1 BLACK E10 DAILY 03-22-07 MD M2 E10 BLACK

E10 Thursday, March M2 22, 2007 NCAA Tournament WEST & EAST REGION

NOTEBOOK UCLA’s Howland Is Mentor Illini Official To His Pupil, Pitt Coach Dixon Will Not Be By Marc Carig to one another like football coach- until a frightening collision with an Washington Post Staff Writer es,” former Pittsburgh athletic di- opposing player nearly killed him rector Steve Pederson said. and ruptured his spleen. Dixon Disciplined SAN JOSE, March 21 — A few “That’s how in sync they were with was laid up for nearly three years ago, when was one another. And that’s what months, and he used the time to the coach at Pittsburgh, he trav- makes this especially unique.” think about his future. He soon BY PAUL SAKUMA — ASSOCIATED PRESS BY RICH PEDRONCELLI — ASSOCIATED PRESS eled home to Santa Barbara, Calif., Howland and Dixon formed joined Howland on Jerry Pimm’s Pitt Coach Jamie Dixon, left, and UCLA Coach Ben Howland, right, worked The University of Illinois will to be with his ailing father and left their bond over two decades as col- staff at UC-Santa Barbara. together at three college programs. “We’re very close,” Dixon said. not discipline Athletic Director the coaching duties to assistant Ja- leagues, then best friends. They When Howland caught his first Ron Guenther for yelling at men’s mie Dixon. Howland watched the cut their teeth in the coaching pro- head coaching break at Northern on the new coach’s contract when said. “I was touched by that.” coach Bruce Weber and Panthers play at then-No. 9 Syra- fession together, revived a mori- Arizona in 1994, he persuaded he submitted demand No. 1 — lur- When Howland left Pittsburgh, the Fighting Illini players during cuse on television from a restau- bund program at Northern Ari- Dixon to join the staff. The two im- ing Dixon, then on the staff at Ha- his daughter Meredith remained at the team’s NCAA tournament loss rant. Despite being an entire conti- zona and later did the same at mediately hit the road together waii, to Pittsburgh. the university as a student. She Friday. nent away, when Howland reacted Pittsburgh. with a shoestring budget, staying “That was one of the greatest re- babysat Dixon’s two children and Guenther yelled substitution ad- to the images on the screen, his as- When Howland’s second-seeded with Dixon’s parents during cruiting jobs of all time,” Howland is still a frequent visitor to Dixon’s vice to Weber — who was just a few sistant coach responded. UCLA Bruins face Dixon’s third- Southern California recruiting said. home, where she uses the coach’s feet away — and also yelled “War- “Okay, Jamie, you’ve got to call seeded Pittsburgh Panthers in the trips. After two seasons in Flag- The relationship grew to anoth- satellite dish to catch UCLA ren, you idiot” after a play by Illini timeout,” Howland said. Within West Region semifinals Thursday staff, Ariz., the Lumberjacks went er level in Pittsburgh. As the Pan- games. forward Warren Carter, according seconds, Dixon called timeout. night, the basketball soul mates from afterthoughts to winners of at thers flourished on the court, How- “It’s obvious we’re very close,” to a report on Sportsline.com. “Okay, we’ve got to get so-and-so will face off for the first time. least 20 games three seasons in a land and Dixon grew even closer. Dixon said. “But our families are Guenther also pounded the table back in the game,” Howland said. “I think it’s inevitable it was go- row. Most importantly, their families even closer. . . . It’s about a friend- throughout Illinois’ 54-52 loss to Within seconds, Dixon made the ing to happen,” said Dixon, who Howland’s work at Northern became intertwined, a link that ship more so than a basketball Virginia Tech in Columbus, Ohio. switch. “So-and-so is killing us on took over three years ago, after Arizona caught the attention of Pe- still exists today. business relationship. I think it’s a Richard