25 years later, the game hugs Jimmy V: 'It humbles you to be part of something like that'
SAN ANTONIO -- The final buzzer was more a beginning than an end. Basketball games aren't supposed to get better once they're over. This one did.
"People still come up to me every day -- I mean every day -- to tell me where they were or how much we cost them," Dereck Whittenburg said Thursday. "The other day, I thought I was going to get through one without it. Then the guy at the rental counter here in town hands me the key and says, 'Hey, aren't you the guy?'
"It really humbles you," he added, "to be a part of something like that."
Friday marks the 25th anniversary of North Carolina State's 54-52 win over Houston in the national championship game, what many consider the greatest upset in college basketball history. In truth, Villanova's 66-64 win over Georgetown just two years later may have been more improbable still, since only one player off that Wildcats team went on to play in the pros and the 1983 Wolfpack team produced five. But nobody counts with their hearts.
It isn't hard to recall why NC State was such an overwhelming underdog. Houston's "Phi Slamma Jamma" squad featured Clyde Drexler, who's already in the Hall of Fame, Hakeem (then "Akeem") Olajuwon, who will be voted in next week, and Michael Young, who joined those two as first-round picks in the NBA.
"I'm sure lots of people figured we didn't even belong on the same floor," said Lorenzo Charles, one of the stars of the 1983 team who played in the NBA. "But a lot of them forgot how tough it was just surviving the ACC week in and week out. North Carolina had Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins. Maryland had Lenny Bias. Virginia had Ralph Sampson.
"So we were ready to play in any kind of atmosphere," he said, "or step on any stage."
Two moments from the finish of the 1983 championship game provided its tableau. The first came when Lorenzo Charles leaped out from underneath the basket to grab Whittenburg's desperation heave and dunked it in a single motion.
"I was out of position," Charles said, "because when you're going for a rebound and putback, you're supposed to be a step or two away to build up some steam. But it turned out to be the perfect place.
"I could see the ball was going to fall short, and my only concern was Hakeem. I was waiting for that big arm to swoop by and block my shot, and it never happened."
Then the buzzer went off, and coach Jim Valvano ran onto the floor looking for someone to hug.
"Everybody remembers that now, but we had this thing that started in the ACC tournament where after every game, I'd run over to the bench and hug coach, then pick him up," recalled Whittenburg, who coaches Fordham and was in San Antonio for the National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention.
"So I'm pretty sure he was looking for me. But I was running around like a crazy man myself, and everybody was hugging everybody else, so he just tried to kind of jump on the pile. It turned out to be one of the funniest things I'd ever seen," he added, then paused.
"Let me tell you this. I miss that man every day."
Most of college basketball does, too, though it wasn't always that way. A half-dozen years after Valvano won the title, he came under fire for a poor graduation rate and for running what one book labeled "one of the dirtiest programs in America."
An NCAA investigation eventually cleared Valvano of wrongdoing but concluded players illegally sold sneakers and game tickets they received for free. NC State placed the program on probation for two years. After a separate investigation by a state-appointed commission found Valvano and his coaching staff circumvented rules to keep players eligible, he was forced to resign as the school's athletic director in October 1989.
Less than three years later, Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer. Shortly before his death in March 1993, he spoke at an awards show and announced the creation of the "V Foundation," dedicated to finding a cure for the disease that was ravaging his body.
"Don't give up," he said. "Don't ever give up."
In the strange way that memory works, that motto has been retroactively attached to the 1983 team.
"I always thought of Jim's speech as something that rises above sports," said Terry Holland, who coached Virginia that season. "But I can see why people might think of it that way. That team overcame so much.
"Whittenburg got hurt against us early in the season. They lost a lot of tough games, and they had to win the ACC tournament just to get into the NCAAs. Then they had to come back in just about every game in that tournament, and everybody kept thinking it couldn't last."
"We all fell into that trap," recalled TV analyst Billy Packer, who worked the 1983 game. "NC State kept winning, and Jim was this wonderful showman who knew how to orchestrate things. He had one of the best backcourts in the country, great instincts for the flow of a game, yet he played the role of underdog to perfection."
There are plenty of times since that Whittenburg employs motivational tricks he learned from the master on his own players.
"The smart thing Jim did that year was getting us to focus on the journey instead of the last game," he recalled. "He'd say things in his pregame speeches like, 'You got to be a dreamer,' and a second later he'd say, 'And if all five of you don't get back down the floor and play defense every time, they're going to break that dream into little, bitty pieces.'
"Then," Whittenburg said, "he'd have to stop himself from cracking up. He never failed to make you laugh or feel good about yourself and there aren't a lot of people you meet in life who can do that.
"To this day, I haven't met another one like him."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Raymond's late 3-pointers lift Xavier over West Virginia
PHOENIX -- Three-pointers saved Xavier. Missed free throws doomed West Virginia.
