectacular ability, Vick is no lock for stardom.(quarterback Michael Vick)(Industry Overview)
March 5, 2001... Michael Vick doesn't have a wick in his helmet, but he might as well. The quarterback is an explosive who either is going to destroy the mightiest of NFL defenses, or go off in the lap of the team that drafts him. That is why San Diego is...

A quick-hitting look at the combine ticker.(college football players)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Hours before heading south from Chicago to Indianapolis, I watched Eminem and Elton John perform together on the Grammy Awards telecast and wondered: Why do red-carpet galas, like the Grammys or Oscars, always attract the biggest stars? I...

THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.(NFL free agency)(Industry Overview)
March 5, 2001... A shopping list for NFL G.M.s looking to stock their cupboards in free agency NFL general managers and personnel men have had eight years to get a handle on free agency. They don't have it down to a science, but gone are the days when many...

FREE-AGENCY PREVIEW.
March 5, 2001... Baltimore TO-DO LIST: The No. 1 priority is resigning C Jeff Mitchell, who wants to stay but will command top dollar. He is intelligent, durable, strong at the point of attack and can get into the second level of a defense. Mitchell will...

The races go on.(stock car races after death of Dale Earnhardt)
March 5, 2001... The sport will never be the same. But a week after Dale Earnhardt died, his teams moved forward, trying to put in place a plan for the rest of the season. For many, the enthusiasm for stock car racing died February 18 when Dale Earnhardt...

Earnhardt's bond with fans will never be duplicated.(stock car race driver Dale Earnhardt)
March 5, 2001... There will never be another Dale Earnhardt. Ask the drivers. Ask the marketers. Ask the promoters. The answer is the same. There was only one Dale Earnhardt, and no one can replace him. There are many reasons, but two stand out above all...

Not an easy two points.(performance of new hockey teams)
March 5, 2001... With speed and strong goaltending, the last four expansion teams are far from pushovers Back in 1992, Jack Ferreira had just watched the Penguins sweep the Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup. Ferreira, then the general manager of the Sharks,...

Avs' Lacroix is the real deal when it comes to G.M.s.(Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix)
March 5, 2001... Fans in 29 other NHL cities still are wondering why the general managers of their teams didn't pull off a trade for All-Star defenseman Rob Blake--or wondering why their G.M.s didn't react quickly to the move by Avalanche G.M. Pierre Lacroix....

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(hockey players)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... WHO'S HOT In this week's version of a broken record, we feature Peter Forsberg. Hey, this guy was cold for about a week at the beginning of the season, and now the polar ice cap is receding because of him. In four games through Saturday,...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(hockey players)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... WHO'S HOT Not everyone was affected by the Diff'rent Strokes curse. Take the Hurricanes' Shane Willis, for example. He has infuriated more than just Mr. Drummond with his propensity to be surrounded by flashing red lights--six goals in his...

NCAA takes small steps in latest rules changes.(changes to college football regulations)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... It's much ado about nothing, really, this rules change stuff. Perhaps you didn't even hear the news about the changes to be implemented in college football this fall. It would be understandable, given the minimal impact they figure to have. ...

Scary prospect.(Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets)
March 5, 2001... Ben Sheets gets nervous when the lights go out. But after shining in the Olympics, he's ready to make the Brewers rotation and put fear in the hearts of batters. The Olympic Hero was afraid of the dark. When he was a kid, there were times...

Kent teaches by example and, sometimes, words.(San Francisco Giants player Jeff Kent)
March 5, 2001... Jeff Kent doesn't like to admit it. He has a funny way of showing it. But he understands his responsibilities as a major leaguer and the lessons that a reigning National League MVP can impart to young players. At the start of spring...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(baseball teams and players)
March 5, 2001... Anaheim BATTLE OF BATS: Manager Mike Scioscia says Scott Spiezio, Wally Joyner and Larry Barnes all are capable first basemen, so offense will likely determine who wins the job as Mo Vaughn's replacement this spring. "Spiezio brings a...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(baseball teams and players)
March 5, 2001... Arizona IRON WILLS: Manager Bob Brenly says he wants ace RHP Randy Johnson out of games earlier at times to save his arm. Johnson, who led the N.L. in pitches thrown and complete games the past two seasons while winning two Cy Young...

Why the hurry.(Dale Earnhardt and stock car racing)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2001... Martha Earnhardt thought Ralph had lost his mind. All those nights in the garage out back. Three, four nights a week, he'd go racing. Doing good, but he could kill himself. And he takes the boy with him all over Carolina. I'm waiting tables at...

Caught on the Fly.(news from various sports)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to steal bases? * Word is the Bruised Devils are hopin'/puh-rayin' that they'll be cruisin' for a Carlos Boozerin' come tourney time. But one opposing assistant coach whispers that the big fella was plenty soft before...

