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 Friday, October 13
It still takes veterans to win a national title
 
 By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Forget about early-entry candidates hurting the game or impact freshmen ruling the sport each year.

To win the national title, a team better be loaded with vets.

Arizona and Duke are the clear 2001 national title favorites. Check their rosters lately?

Arizona returns all five starters. Duke returns four.

Arizona could have lost two players to the NBA draft. Duke could have seen at least one bolt.

But they're not alone. Maryland has a chance because Terrance Morris returned. Michigan State can defend its title because Jason Richardson, Andre Hutson and Charlie Bell are back to compliment two impact freshmen in Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor.

Florida is on the radar screen due to the return of sophomore Brett Nelson. Tennessee can count on being a factor with Tony Harris and Vincent Yarbrough coming to their senses and deciding against pursuing the NBA.

Illinois? No one left, except coach Lon Kruger. But five starters back and magic man Bill Self make the Illini a Final Four favorite. North Carolina? Yeah, Joe Forte and Brendan Haywood return for the Tar Heels' Final Four run. Kansas? Roy Williams stayed. Drew Gooden and Nick Collison, two players who had the talent but didn't think about leaving early, give the Jayhawks an experienced 1-2 punch inside.

A lot has been made of the freshmen influx and the young players, but when push comes to shove it comes down to experience. Experience in tough situations.
Shane Battier,
Duke senior forward

Seton Hall? Well, at least freshman Eddie Griffin chose to attend college instead of the NBA's first-year training period. Notre Dame wouldn't be an NCAA Tournament team without the return of Troy Murphy.

See, it's not such a bad thing to be back in college. A national title, albeit without the million-dollar pocket money, is within reach.

"I hope my returning has a positive effect," Duke's Shane Battier said. "I would say, I've been around the program for three years so I know what to expect. I have been in almost every possible situation and hopefully I can translate that into great leadership."

In today's college basketball, having a veteran might mean a sophomore. But, still, to win the national title, there better be a core of vets. Michigan State had them. So, too, did Connecticut the year before, as did Kentucky in '98, Arizona in '97, Kentucky in '96, UCLA in '95 and on and on.

"A lot has been made of the freshmen influx and the young players but when push comes to shove it comes down to experience," Battier said. "Experience in tough situations."

Now, we're talking talented, experienced players who are future pros.

"Experience helped Michigan State get through in crunch times, because of their poise," Arizona's Michael Wright said. "But that team had a lot of talent from Mateen (Cleaves) to Morris (Peterson)."

High school players come in more ready to contribute because of their prep careers being extended deep into the summer with traveling teams. But they're only part of the equation. The national contenders have the sprinkle of freshmen on their rosters, not a majority.

"Last season our seniors led us to the national championship," Hutson said. "There have been a few times when a young team has been successful like Michigan's Fab Five (in '92 and '93) or some of the recent Duke teams but that's very rare."

So, don't fret about the lost innocence of today's game. Vets, even if they're just sophomores, are a must.

Limping Mustangs still WAC's favorite
SMU won't have a Midnight Madness Friday. The students are on fall break, leaving the Mustangs to begin practice Saturday with little local fanfare.

That's fine with Mike Dement. His work in progress isn't ready for viewing yet.

This is his year at SMU, but he's not catching any breaks.

Picked to finish first in the Western Athletic Conference and get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 and first in Dement's five years at the school, the Mustangs are starting practice in a delicate state.

While all-American and potential first-round draft pick Jeryl Sasser is ready to roll, albeit frustrated by the lack of commitment from a few teammates, the Mustangs are facing practice with only nine healthy bodies.

Senior guard Renaldo Bratton (herniated disc) could be gone for the year. Junior center Mike Niemi is experiencing nagging back pain that will keep him out indefinitely, even though X-rays for a possible stress fracture were negative. Freshman guard Voc Atkins, who was expected to help replace departed point guard is out for another 2-4 weeks with torn cartilage in his knee.

The good news is guard Quinton Ross, expected to be a key reserve, will practice after he had a bulging disc in the offseason. Center Nigel Smith, who had major sinus surgery, was cleared, too, but he hasn't played in almost two years.

"Our situation is very fragile," said Dement Wednesday in Dallas during ESPN.com's preseason tour.

The Mustangs are one of the teams to watch this season because of Sasser and Dement. Dement could be the next Bill Self (Tulsa to Illinois) or Mike Brey (Delaware to Notre Dame), ready to move on to a higher profile program, even though he's a bit older than the pair at 46. Dement, who coached at Cornell and UNC Greensboro, spent time on Duke's bench as an assistant and is cut from similar coaching cloth.