B.J. Raymond made two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of overtime Thursday night and the Musketeers advanced to the West Region final with a 79-75 victory over coach Bob Huggins' Mountaineers.
Third-seeded Xavier (30-6) rallied from a six-point deficit in overtime, and will seek its first Final Four appearance when it plays the UCLA-Western Kentucky winner on Saturday.
Raymond, who had made only one field goal all night, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Musketeers ahead 75-74 with 1:18 to play. He then shook loose on an inbounds play, took a crosscourt pass and made a 3 with the shot clock expiring with 30 seconds to go for a 78-74 lead.
Josh Duncan scored a career-high 26 points despite foul trouble to lead Xavier. Raymond's eight points all came in overtime.
Xavier, which led by 18 early in the game, rallied from a 71-65 deficit in overtime.
Joe Alexander scored 18 and had 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers (26-11).
West Virginia missed four of six free throws in the overtime. Alexander missed one with 14.2 seconds left in regulation that would have given his team a 65-64 lead.
Xavier shot 11-for-19 on 3s while West Virginia was 1-for-11 from long range. The Mountaineers had only one worse performance on 3s this season, going 1-for-22 in a loss to Cincinnati.
Duncan was 3-of-4 on 3s, Lavender 3-of-6 and Raymond 2-of-4. Da'Sean Butler added 16 points, 14 in the second half. Alexander and Butler both fouled out in the overtime.
Xavier has been in a regional final only once, in 2004.
Despite the loss, Huggins has had quite the comeback with the school he played for. Out of work two years ago, he barely missed taking a team to the regional final for the fourth time.
Huggins got fired at Cincinnati -- a school he led to the 1992 Final Four -- after a drunken driving arrest and sat out a season before surfacing at Kansas State in 2007. He guided that team to the NIT, where it lost in the second round.
Huggins and his team seemed right among basketball's elite in reaching the round of 16.
Duncan drew his fourth foul with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. He came out briefly, then returned and was on the court almost the entire rest of the game. When it was over, he grabbed the ball and hurled it in to the wildly cheering Xavier booster section.
The Musketeers built a big lead at the start, but West Virginia scored the final five points of the half to cut it to 32-25 at the break, then pulled even midway through the second half.
The Mountaineers took their first lead of the game at 51-50 on Butler's 8-foot bank shot with 9:41 left.
There were six lead changes and four ties the remainder of regulation.
Duncan's three-point play with 1:56 left tied it at 62, and his two free throws with 1:28 to play in the second half put Xavier up 64-62.
Nobody could score again until Alexander's tough 15-foot bank shot with 14.2 seconds left tied it at 64. But he missed the free throw, and Lavender's 18-footer under pressure missed to send the game into overtime.
For a while, with the Mountaineers misfiring from everywhere, it looked like an Xavier blowout.
The Musketeers made six of their first eight 3-pointers and West Virginia missed its first eight shots.
Lavender made two 3s and assisted on another, and the Musketeers led 28-10, thanks largely to 3-for-16 shooting by the Mountaineers.
But Wellington Smith brought West Virginia back, scoring the first eight in a 10-0 run that cut it to 28-20 on Jamie Smalligan's unlikely, awkward 12-foot bank shot with 4:05 left in the half.
West Virginia shot 33 percent for the half and 0-for-6 on 3s. Xavier made 6-of-11 on 3s.
Alexander, averaging 16.8 points per game, had two at the half on 1-of-4 shooting.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
With memory of VCU loss fresh, Duke looks for NCAA tournament run
DURHAM, N.C. -- DeMarcus Nelson insists Duke's focus rests squarely on first-round opponent Belmont.
Somewhere in the background, however, lurks Virginia Commonwealth.
The threat of yet another one-and-done in the NCAA tournament has the No. 2-seeded Blue Devils cautious as they prepare for their postseason opener against the 15th-seeded Bruins.
"It's something that we don't want to harp on the most right now, because it will creep into how we approach things, but (it's) definitely in the back of our minds," Nelson said Monday. "But right now, we're excited about the opportunity that we have this year. We're a whole lot better than last year, better than we were at the start of the year. We're just making sure everyone's fresh and confident and excited about starting our tournament run."
The Blue Devils (27-5) are entering a second straight NCAA tournament on what could be considered -- by their lofty standards -- a tailspin, having lost two of three. But unlike last yea, when they lost three straight heading into the NCAAs, they weren't punished for it when the seeds were announced. Instead, they're back in their customary place near the top of the bracket.
Holding the No. 2 seed in the West Regional and spending the opening weekend in Washington, D.C., they seem to have a more manageable path to another deep tournament run than the one they faced a year ago, when as a No. 6 seed they were knocked off by VCU in one of the more memorable upsets in recent postseasons.
