THE SUMMITT OF HOOPS COACHES

(April 9): Too many of us make the mistake, and I'm no exception, of overlooking this name when listing the great coaches in college basketball.

The greatest coach of all time, of course, is the iconic John Wooden, who guided UCLA to an astounding 10 NCAA championships.

But when we talk about who belongs in the pantheon of coaches, we tend to focus on the likes of Dean Smith, Bob Knight, and Coach K and acknowledge the likes of Roy Williams, Ben Howland, Jim Calhoun and, perhaps, Bill Self, who earlier this week guided Kansas to the national title.

But the accomplishments of those men pale in comparison to those of a woman who, before it's all over, may end up matching and, perhaps, even surpassing the lofty standard set by Coach Wooden.

We're speaking, of course, about Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Vols.

Stanford advanced to the final with memorable wins over Maryland and U-Conn. The Cardinal was the team with the momentum, while the Lady Vols needed a put-back shot with 0.7 seconds to escape with a one-point semifinal win over LSU.

But Stanford was over-matched last night in Tampa as Tennessee rolled to a 64-48 win to claim back-to-back titles and earning its eighth national crown under the baleful watch of Pat Summitt.

Since taking over at Tennessee at the age of 22, her teams have also won 983 games and 14 conference crowns. And, at age 55, she still has plenty of years left to overtake the legendary Mr. Wooden.

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CALL THEM MARIO & THE MIRACLES

(April 8): A few random thoughts about last night's dramatic and entertaining conclusion to the Big Dance.

Going into the NCAA tournament, the big questions regarding Memphis were its lack of challenging games as a result of playing in a non-power conference and the Tigers' well-publicized shortcomings at the free throw line.

As the tournament progressed, it became obvious Memphis had the talent to play with anyone in the country. But, in the end, its Achilles heel proved to be Memphis' undoing.

The Tigers shot well from the stripe for most of the tournament except when it counted most – in the waning minutes of regulation as they squandered a nine-point lead en route to a 75-68 loss in overtime.

The victory gave Kansas its third national the title and its first since Danny & The Miracles did the business exactly 20 years earlier.

I'm still wondering why Memphis didn't foul when it still enjoyed a three-point lead and Kansas was still trying to get off a shot with less than five seconds left in regulation.
Instead, Mario Chalmers launched – and made – one of the most memorable shots in championship game history with 2.1 seconds left on the clock.

The overlooked turning point in the game came when Memphis big man Joey Dorsey fouled out on a needless perimeter bump. Without their intimidating shot-blocker to patrol the paint, Kansas started attacking the basket with success to get back in the game.

And what was up with freshman sensation Derrick Rose down the stretch? The talented youngster sure didn't seem to keen about taking the big shots.

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IT'S MEMPHIS VS. KANSAS FOR TITLE

Memphis has to be the most unlikely underdog of all time.

Consider this: Despite having lost just one game all season and despite earning a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, the Tigers were considered by many to be a cut below UCLA in Saturday's Final Four game.

And we all know how that ended, with Memphis mauling the Bruins 76-63 and advancing into a date with Kansas in tonight's championship game of the NCAA basketball tournament in San Antonio.

TV coverage of the game will begin at 3 p.m. on CBS.

And it will be worth tuning in simply to marvel at the athletic ability of gravity-defying Memphis guard Derrick Rose, who has led the Tigers – along with the nearly as sensational Chris Douglas-Roberts – to the most victories in college hoops history with 38.

Kansas is an interesting case of its own.

For many Jayhawks' fans, a victory tonight would merely be icing on the cake.

An 84-66 drubbing of North Carolina in the semis enabled them to feel avenged for the defection of Roy Williams, their head coach of 15 seasons, the Tar Heels five years ago.

Kansas will be bidding for its for national title since 1988, when Larry Brown was the coach and Danny Manning was the star player.

Memphis will be seeking its first national crown. The Tigers reached the title game in 1973, when they were soundly beaten by the Bill Walton-led UCLA Bruins.

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BEST FOUR REACH FINAL FOUR

For the first time ever, all four of the top-seeded teams advanced to the Final Four. Between them, those teams are a combined 139-9. Impressive stuff.

For some fans, this is a very good thing. Iin their view, it represents a perfect conclusion to the college basketball season. The Best Four in the Final Four.

It's hard to argue the point. Still, I would have preferred a dash of the unexpected in this hoops stew. A little taste of, say, Davidson and the delightful Stephan Curry, providing us suckers a Cinderella to root for.

But, alas, form has prevailed like never before, and we will be subjected to watching a pair of exceptional match-ups tomorrow in San Antonio.

Although hardly qualifying as an underdog with a season record of 38-1, Memphis is certainly an outsider compared to the others still dancing.