Herman, chancellor at defense; you’ve got to get him out Howland left for Westwood. derson, who wanted to revive When Jamie’s sister, Maggie family friendship, two guys that the Urbana-Champaign campus, of there,” Howland said. Within Dixon, whom Howland first saw Pittsburgh’s ailing basketball pro- Dixon, died suddenly 11 months have been there through some dif- said yesterday that Guenther — in seconds, Dixon pulled the player. as a player while recruiting as an gram. ago, the Dixon family asked How- ficult times in recent years be- his 15th year as AD at Illinois — “You would have thought they assistant at UC-Santa Barbara, Pederson hired Howland in land to serve as a pallbearer. tween the both of us. We’ve both would not be disciplined. He said were wearing headphones, talking played professionally in Europe 1999, and the ink was still drying “It really meant a lot,” Howland been there for each other.” Guenther had apologized to Weber and Carter. UNC’s Terry Ailing

The Hoyas’ North Carolina senior has strep throat, but was ex- pected to play against Southern Success California in tomorrow’s East Re- gion semifinal. Terry has been sick for nearly a Starts With week, starting when he missed the shoot-around because of a head- ache and fever before the Tar Defense Heels’ second-round win against Michigan State. HOYAS, From E1 Terry followed that by missing two days of practice. The school backbone. Georgetown, which said Terry was improving and faces Vanderbilt on Friday, ranks didn’t have a fever yesterday. fifth in the nation in de- The 6-foot-8 Terry is averaging fense, limiting opponents to just 9.8 points for the Tar Heels (30-6). 38.2 percent shooting. Hall of Fame Coach John All Aboard Thompson Jr., who took the Hoyas to 20 NCAA tournaments, Coming off the school’s worst turned defense into a weapon in finish in the Ivy League, Joe Scott the 1980s. His Georgetown teams left Princeton and signed a five- used full-court pressure to wear year contract to become the new down and intimidate opponents; coach at Denver. they were aggressive, smothering, Scott had a 38-45 record in three attacking. seasons at Princeton, including an “We used our defense to score,” 11-17 record this past season. Thompson Jr. said. “That’s what Scott replaces Terry Carroll, pressure defense does: They go af- who was fired after six seasons at ter you, they go after steals, they Denver after taking an extended try to force you to play at a tempo leave of absence. The Pioneers where they can get up and down in went 4-25 this season and finished transition. [Coach John Thomp- last in the Sun Belt West Division son III’s] Georgetown is not a at 3-15. . . . transition team. But it plays solid, BY JOHN MCDONNELL — THE WASHINGTON POST Former Kansas star Danny Man- sound defense, and very good de- The Hoyas, who rank 5th in the nation in field goal defense, can turn a blocked shot by (55) into a fast break, here started by Jonathan Wallace. ning will become an assistant for fense.” the Jayhawks next season. These Hoyas occasionally use players — Hibbert, Green (6-9), The key is communicating with father and Dikembe [Mutombo], ponent gets. They’re great defen- Manning, who led the Jayhawks full-court presses, and they will freshman DaJuan Summers (6-8), each other and staying disci- but we feel that if we make teams sively because they really distract to their last national NCAA cham- sometimes trap out of their half- junior reserve Jr. plined. Sapp is quick and strong take tough, contested twos in- and minimize the quality of shot pionship in 1988, is wrapping up court man-to-man. The one thing (6-8) and freshman reserve Ver- — two of his career-high five stead of wide-open threes, that that their opponent gets.” his fourth season at Kansas as team this team has in common with the non Macklin (6-9) — and they try steals against Boston College were helps us out a lot.” That kind of defense, combined