"Part of the NCAA tournament's always scary, because whomever you see on tape can be, in a one-shot deal, even better," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They're all good, but I think ... we're OK wherever we went and wherever we were seeded. Our full body of work has earned us everything that we've got, and I think we've earned whatever we've got."
That surprising loss in Buffalo has provided the Blue Devils with a season's worth of motivation. They walked off the court that day to the ear-tingling cheers that players have said were prompted not because 11th-seeded VCU won but because mighty Duke lost, leading some to speculate that Duke's air of invincibility was starting to disintegrate.
"Going into that game, it was very emotional. Physically, we were worn out," Nelson said. "It was a game that we gave all that we had, but physically, we were done. We've done a lot of things different this year to make sure that we stay fresh mentally and physically."
That includes perhaps the most effective solution to staying mentally sharp and confident: a 22-1 start and 10 straight ACC victories. And while an ACC tournament victory against Georgia Tech was sandwiched by losses to North Carolina and Clemson, Krzyzewski says that extra bit of rest might give his team an added boost of energy heading into the weekend.
"It was really a great week for us," Krzyzewski said. "I'm really excited about where we're at, and I think we have a better chance of being good right now than we did 10 days ago."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Young scores 21, sending Pittsburgh past No. 13 Louisville into semifinals
NEW YORK -- Rick Pitino didn't glean any useful knowledge sitting behind Pittsburgh's bench for the opening round of the Big East tournament. It's simply where organizers decided to put him.
Too bad, because it's quickly becoming evident the Louisville coach could use some help dealing with the Panthers come March.
Sam Young had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and hit a pair of free throws with less than a minute left in overtime to help Pittsburgh beat the No. 13 Cardinals 76-69 Thursday night and advance to the tournament semifinals.
Pittsburgh, which has knocked Louisville out of three straight conference tournaments, advanced to play No. 6 seed Marquette on Friday night.
"Give them credit for their defense," said Pitino, who fell to 3-8 in his career against Pittsburgh and is just 1-3 in the tournament since joining the Big East.
"Our guys did a good job of fighting back to get into overtime. Sometimes it's just about making shots. It's a simple explanation," he said. "But you've got to give Pitt credit. Their defense had a lot to do with it."
Seventh-seeded Pittsburgh (24-9) outscored Louisville 12-2 to start the overtime, and its 74-64 lead with 30.9 seconds left was its biggest of the game.
"We went cold at the wrong time," Pitino said.
DeJuan Blair added 16 points and eight rebounds for Pittsburgh, which has been to the last two tournament finals and six of the past seven. The Panthers are now 4-0 at Madison Square Garden this season, and 21-8 dating to the 2001-02 season.
"It was a great win for us," coach Jaime Dixon said. "We battled through some things. We had foul trouble early, got performances from everybody. ... And like I said, our defense has been getting better and better."
Earl Clark scored 19 for Louisville (24-8), which struggled when Pittsburgh clogged up the middle and forced the Cardinals to take perimeter shots. Derrick Caracter, Juan Palacios and David Padgett had 11 points each, but they got virtually no help from their guard play.
"They were aggressive in their defensive game plan," Padgett said. "We've got to give them credit. They played very well on defense. They were very aggressive in what they did."
Young's basket with 1:50 left in regulation gave Pittsburgh a 62-60 lead, and Clark's putback with less than a minute to go knotted the game.
After a timeout, the Panthers held for the last shot -- but may have held too long. Levance Fields made a move to the basket with just over 5 seconds left and got caught in the corner, where he heaved up a contested shot at the buzzer that clanked harmlessly off the rim.
Fields made up for the gaffe with six of his 13 points in overtime. Backcourt mate Ronald Ramon added four of his 13 in the extra session, including a runner in the lane off a loose ball that made it 70-64 with 1:08 left.
"I was just trying to make a play," Ramon said. "DeJuan made a great pass, guys were in the paint trying to dig the ball. So the ball got loose and they were all trying to go for the ball. Once I got it, wide open lay-up."
That the game came down to the final minutes should come as no surprise for these two teams. Pittsburgh beat Louisville by five in the first round of the 2006 tournament, and by six in last year's semifinal, when the Cardinals were also a No. 2 seed.
Their only meeting earlier this season was a back-and-forth affair that ended after Padgett and Andre McGee each made a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to seal a 75-73 victory at Pittsburgh.
The two teams swapped the lead 10 times and were tied eight times in the first half of this one, before a late burst gave Louisville a 33-30 lead at the break.
The Panthers used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to build a 51-43 advantage, but Blair picked up his fourth foul a couple minutes later and Louisville closed in. Terrence Williams' basket with 4:44 to go gave the Cardinals a 56-55 lead, and the teams matched baskets through the end of regulation.