DEFT SHOT.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... `We clap for drug addicts and criminals, but here's a guy who really deserves it. New York fans have got to be proud of what they did tonight.' --Knicks guard Mark Jackson on the lengthy ovation given to Patrick Ewing in his first game in...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... 1 The NCAA Tournament Selection Show, CBS knows that a cranky old dude's rants make for good Sunday evening TV... and yet Bob Knight won't be in studio. 2 NFL salary-cap casualties, Turns out the money left on Dana Stubblefield's $36...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... March 10, 1901 Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State became the first coach to lead four schools into the NCAA Tournament. OSU had made only one NCAA appearance in 25 years before Sutton arrived. But in his first year as coach, the Cowboys tied...

Voice of the fan.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Choice voice `Outside, the cold, hard white of a Northern New York winter covers the ground, a dormancy of the heart. Inside, my spirit comes alive, a spring thaw of childhood memories-a ball tossed on a roof; the smell of leather; the...

The last, loudest word on March Madness.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Legally, the NCAAs are property of CBS. If hoops cops pull Billy Packer over, he can whip out a license that doesn't expire until 2013. But Dick Vitale owns March Madness. Not easy for an icon who has never announced a game in the...

STATIC.(sportscasting anecdotes)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... * What happened when you weren't watching the XFL: Entertainment Weekly accused NBC/XFL of "going after that much-coveted demo--single men who can't afford to leave the house Saturday night;" the No. 1 play-by-play announcer was demoted after...

No sure thing.(2001 NCAA basketball championship)
March 12, 2001... Winning--the NCAAs will take a combination of savvy and surprise performances because no team is entering the tournament flawless Nobody's perfect. That's not a cliche. (Well, it is, but that's beside the point.) That does describe the...

Seeking Sunday's FINEST.(2001 NCAA Basketball Tournament; includes other college basketball news)
March 12, 2001... As the minutes tick away until the NCAA Tournament pairings are announced (6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS), some players will see their dreams realized, others will see theirs crushed, and still others will be forced to sit and ponder, awaiting their...

Away from the center.(shortage of centers in professional basketball)
March 12, 2001... No one knows how to use big men better that Pat Riley, but now he's dealing with the downsizing and disappearance of centers just like everyone else It's not that Pat Riley was oblivious to the trend, it's just that he never needed to pay...

Don't make the mistake of dismissing the Jazz.(Utah Jazz)
March 12, 2001... When I had the occasion three weeks ago to bore Jerry Sloan with some interminable story about lovable goofball John Starks' misadventures in New York, Sloan jumped into a long and strange soliloquy about where his team was at that time. ...

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(National Basketball Association news)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... WHO'S HOT Knicks C Marcus Camby did more than just embarrass former teammate Patrick Ewing during Ewing's return to New York last week. Camby helped the Knicks to their first three-game winning streak since January by averaging 18 points,...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(National Basketball Association news)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... WHO'S HOT At 6-3, Steve Francis might be the best rebounding guard in the league. He led the Rockets back into the playoff chase in February, as they won 10 of 12 before the weekend. In his last seven games, Francis averaged 21 points, 7.9...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(team-by-team analyses of National Basketball Association Eastern Conference)(Statistical Data Included)
March 12, 2001... Atlanta THANKS, TONI: All season, coach Lon Kruger tried to get production from the small forward spot, but none of the players he started there (Jim Jackson, Roshown McLeod, Chris Crawford and DerMarr Johnson) was consistently effective....

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(team-by-team analyses of National Basketball Association Western Conference)(Statistical Data Included)
March 12, 2001... Dallas A NEW MAV MAX: Controversial SG Vernon Maxwell will be expected to behave himself. Maxwell was brought in to provide depth behind Michael Finley, but if Maxwell muses any problems he'll be gone. Maxwell hadn't been in a game since...

Making his sales pitch.(football player Chris Weinke)
March 12, 2001... After working on his weight, his speed and his health, a repackaged Chris Weinke wants to convince NFL teams he's ready--right now It's time for Chris Weinke to throw. He has his cleats, his specially fitted ankle brace and a pair of...

Why the West Coast offense has stood the test of time.(professional football)
March 12, 2001... Trends come and trends go, but standards such as Beatles music and the West Coast offense have staying power. For a while, the Don Coryell offense was the scheme du jour, and me west coast offense became stigmatized. Coaches wanted to call...

AFC.(American Football Conference team analyses)
March 12, 2001... Baltimore WITH OPEN ARMS: Finding a quarterback is the team's top priority in free agency. The team appears well on the way to upgrading the position from a year ago as it pursues free agents Elvis Grbac and Brad Johnson. The team prefers...