manager and director of student- great ones of the 1980s and early to take advantage of that by con- the result of stripping the ball In the past 13 games, only one with such an efficient and deliber- athlete development. His will re- 1990s is a big man in the middle. stantly keeping their arms up on from 6-7 — but Sapp team has shot better than 40 per- ate offense, makes it difficult for place Tim Jankovich, who will be- Roy Hibbert, a 7-foot-2 junior, is defense. says he carefully picks his spots to cent against the Hoyas; Syracuse opposing teams. The Hoyas are come head coach at Illinois State. not yet in the same class as Patrick “Maybe they don’t have that go for steals, because he doesn’t made 44.4 percent of its shots in shooting 50.5 percent (fourth in Ewing Sr., Alonzo Mourning and [defensive] swagger in a 1980s want to be out of position and put its 72-58 win on Feb. 26. Pitts- the country), and they are willing Drake Coach Retiring Dikembe Mutombo — each of Big East sort of way, but in a new his teammates at a disadvantage. burgh was a paltry 16 of 61 (26.2 to be patient on offense in order to whom was honored as Big East de- millennium sort of way, they have The Hoyas ranked 12th in steals percent) in the Big East tourna- get the shot they want. George- Drake Coach Tom Davis is retir- fensive player of the year multiple that swagger,” Marquette assis- (93, or 5.8 per game) in confer- ment final, a 65-42 Georgetown town, according to Kenpom.com, ing after 32 years as a Division I times — but he averages 2.4 tant Jason Rabedeaux said last ence play, and they forced a total victory. Notre Dame was held un- averages just 60.1 possessions per head coach. blocks and gives his teammates week. “Their size is so impression- of 199 turnovers — only two der 40 percent shooting just six game, which makes it ninth in the Drake officials said that Davis the same sense of security that able.” teams in the Big East, 14th-place times this season — twice by the country. will remain a special assistant to those three centers did. Sapp is 6-3, but he is capable of South Florida (180) and 15th- Hoyas. “Because a game with George- the athletic director. “When you’ve got 10-foot guys defending bigger players, just as place Rutgers (168) caused fewer “Maybe better than any team in town has limited possessions, as Davis, 68, also made stops at La- in the lane, if a guy gets past you, Ewing Jr. is able to guard both tall- turnovers by their opponents. the country that I’ve seen, they an offensive team going down, fayette, Boston College, Stanford you’ve got Roy down there to er and smaller men. Ewing Jr., in “We might not force a lot of contest shots,” Vanderbilt Coach there’s a little bit of pressure built and Iowa, and has 598 victories. cause some controversy,” junior fact, spent part of last season (in turnovers, but the main thing is to Kevin Stallings said. “At the end of into you that you have to score,” His son, 35-year-old assistant Keno guard Jonathan Wallace said. “It which he was a redshirt) defend- make sure that the other team the day, it goes back to something Rabedeaux said. “You have to get Davis, will take over at Drake. puts me a little at ease.” ing Brandon Bowman (6-9) and doesn’t put the ball in the basket,” I heard Bob Knight say: Essential- a positive offensive possession out In 13 seasons at Iowa, Davis But Hibbert is just one piece. Ashanti Cook (6-2) in practice. Patrick Ewing Jr. said. “Obviously ly the game comes down to the of it, because you know going in racked up a school-record 269 wins The Hoyas have great length and Said Sapp, “We look at it as, we we don’t have players back there quality of shot you get, as opposed that they’re not going to make a and led the Hawkeyes to nine athleticism in their front-court all can guard everybody.” like Alonzo [Mourning], and my to the quality of shot that your op- lot of mistakes.” NCAA tournament appearances.

