BEST of the WEEK | Feb. 16, 2004
Awards based on games from Monday through Sunday
CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Chris Thomas, Notre Dame and Salim Stoudamire, Arizona
Junior guard Chris Thomas has been criticized at times this season, but he came through with two big-time performances in clutch situations as the Irish try to fight for an NCAA berth. He scored 31 points in an upset of Connecticut, followed by 26 in a victory over Seton Hall.
Junior guard Salim Stoudamire hit 13-of-17 shots to finish with 34 points in a rout of UCLA. Earlier in the week he had 22 points against USC.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Notre Dame
The pressure was on coach Mike Brey's club, and the Irish came through. Notre Dame upset Connecticut 80-74 and edged Seton Hall 71-68. With a 12-9 record overall (6-5 in the Big East), Notre Dame has to keep on scrapping and clawing to get into the NCAA Tournament.
CO-COACHES OF THE WEEK:
John Calipari, Memphis and Bob Thomason, Pacific
It's never easy to win on the road in conference play, but Calipari and Memphis did it, winning at East Carolina and blowing out Marquette in convincing fashion (89-71) behind Sean Banks' 28 points. The Tigers, riding a nine-game win streak, are now 18-4 overall (9-2 in league play), good for first in Conference USA.
Thomason, in his 16th season and the winningest coach in Pacific history, led his team to a big victory over a ranked Utah State squad, 64-60. The Tigers currently have an eight-game win streak and are 12-1 in the Big West (17-7 overall).
SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Virginia over Georgia Tech
The Cavaliers entered the game with a five-game losing streak and a 2-8 ACC record. Georgia Tech was coming off an impressive win over North Carolina.
Coach Pete Gillen's Cavs got the victory when Todd Billet hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in the contest. It's been a tough season for Gillen and Virginia, so this W will help.
DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK: Drew Lavender, Oklahoma
Freshman guard Drew Lavender drilled six trifectas and finished with 31 points and seven assists in a hard-fought win at Texas A&M. Lavender also chipped in with 11 points and five assists in a win over Texas Tech earlier in the week.
Dick Vitale coached the Detroit Pistons and the University of Detroit in the 1970s before providing color commentary for ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979 (he's been an analyst for ESPN ever since). Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