NFC.(personnel changes and issues of football teams)
March 12, 2001... Arizona ON GUARDS: Coach Dave McGinnis began the process of upgrading the offensive line with the release of G Lester Holmes and the scheduling of visits by free-agent Gs Pete Kendall and Jeff Hartings. Guard and the defensive line are the...

STOP PICKING ON HOCKEY.(hockey violence)
March 12, 2001... Leek past the arguments about the level of violence. The players of fastest game', deserve your attention. When it comes to gaining attention in the sports world, hockey always is getting the short end of the Sher-Wood. Many sports...

They stop pucks (but drive you crazy in the process).(hockey goalies)(Statistical Data Included)
March 12, 2001... Goalies. You can't live with all their quirks and superstitions, but you certainly can't live without them down the stretch and in the playoffs when you need a big save. Rangers G.M. Glen Sather has been watching a lot of goaltenders in a...

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(National Hockey League news)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... WHO'S HOT When the season began, the Oilers were counting on defenseman Tom Poll to take that next step and be their blueline QB. He must have forgotten to take off his skate guards because he got nowhere, He's finally coming around as...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(performances of hockey players Olie Kolzig, Rick DePietro and Nikolai Khabibulin)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... WHO'S HOT Godzilla is having a monster 2001. Caps' goalie Olie Kolzig put a, uh, cap on a good week with an impossible third-period save against the Pens' Jan Hrdina to preserve a win Saturday, merely a stop along a highway of hits: He is...

Tale of 2 Griffeys.(expectations and realities of play of Ken Griffey, Jr., for the Cincinnati Reds)
March 12, 2001... The legend of Junior seemed like fiction in his homecoming season, but with a "new Ken Griffey" Cincinnati again foresees a Reds-headed league. Because the story was simply too cute, the plot line too clean, perhaps Ken Griffey Jr.'s Tale...

All Arizona has to do now, right now, is win.(Arizona Diamondbacks)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... It's the time of year when every dub dreams of October glory. But no team needs to win in 2001 as much as the Diamondbacks. Chief executive officer Jerry Colangelo says an attendance increase from 2.9 million to 3.4 million could translate to...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(baseball teams)
March 12, 2001... Anaheim RESERVE TROUBLE: When asked who his backup third baseman would be if utility player Scott Spiezio wins the first-base job this spring, manager Mike Scioscia said, "Scott Spiezio." Seriously, though, the team could find itself in a...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(baseball teams)
March 12, 2001... Arizona REVISED REPERTOIRE: In 2000, with prodding from the coaching staff, closer RHP Matt Mantel stopped throwing his curveball and used a slider as his second pitch. That helped him to a strong second half (13 saves, 1.93 ERA). Yet...

Climb the coaching ladder--from the pros to college.(why NFL coaches are taking jobs as college football coaches)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... Just coach the team. That's the sign Al Groh has on his desk. It's a simple and powerful message, but it has different meanings depending on where you are coaching. For Groh, Virginia's new head coach, the meaning has changed now that he's back...

Drivers, crew chiefs must communicate to win.(cohesion of stock car racing pit teams can determine success of driver)
March 12, 2001... A week after Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona, tension was high in the garage at Rockingham. Most drivers declined interviews until after their qualifying attempts, but Ricky Rudd was gracious enough to answer questions from the gaggle of...

March Madness 2001.(Georgia State University basketball coach Lefty Driesell)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2001... The details of when and where are irrelevant because Lefty Driesell's scorn was aroused dozens of times, always memorably. This time I had asked the coach why he'd done a certain thing in a University of Maryland basketball game. "I'm not...

A star arrives.(baseball player Ichiro Suzuki)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... In Japan, Ichiro has moved beyond baseball star to... what? A myth, perhaps. Is it true that from the time he was in third grade, his father promised to ditch work early every afternoon to come home and throw batting practice? It nearly...

Caught on the Fly.(sports humor)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to be trade bait? * If it weren't for bad jokes, Fly would have no jokes at all: Buzz around the Yanks is that El Sid is a (titter-titter) heavy favorite to win a mound job. * It was oil that caused the bang-up...

DEFT SHOT.(Bill Mazeroski on being named to Baseball Hall of Fame)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... "I drove a Ford or a Chevy. The Hall of Famers drove Caddys." --Bill Mazeroski former Pirates second baseman, who was named last week to the Hall of Fame.

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(sports humor)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... 1 The ol' NCAA Tournament pool. Sure you didn't fill out your bracket on company time... and you bought those legal pads, pens and paper clips you have at home, too. 2 Albert Belle. The irony? On the day his locker was cleaned out, the...

DUSTBIN.(Kenny Washington became first black player in National Football League in 1946)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... March 21, 1946 Kenny Washington ended the NFL's 12-year ban on black players when he signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Washington was one of several black players in the NFL in 1946; Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier the next...