[1] vs. JAYHAWKS ROSTER [2] UCLA Bruins vs. BRUINS ROSTER Player Pts. Reb. Ast. Player Pts. Reb. Ast. [4] Southern Illinois Salukis 10.0 4.8 0.4 [3] Pittsburgh Panthers 4.2 4.3 0.2 West Region, 7:10 p.m., WUSA-9, WJZ-13 Jeremy Case 1.9 0.6 0.8 West Region, 9:45 p.m. 16.7 2.6 2.0 12.6 3.1 3.2 12.8 2.4 5.9 This will be a true contrast in styles: Kansas’s 9.8 2.3 3.0 UCLA is back in the round of 16 after fall- Nikola Dragovic 1.8 1.2 0.2 up-tempo offense that emphasizes its consid- 5.4 5.1 0.3 ing to Florida in last season’s national Lorenzo Mata 6.8 5.5 0.3 erable athleticism and talent against a 6.1 4.0 0.4 championship game. The Bruins aren’t L.R. Mbah a Moute 8.5 7.7 1.9 Southern Illinois team built to neutralize Brady Morningstar 2.1 0.8 0.5 scoring any style points along the way, Michael Roll 5.0 1.4 1.1 both. 7.1 3.2 4.5 though: In the second round, they led Indi- 13.2 3.8 2.5 and his Kansas team- Brandon Rush 13.8 5.6 2.0 ana by the unaesthetic score of 20-13 at 3.5 0.8 0.7 mates have watched tape of the trap- 12.3 8.0 2.1 halftime before allowing the Hoosiers to tie Ryan Wright 1.4 1.0 0.0 ping, aggressive style with which the the score late and then hanging on for a Salukis yielded just 56.1 points per game, SALUKIS ROSTER 54-49 victory. PANTHERS ROSTER the third fewest this season among 336 Player Pts. Reb. Ast. The steady hand of Darren Col- Player Pts. Reb. Ast. Division I teams. Joshua Bone 2.0 0.9 0.5 lison has been a pleasant sur- Tyrell Biggs 3.3 1.9 0.6 “The way they trap, the way they Tony Boyle 2.6 1.6 0.1 prise for the Bruins since he Keith Benjamin 3.4 1.5 0.8 get through a screen, they’re Wesley Clemmons 3.1 2.7 0.5 took over guard duties Mike Cook 10.6 3.4 2.6 like piranhas,” Rush said. Randal Falker 12.4 7.7 1.2 from . Levance Fields 9.1 3.6 4.6 Both teams enter on a Jamaal Foster 0.7 0.8 0.1 Pittsburgh Aaron Antonio Graves 9.4 2.1 2.4 roll: Southern Illinois Tyrone Green 1.2 1.4 0.3 Gray, a 7-foot senior who is at 14.0 9.6 1.7 has won 15 of 16, and Bryan Mullins 6.5 2.0 3.5 least three inches taller than Doyle Hudson 1.1 0.8 0.1 the Jayhawks have Matt Shaw 11.4 5.7 1.2 any Bruin, will be important to Levon Kendall 5.9 5.5 1.8 won 13 straight. Jamaal Tatum 15.0 3.0 2.5 the Panthers’ fate. He’s averag- Ronald Ramon 8.8 1.8 2.2 Jamaal Tatum, the Tony Young 9.8 2.2 2.1 ing 12.5 points and 8.5 re- 7.1 3.0 0.7 Salukis’ leading scorer *STARTERS ARE SHADED bounds in two NCAA tourna- *STARTERS ARE SHADED and the Missouri Valley ment games, but because of nag- Conference’s player of the TEAM STATISTICS ging injuries, he has played more TEAM STATISTICS year, hopes to help replicate KU SIU than 30 minutes just twice in UCLA PITT the formula fellow MVC mem- Record 32-4 29-6 Pittsburgh’s past 12 outings. Record 28-5 29-7 ber Bradley used to oust Kansas Points Per Game 79.5 63.1 The Panthers’ worst loss of Points Per Game 71.8 71.7 from last year’s tournament: stay Opp. Points Per Game 61.6 56.1 the season was to George- Opp. Points Per Game 59.7 62.8 patient, make plenty of three- Field Goal Percentage 49.4 45.0 town in the Big East final, Field Goal Percentage 48.0 47.5 pointers and slow the Jayhawks’ Opp. Field Goal Pct. 37.3 41.3 when Gray was 1 for 13 Opp. Field Goal Pct. 42.8 40.7 stars before finding a way to win Percentage 66.7 69.2 from the field and fin- Free Throw Percentage 65.2 66.3 in the final minutes. Margin 7.3 1.5 ished with just three Rebound Margin 3.0 4.9

— From News Services Turnover Differential 2.9 1.4 points. Turnover Differential 3.3 0.2

— From News Services 1 BLACK E10