But is first and only chore is to deliver an NCAA Tournament berth to a starving basketball community, dominated by Big 12 news without a team in the city. If it happens, it will be because of Sasser.

The lanky 6-7 Sasser is an all-everything guard, who will post up, be a playmaker or a distributor, usually towering over a defender.

But Sasser has to be more assertive for the Mustangs to have a chance for an NCAA Tournament berth, let alone a WAC title. Sasser declared for the NBA draft and waited until the final hours to withdraw from the draft on the June 21st deadline.

Sasser and returning senior big guard/small forward Willie Davis have to be the team's leaders. If they're not, then the Mustangs won't get out of the WAC.

"Jeryl is mature and he knows that he has to have a great year for us," Dement said. "His goals are the NBA and getting us to the NCAA Tournament. He has to play for us, though. He can't play for the NBA. He has to respect what the other guys do and do what's necessary for us to win games and not just totally take it upon himself."

Sasser's intensity to win can make him frustrated if everyone doesn't share his desire. But the Mustangs have little room for error. They're not used to being picked as the favorite. They were even tabbed as the No. 1 seed in the San Juan Shootout, a tournament that might not have another postseason team beside Iona or possible Nebraska (in the NIT). That puts even more pressure on the Mustangs to win a tournament like that and build some power rating points. Games at Tennessee and a possible matchup against Oklahoma in the All-College Tournament in late December could decide if the Mustangs have the resume for an at-large berth.

Last year, the Mustangs lacked the quality non-conference wins and lost to Hawaii in the WAC tournament quarterfinals, leaving the then-21-8 Mustangs for an NIT berth.

"There's a danger of us feeling like we've arrived because everyone is telling you how good you are," Dement said. "We should be very hungry because we got close last year. We sniffed (the NCAA). We played Southwest Missouri State in the NIT. But we've got to play well in that San Juan tournament. That's the same tournament that Tulsa emerged from last year with a win over Tennessee."

The Mustangs have only 12 home games, down three from a year ago. They've got injuries. Balance is a question with forwards Jon Forinash, DeWayne Floyd and Jibran Kelley all unproven scorers.

"We're going to have to experience and be prepared to play davis on the perimeter instead of inside and it might be a great thing or a disaster," Dement said. "We need Sasser and Davis to stay healthy. We need Ross to stay healthy. But Sasser has to have a great year for us to do it."

Fran Fraschilla
New Mexico head coach Fran Fraschilla is looking to follow the blueprint of success laid out by Tulsa.
New Mexico following Tulsa's model of success
Fran Fraschilla didn't reach for a tape of Duke, North Carolina, Arizona or Michigan State. He wanted to watch Tulsa. That's right, Tulsa. And why not? Tulsa is as good a model for a program trying to retool as any in the country. Bill Self's Golden Hurricane, and likely Buzz Peterson's this season, played a definitive style.

The Golden Hurricane weren't loaded with McDonald's All-Americans or even top-50 prospects. What they were was a collection of tweeners and physical players who played hard. They weren't the most skilled, or traditional position players.

That didn't matter. The Golden Hurricane went hard on every possession and was aggressive toward the basket all the way to an Elite Eight appearance.

Can New Mexico be Tulsa this year? Not in wins, or tournament success, but the Lobos can emulate the Hurricane.

The Lobos are the unknown team in the Mountain West this season.

"I don't think the coaches in our league know about who our players are or how good they can be," said Fraschilla Thursday in his office at the Pit. "These are the kind of guys I had at St. John's. We're the mystery team."

In observing the Lobos workout, talent isn't a question. The Lobos have the size and strength at guard to hang with top four Mountain West teams Utah, Wyoming, BYU and UNLV. Marlon Parmer, who will return to practice Sunday after sitting out for a violation of team rules, is a more controlled point.

The addition of Eric Chatfield gives the Lobos a Vinny Johnson-like pop at wing. Chatfield can hit the 3-pointer and physically drive off a player to get to the basket and convert. Tim Lightfoot has added bulk and is playing with more confidence than in his first two years.

Lightfoot, one of two remaining players from the Dave Bliss era after a massive exodus hit Fraschilla's program in year one, is at ease for the first time.

"Everyone here wants to be here and works hard," Lightfoot said. "We're a lot tighter than we were a year ago. It's good that we're looked at as a sleeper."