The Tigers have been here only once before, while their opponent – UCLA – has 11 national championship banners hanging at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are 35-3 and have constantly found ways of turning apparent losses into victories. That game will tip off at 12:07, Hawaii time, and will air on CBS.

In the nightcap, scheduled to tip off 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, two other storied programs will square off when top-ranked North Carolina matches a 36-2 record with 35-3 Kansas.

The championship game will be played Monday, with local coverage tipping off at 3 p.m.

For the record, my tattered bracket has UCLA cutting down the nets.

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HOOSIERS MAKE GOOD HOOPA CHOICE

HOOSIERS MAKE GOOD HOOPS CHOICE

(April 3): There may be some bumps along the way, particularly if the NCAA lays down heavy sanctions for recruiting violations during Kelvin Sampson's watch at Indiana.

But the hiring of Tom Crean will help lead the beleaguered Hoosiers on the road back to respectability and success.

Crean is an excellent basketball coach, as attested by his 190-96 record in nine seasons at Marquette. He's an exceptional recruiter. And he has no skeletons in his recruiting closet.

He's also no fool. That's why it took an eight-year deal, averaging more than $2 million per, to lure him.

He inherits a program with great tradition, a passionate fan base, and the in-state talent to compete for national titles. He also knows that the immediate challenge he's facing is daunting.

The two starting forwards have completed their eligibility. Two starting guards were dismissed this week by the outgoing coach for violating team rules. Freshman Eric Gordon will likely declare for the NBA draft. And two highly-touted recruits asked for their releases from national letters intent after Sampson's forced resignation.

Tom Crean's first team at Indiana could be without a single returning starter or any blue-chip recruits. It may take a few years, but under Crean will Indiana eventually again rank among the top programs in the country.

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BIG WIN FOR BASEBALL BOWS

(April 2): If ever a team appeared destined for failure, it had to be the Hawaii baseball team for yesterday's game at Stanford.

The Bows were right in the middle of a nine-game, 10-day road trip. They had lost six straight. The host Cardinal was ranked No. 13 nationally. And UH was 0-9 versus ranked opponents during what has all the marks of a dismal season.

But instead of packing it in, the Bows stepped it up and emerged from the Sunken Diamond with a 5-2 victory over Stanford.

In what proved to be the key move of the game, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso moved John Hee from leadoff to No. 3 in his team's inconsistent lineup. Hee responded by driving in three runs, including the game-winner in the top of the ninth.

Stanford used seven pitchers, the Bows used five in improving their season record to 10-19.

Hawaii resumes conference play on Friday with the opener of a four-game series at San Jose State.

PRO DAY: While the remaining members of the Hawaii football team went through Day 2 of their spring camp at Manoa, 19 former UH players were going through their paces at the school's annual Pro Day at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Most of the attention of the 50 NFL scouts was firmly focused on quarterback Colt Brennan, who announced he will soon undergo hip surgery that will require eight to 12 weeks of recovery time.

Brennan did take part in all of the passing drills and, by all accounts, showed well with his accuracy and his arm strength.
Two others had particularly outstanding performances at the combine-like session.

Living up to his name, offensive guard Hercules Satele bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

And slot back Ryan Grice-Mullins was clocked in a scorching 4.33 in 40. However, Grice-Mullins tweaked his hamstring during the session that limited him during passing drills.

In fact, two other UH receivers were hindered by strained hammys – Jason Rivers and Davone Bess, who did improve his 40 time to 4.49. That left a weary C.J. Hawthorne, the remaining member of UH's stellar receiving corps of last season, to run all of the deep patterns.

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HAWAII KICKS OFF SPRING DRILLS

(April 1): Although many of the names were the same, most of the biggest ones were not as Hawaii opened spring football camp yesterday morning at Manoa.

Namely, those of former head coach June Jones, several of his assistants, and the team's exceptional passing unit.

Gone are record-breaking quarterback Colt Brennan. And gone, as well, are his four targets, including Jason Rivers, Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins.

The allotted 15 spring practices will allow for new head coach Greg McMackin to imprint his style and philosophy on the team he inherited after Jones cashed in on a 12-1 season and accepted a five-year, $10 million deal from SMU.

One of McMackin's first moves after being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach was elevating the Brothers Lee – Ron and Calvin – to coordinate the
offense and defense, respectively.

Ron Lee will retain many aspects of the run-and-shoot, but his quarterback – whoever that turns out to be – will take more snaps from under center.

He'll also employ more of a power-running game, shuffling last year's rushing leader – Kealoha Pilares -- to the slot. Look for Leon Wright-Jackson to win the starting job, with the smaller and shiftier Daniel Libre serving as the change-of-pace backup.

Only five months until the season-opener on Aug. 30 at national powerhouse Florida, which will serve as quite a challenge for McMackin in his debut as UH head coach.

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