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Wednesday, March 21
Duke experiencing '92 déjà vu
By Gregg Doyel
Special to ESPN.com
DURHAM – Class, you're not in session. Mike Krzyzewski definitely does not feel like giving a lecture on American basketball history.
So don't ask him about the obvious parallels from 1992 to this season, about heading from Greensboro, N.C., to Philadelphia – where the last roadblock between the Blue Devils and the Final Four in Minneapolis might just be Kentucky.
Some of that is the future, but a lot of it is history, and Krzyzewski doesn't want to go back in time to 1992.
|  | | Jason Williams guided Duke to Philadelphia. Will he get the Blue Devils to Minneapolis? |
"I hope this doesn't mess you up," Krzyzewski said this week when a reporter inquired about the Blue Devils' possible Greensboro-to-Philly-to-Minneapolis itinerary. "(But) I'd rather not talk about it. I'd rather talk about the present."
Fair enough. UCLA awaits Thursday in the Sweet 16, and that's all Krzyzewski and company need to be worried about. But for the rest of us, the past is so juicy. And so perfectly in line with the present, and near future. In 1992, Duke defended its first national championship by winning two NCAA tournament games in Greensboro, then two in Philadelphia – including the 104-103, Laettner-at-the-buzzer epic against Kentucky – then the Final Four in Minneapolis.
Here we are, nine years later, and we're almost back in 1992. Duke's first-round foe? A small, private school located near the East coast (Campbell in 1992, Monmouth this season). In the second round? A state university from America's heartland (Iowa then, Missouri now).
Our ability to make a cheesy connection from then to now breaks down in Duke's Sweet 16 game (Seton Hall then, UCLA now), but the region championship could be a near-replica to 1992: top-seeded Duke against second-seeded Kentucky in Philadelphia.
We say "near-replica" because a few things have changed.
The building, for one. The Spectrum is out; the First Union Center is in. Kentucky's coach is different (Tubby Smith, not Rick Pitino). And, of course, not one player remains from that game – though Duke junior Matt Christensen, a former Mormon missionary who turns 24 later this year, comes closer than you'd think.
Still ... Duke. Kentucky. Philadelphia.
"I think the NCAA does some things on purpose," says Duke's Shane Battier. "Duke and Kentucky in Philadelphia? I don't know. You tell me."
First, though, Duke will have to get past UCLA. And Kentucky will have to get past USC. Otherwise, we could be left not with a rematch from 1992, but a rematch from Feb. 8 (UCLA 85, Southern Cal 76).
UCLA is playing, in Krzyzewski's words, "amazing basketball." And Duke will be attempting the prickly re-insertion of its starting center Carlos Boozer, who missed the team's last six wins with a broken bone in his right foot, into the lineup of a team that has gotten predictably quicker and unpredictably better in his absence.
All of which is why Krzyzewski doesn't feel like talking about 1992 just yet.
"We're not playing Kentucky," he says. "I hope we do (play them), or somebody, on Saturday. "I'd love to talk about this," Krzyzewski says. "On Friday."
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SEMIFINALS SKINNY
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No. 2 Kentucky
vs. No. 6 USC
Of this region's foursome, the Trojans feel they're getting the short end of the hoopla stick. And they're right. So do something about it, USC.
No. 1 Duke
vs. No. 4 UCLA
Bruins have the talent to derail Duke's bid for a 1992 repeat, and UCLA point guard Earl Watson seems to have a chip on his shoulder about which program has been the real dynasty. "We are UCLA," he says.
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We see a trend here
According to our mathematics, Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince will score 38 points in the Wildcats' Sweet 16 matchup with USC.
In Kentucky's first five games of the postseason, Prince's scoring has gone the step-ladder route – up, up and away: 12 points, 19, 26, 27 and 31. Those 31 came in the Wildcats' 92-79 victory against Iowa in the second round of the East regional. Prince, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, notched career highs against the Hawkeyes in points, assists (seven) and 3-pointers (six).
"I'm just on my game at this point," Prince said, somewhat superfluously. "This is a big point in the season (and) I'm just trying to be a leader of this team and take us down the right path. They're doing a great job of following my lead."
More trend-setting
USC is one of just two programs this season with four different players topping the 1,000-point mark. Sam Clancy became the latest to join the club with 14 points in the Trojans' 74-71 victory against Boston College, 10 more than the junior needed to join teammates Brian Scalabrine, Jeff Trepagnier and Brandon Granville.
The other 2000-01 team with four members of the 1,000-point club is Maryland – another Sweet 16 survivor, proving depth in scoring helps get a team deep into March. The Terps' foursome (Terence Morris, Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Byron Mouton) comes with a bit of an asterisk, though. Mouton got most of his points at Tulane, where he played for two seasons before transferring.
Around the East
Kentucky has reached the Sweet 16 six times in the last seven years. The exception? Last season, when Syracuse bounced the Wildcats in the second round.
UCLA forward Jason Kapono said he was "embarrassed" to be benched for the opening minutes of the Utah State game for skipping out on a team study hall 45 minutes early. "I agree with coach (Steve Lavin) for doing it," Kapono said. "But it's very embarrassing. It won't happen again."
Especially if Kapono goes pro after this season.
Region's biggest disappointment: It's got to be Boston College, which challenged for a No. 2 seed until the end of the season, drew a three, then drew Southern Cal in the second round – see ya.
Region's biggest surprise: Utah State. This was not a great team, but it played with passion to upset fifth-seeded Ohio State – which did not.
Region's worst seeding: Missouri's a No. 9 seed? With that talent? On the surface, it looks like the selection committee did a poor job on this one. But it's clear how important Kareem Rush, who was injured for the last few weeks of the season, was to the Tigers.
Gregg Doyel covers the ACC for The Charlotte Observer and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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