Lightfoot will start for the Lobos until Arizona transfer Ruben Douglas is eligible. Douglas and Washington transfer Senque Carey, who won't be eligible until 2001-02, have already helped Lightfoot become a better player. He said he's being pushed every day in drills to drive harder and play stronger.

Once Douglas is eligible, Lightfoot will likely become the team's sixth man. The frontcourt isn't deep but it's similar to Tulsa's, at least in appearance. Fraschilla likens returning senior Wayland White to Tulsa's Eric Coley. He sees JC transfer Malcolm Battles, a long, lean and physical finisher, to Tulsa's Brandon Kurtz. Patrick Dennehy, a freshman who still needs to add bulk, can't be Tulsa's David Shelton. Shelton was a resident enforcer and double-digit scorer off the bench. That's the missing role that may not be filled.

"Bill Self's team had an identity of their own," Fraschilla said. "Just because you're an aggressive playing coach that doesn't mean you're playing 94 feet. We want to gut it out like Tulsa did."

Fraschilla went through a rough transition year with the Lobos, finishing third in the Mountain West and receiving an NIT berth. Playing the Preseason NIT opener against George Mason, perhaps the toughest mid-major this season, won't be easy even though it's at the Pit. But once Douglas is eligible after the first six games, the Lobos will have a full compliment of players for a non-conference game at Gonzaga and the start of the Mountain West.

"I love that everyone in this state is behind this team, I feed off that energy and feel responsible to work extremely hard for the 1.6 million people in this state," Fraschilla said. "Basketball is important to them and we're trying to keep this program at the level it was before and take it even further."

Mimicking Tulsa isn't a bad idea.

No Knight tonight

Indiana's Midnight Madness will be sans Bob Knight but college basketball isn't going to stop. Knight's presence will be missed at Indiana but the game will go on.

"We had tremendous games with Indiana when I was at Kentucky and the people in Indiana will miss him in his red sweater on the sidelines," said Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton, a former Kentucky head coach. "But it won't have any affect on the college game. There are so many good programs and the quality of coaching is much better than when I started."

The enthusiasm at Indiana might actually be higher Friday night. Mike Davis has invited the women's team to participate in Midnight Madness, trying to get even more support at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are likely to be this year's loveable team because of their presumed underdog status.

Weekly Chatter
  • When will these players learn? Three more incidents involving alcohol and, or drugs, or just illogical behavior occurred this week when N.C. State's Damon Thornton, Minnesota's Mitch Ohnstead and UMass guard Monty Mack were arrested. Neither program can afford something negative before tipoff.

    The Gophers are waiting for the NCAA to come down on a ruling on their academic scandal. What was Ohnstead thinking?

    Thornton needed to control his temper on the court for Sendek and this latest incident may mean he might be better off with a fresh start.

    Mack entered the year as one of the favorites for Atlantic 10 player of the year. Bruiser Flint needs Mack to be on the squad for the Minutemen to make an NCAA run. Mack let Flint and his teammates down with his shoplifting arrest.

    UCLA's Rico Hines was suspended for the exhibition games and the first game against Kansas for a team violation. Seton Hall's Samuel Dalembert was suspended for Midnight Madness for a similar offense. No one knows what either did, but the bottom line is college basketball is starting out the year with more blotter than game stories.

  • Texas coach Rick Barnes may catch a break by playing without Darren Kelly at the point. Kelly doesn't return to the lineup until Dec. 19, but that's assuming he's academically eligible. But Barnes backloaded the schedule with the toughest games coming after the first semester ends. The only potential loss could be South Florida. The Longhorns play Illinois and Utah after the 19th. Until Kelly returns, the point will be shared by JC transfer Fredie Williams and, maybe freshman Royal Ivey.

    The Longhorns are fine up front, even without Chris Mihm. Barnes has a better inside-out combination with Wichita State transfer Maurice Evans at shooting guard and a stronger, deeper, and more versatile frontcourt in junior Chris Owens, freshmen James Thomas and Brian Boddicker and sophomore Chris Ogden.

    If Kelly doesn't make it academically, the Longhorns won't be able to take the pressure off Evans in the Big 12. Kelly was one of the more under rated point guards in the conference last season. Texas' sleeper status depends on his ability to get eligible and set up Evans and Owens.

  • Eddie Sutton said he's not even considering retiring. He just signed a five-year contract and intends on fulfilling the deal, even though he 65 in March.

    "The players help keep me young," said Sutton, who will likely hand the program over to associate head coach Sean Sutton. "I may not look it, but the players keep me young. As long as I'm helping the players in some way then I want to keep coaching. I've always looked at myself as an educator and teacher. If I ever lose that zest for coaching then it will be time to step down."