Voice of the fan.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Choice voice `In a sports world full of whiny, greedy and inflated egos, it was refreshing to hear Mark McGwire's recent comments on players' contracts and about the way the game should be played.' --Scott Kovarik, Cedar Rapids, Iowa...

To fix Monday Night Football, pick ABC ... or d.(Humor)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Can Monday Night Football get its groove back? Don Ohlmeyer is out after one year as producer, claiming chronic jet lag but no regrets. Yeah, he took over with the worst ratings in series history, proceeded to change everything but the color of...

STATIC.(TV sportscasting news)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... * The face is familiar: Because of NFL and golf, Jim Nantz--the artist currently known as the Voice of the NCAA Tournament--went 12 weeks (Arizona-Connecticut, December 9 to UCLA-Stanford, March 3) without announcing college basketball on CBS....

TSN's ALL-AMERICAN Basketball Awards.(college basketball)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... Five months ago it wasn't hard to guess Duke's Shane Battier would finish as the national Player of the Year, and Eddie Griffin was the nation's top-rated freshman before he even arrived at Seton Hall last summer. But who would have guessed...

Follow that star!(baseball player Ichiro Suzuki)
March 19, 2001... Ichiro Suzuki's countrymen track his every move. Now Japan's best ballplayer, who has been compared to Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew, has come to America--no easy place to hide. Late on an Arizona spring-training afternoon, somebody trails...

The Red Sox are a sure thing--sure to detonate.(Boston Red Sox)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2001... The team most likely to blow up? The Dodgers remain an obvious choice. But don't role out the Red Sox. In one form or another, the Red Sox have blown up every season since 1918, and they were in full crisis mode this year even before the Ides...

ONE ON ONE with C.C. Sabathia.(Cleveland Indians pitcher)(Brief Article)(Interview)
March 19, 2001... Fireballer C.C. Sabathia is the most talked about pitching prospect in baseball this spring. TSN's Jared Hoffman caught up with the Indians lefty. TSN: What was your favorite team as a kid? CCS: I grew up in the Bay Area, and I love...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(baseball teams)
March 19, 2001... Anaheim LOCKED UP: The Angels last week signed 3B Troy Glaus, 24, to a four-year, $22 million deal, continuing a strategy of securing young talent. The team was under no obligation to sign Glaus to a long deal because it holds his rights...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(baseball teams)
March 19, 2001... Arizona GETTING BACK ON TRACK: RHP Todd Stottlemyre, aiming to rebound from elbow surgery by opening day, threw batting practice for almost 15 minutes last week. Stottlemyre threw fastballs, curves and changeups to some farmhands. Before...

Just plain Big.(Leonard Davis, offensive tackle for University of Texas football team)
March 19, 2001... From his dimension (6-5 7/8, 370), to his family (21 brothers and sisters), to his potential in the NFL, everything about Texas offensive tackle Leonard Davis is There is a house, a simple white farmhouse, high on the hill in central Texas...

History is on the side of Johnson and Grbac.(quarterbacks Brad Johnson, Elvis Grbac; success of teams that hire free agent quarterbacks)
March 19, 2001... Brad Johnson signs with the Bucs, Elvis Grbac signs with the Ravens, and the world is forever changed. In Tampa, they openly fantasize, with no shame, about actually attempting a pass on a down other than third. In Baltimore, they theorize that...

AFC.(football teams)
March 19, 2001... Baltimore NEW ARM: The offense was one-dimensional last season because it couldn't rely on QB Trent Dilfer's erratic arm. That's why it made sense for the team to sign Elvis Grbac to a five-year, $30 million contract to replace Dilfer....

NFC.(football teams)
March 19, 2001... Arizona TURNSTILES: Although the parade of free-agent guards hasn't produced a signing, it's clear coach Dave McGinnis' aim is to shore up the offensive line. The problem is that money being equal, Arizona isn't the destination of choice...

The Devils are due.(Duke University Blue Devils college basketball team)
March 19, 2001... Even with center Carlos Boozer sidelined by a foot injury, Duke has all the pieces to win its first title since 1992--and it will Cincinnati loses Kenyon Martin late last season and loses its chance for a national championship. Duke loses...

POINTS OF EMPHASIS.(college basketball guards)
March 19, 2001... A year after experiencing various results in the NCAA Tournament, six sophomere point guards carry the hopes--and burdens--of getting their teams to Minneapolis It was a dark, gloomy night when the Kansas team bus returned to Lawrence...

NCAA TOURNEY PREVIEW/MIDWEST.(college basketball)
March 19, 2001... Sunday 1 ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI In 1989, the last time Illinois made it past the second round, Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill were sticking jumpers, Lou Henson was the coach, and Champaign-Urbana was going bonkers. It feels like '89...