Wednesday, March 17, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 7
Key for Sooners' success Beat Spartans at own game
The Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. When Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson looks at Michigan State, he sees a part of the same family tree.
"They're kind of our cousins," Sampson said Monday. "Maybe the upper-class cousins. We're on the other side of the railroad track, but they're our cousins in a lot of ways.
"They make you play their way, and that's the mark of a good team. They're good at what they do."
Michigan State, the
No.1 seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional, averages 72.5 points and holds opponents to 59.5. The Spartans (31-4) have eight players do most of the work.
No. 13 seed Oklahoma (22-10) also has a short bench and has averaged 71 points, compared with 62 for its opponents. Both teams have held opponents to 40 percent shooting.
The Sooners, who meet Michigan State in the regional semifinals Friday night in St. Louis, are only the third No. 13 seed to two games in an NCAA
tournament. They controlled the tempo in upsetting fourth-seeded Arizona in the first round, then outage 12 more rebounds per game than their opponents and have nearly a 2-1 edge on the offensive glass.
In order to beat Michigan State, Sampson says his team has to find a way to stay with the Spartans on the backboards. Rebounding has been a strength for Oklahoma, but the Spartans average 12 more rebounds per game than their opponents and have nearly a 2-1 edge on the offensive glass.
"They're the most ferocious offensive rebounding team that I've seen." Sampson said. "They're the one team that I've seen this year that consistently sends four people to the offensive boards."
Oklahoma got through the first two tournament games by rebounding well, playing outstanding defense and shooting effectively from the perimeter.
Blue Devils ready to battle it out in tournament riddled with upsets
The Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Mike Krzyewski didn't achieve a 45-12 career record in the NCAA tournament by overlooking teams. Don't plan on it happening now.
The top-seeded Blue Devils (34-1), a favorite to win the national title, might
have gotten a few breaks during the weekend when the East Regional bracket appeared to get easier with losses by seeds two to five — Miami (Fla.). Cincinnati, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
With those seeds gone, Duke will face 12th-seeded Southwest Missouri State (22-10) on Friday
at East Rutherford, N.J. If Duke wins its 30th straight, it will get the winner of No. 6 Temple and No. 10 Purdue in the regional title game.
"I have no control over what happens in the tournament, but it is apparent that the teams that are playing best advance," Krzeyzewski said. "I would rather play a team that is playing bad than a team that is playing great."
Krzyzewski said anyone who reached the tournament's round of 16 was capable, including Steve Alford's team. Southwest Missouri dismantled No.4 seed Tennessee on Sunday, beating the Volunteers by 30 points.
Duke won its first- and second-round NCAA games at the Charlotte Coliseum by 41 points each, against Florida A&M and Tulsa. The Blue Devils have won their last 11 by an average margin of 31 points.
Duke remains confident about reaching the Final Four — but not overconfident considering the many upsets that have occurred in its region.
"Coach has always preached respecting your opponent," forward Shane Battier said. "Throughout the year, we've played teams where we've been favored by X amount of points, and on paper it looks like it can be a 100-point game, but we're always respected our opponent's effort, and that's been key to us."
The loss of No. 3 seed Cincinnati means Duke won't get a shot at beating the only team to defeat the Blue Devils this season. The Bearcats beat the Blue Devils 77-75 on Nov. 28 in the Great Alaska Shootout.
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