  • Glendon Alexander's chances to win an appeal and play another senior year at Oklahoma State appear slim. Sutton said Alexander and the school have heard little from the NCAA on his appeal. He's trying to get another semester after playing six semesters. He played two at Arkansas, then only six games his sophomore season because of an injury. But that semester counted against Alexander when he transferred to Oklahoma State and sat out the spring and following semester. He played three semesters for the Cowboys. Alexander can't practice until he hears from the NCAA.

  • Get ready for an all-out legal war if the NCAA endorses the conference commissioner's plan to rid the viewers, players, coaches and media of exempted non-conference tournaments. Legal lines are being drawn by the exempted tournaments. Coaches are also siding with the tournaments.

    Kansas head caoch Roy Williams said he would play in the exempted tournaments like Maui or the Preseason NIT even if the games counted. The NCAA management council will vote on whether to move the legislation along at their Oct. 24-25 meeting. The conference commissioners plan calls for 29 total games (including one held for conference tournaments) and a controlled scrimmage against another Division I team instead of two exhibition games. Schools like Wyoming would really struggle to fill that aspect with few Division I schools nearby.

    "I don't think 28 games is enough for a college basketball season," Iowa State's Larry Eustachy said. "Having exempted games is great. It used to be the wealthy teams would go with only the big budgets. But now that's not the case."

    Teams can only go twice every four years to exempted tournaments, opening up more chances for mid-majors or lower level high-major teams. Last year Colorado State beat UCLA in Hawaii in an exempted tournament. That game probably doesn't happen on a neutral court under the proposed legislation.

    "Players like to play games," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "I've been at different levels in coaching and I know how frustrating it is not to be in those games. Certain programs don't always get in and that's not fair. But we have to sacrifice what's right for college basketball. We've got a great product and we have to promote it better and better."

    Without exempted tournaments, college basketball will have a hard time cracking the national sports scene in November and December with the NFL, NBA, NHL and college football.

  • The NCAA rescinded its one-game tournament game suspension on Eustachy in the spring. The men's tournament committee originally saddled Eustachy with the suspension after his outburst and ultimate ejection in Iowa State's loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight. But will Eustachy walk on eggshells around officials this season?

    "I'm not going to change," Eustachy said. "I know there isn't a place for that, though. I'd like to be more of a mature coach. But I can't look down the road and see what will happen. I wish it wouldn't have happened. But emotions build up. We had dreams of going to the Final Four. I lost it a bit and had to apologize. That shouldn't take away from the year we had. We should just move on."

  • Unless a coach has a direct tie to Tubby Smith, he shouldn't leave his program the first week of practice to fill Kentucky's assistant opening. Assistant George Felton left to take a job with the Indiana Pacers this week, the second assistant to bolt from Smith's staff this summer. Assistant Shawn Finney took the head job at Tulane in late July.

    While it's still Kentucky, an assistant would be burning a bridge if he left a program after recruiting for that school a month before the early signing period. Kentucky should hire either a former player, promote from within or leave it alone this season. Unless it's a no brainer because the coach has always wanted to return to work with Smith and his current head coach would understand the need to go to Lexington.

  • New Mexico State needs to schedule USC in the next few years to cause havoc for television viewers. USC got commitments from identical twins Derrick and Errick Craven, a pair of guards from Bishop Montgomery High (Torrance, Calif.). Last week, New Mexico State got a steal by nabbing identical twins Jason and James Fontenot, two guards from St. Mary's High in Phoenix.

  • Another reason why preseason magazines come out too early and another vote for Blue Ribbon as the only one that is the final product: Bob Knight is still listed as Indiana's coach in everyone of the magazines on the newsstands. Stories and photo essays were done, even though his firing was a month ago. Blue Ribbon is always the last preseason college basketball magazine to hit the newsstands. The schedules are right and the information is up to date, like Northwestern's hiring of Bill Carmdoy, Princeton's hiring of John Thompson III, Chris Young's decision to choose baseball over basketball at Princeton, and Jason Parker's eligibility at Kentucky instead of North Carolina.

  • Perry Clark isn't getting any breaks in replacing Leonard Hamilton at Miami (Fla.). The latest setback is Elton Tyler's ineligibility for 15 games -- until January -- instead of the first semester. Tyler's absence will force Darius Rice to play more minutes than he may be ready to endure. The Hurricanes will have a hard time getting by at Charlotte, at North Carolina and Memphis without Tyler.

    Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball is updated Thursdays/Fridays throughout the year.
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