"We battled through against a very good team," Dixon said. "I'm so proud of these guys, every one of them. They just battled. That's really the best way to sum it up."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Hayward scored 18 points to lead No. 21 Marquette to 67-37 victory over Florida Gulf Coast
MILWAUKEE -- With Lazar Hayward leading the way, Marquette took out its frustrations against Florida Gulf Coast.
Hayward had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 21st-ranked Golden Eagles to a 67-37 victory Tuesday night.
Hayward, who was 0-for-8 from the field in the Golden Eagles' 70-68 overtime loss to Georgetown last Saturday, was an entirely different player against Gulf Coast and so were most of his teammates.
"When I don't play really well, I never hang my head," Hayward said of his performance against Georgetown. "I just look forward to playing the next game"
Against Gulf Coast, he registered his fourth double-double of the season, finishing 6-of-12 from the field with two steals.
Wesley Matthews scored 12 points and Dominic James added 11 for Marquette (22-7), which came up with its second-best defensive effort in the nine seasons under coach Tom Crean. Marquette held Illinois State to 32 points during the 2004-05 season.
"As disappointed as they were, they were ready to play from the other day," Crean said. "That's a great sign with this group."
Adam Liddell, Casey Wohlleb, Terike Barrowes, Rob Quaintance and Roman Narmbaye all scored six points for Gulf Coast (10-21) in the first meeting between the schools.
The game was basically a tuneup for Marquette, which concludes the regular season at Syracuse on Saturday and then has the Big East tournament where the Golden Eagles will be seeded fifth or sixth in the 12-team field.
Gulf Coast concluded its first season as a Division I member and the first losing season in school history. Marquette was the second ranked and Big East team Gulf Coast played this season. Gulf Coast lost 78-66 to Butler, ranked No. 16 at the time, on Dec. 22, and lost 92-60 to DePaul on Jan. 21.
Maurice Acker's 3-pointer capped a 16-2 run that gave Marquette a 46-27 lead with 12:05 left. James' layup with 4:32 to play gave Marquette a 64-32 lead.
Hayward was 5-of-6 from the field and had 15 points as Marquette took a 30-17 halftime lead.
Hayward had three 3-pointers -- matching his career best -- as the Golden Eagles took a 16-4 lead in the opening 4 minutes.
Gulf Coast got within five points early in the second half, but the Golden Eagles never let them get closer and pulled away to the easy victory.
"Tom does a really good job of making adjustments," Gulf Coast coach Dave Balza said. "I thought they really pressured our guards and forced them into turnovers."
Gulf Coast had 25 turnovers while Marquette finished with 17, six in the second half.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Alabama basketball team looking for positive finish
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama is no longer playing for a Southeastern Conference title. An NCAA tournament at-large bid is out of the question, and so is finishing the regular season with a winning league record.
So what does the Crimson Tide have to gain from its final four games before the SEC tournament?
"We all want to end feeling good about something," coach Mark Gottfried said. "This has been a tough year. It's been a difficult stretch."
The Tide (14-13, 3-9) has dropped four of its last five games and two in a row leading up to a visit from Arkansas (18-8, 7-5) Wednesday night. 'Bama is now tied with LSU for last in the Western Division.
But the troubles began long before the most recent losses. Playing the season without point guard Ronald Steele, sitting out following knee surgery, Alabama lost to Belmont in Game 3.
"You really go back all the way to the beginning and go back to the Belmont game, and we've had our hands full all year long," Gottfried said.
Arkansas handed the Tide one of its tougher defeats, 71-67 in overtime on Jan. 13. While the Razorbacks are battling with Mississippi for a Western Division title, Alabama is just trying to snap out of its season-long funk.
Gottfried said he expects forward Demetrius Jemison to return to the starting lineup. He was replaced by Senario Hillman Sunday at Auburn after showing up late to a practice, Gottfried said.
He said his team grew frustrated in the second half of the Auburn loss, but mostly he has praised the players' attitudes. He doesn't expect that to change this late in the season.
"I haven't seen that a lot from our team," Gottfried said. "And I think there are just points in time where you do get a little frustrated. You're not making shots and not playing very well. But our guys have played really hard. And I know they want to finish well, and so we can start that on Wednesday."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Toolson scores 31, leads Utah Valley State over NC Central
DURHAM, N.C. -- Ryan Toolson scored 31 points, including a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line, as Utah Valley State held off North Carolina Central for a 69-62 victory on Tuesday.
Both teams shot 40 percent from the field for the game, but N.C. Central was cold in the first half and fell behind 31-17 at the break. While its touch improved and the Eagles outscored Utah Valley State in the second half, 45-38, the rally fell short.
Richard Troyer scored 12 points and Jordan Brady scored 10 for the Wolverines (13-14), who missed just one of their 23 free throw tries.
Charles Futrell led the Eagles (3-24) with 16 points, and he grabbed 11 rebounds. Bryan Ayala scored 14 and Philip Branch added 13 for N.C. Central, which had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
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