WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2003
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3P
All four Big East teams advance to the Sweet 16
The Associated Press
Minutes after Syracuse's victory over Oklahoma State, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese held an impromptu news conference just off the court at the FleetCenter.
Hew was smiling—all four of his league's teams in the NCAA tournament had advanced to the round of 16—and honest.
"Our kids are playing with a chip on their shoulders without anyone saying anything to them because they felt our league was slighted," he said. "And what these teams have done doesn't change the fact we only got four in."
Big East people spent the days leading up to the tournament maintaining that definitely a fifth team, Boston College, and maybe a sixth, Seton Hall, deserved to be in the field of 65.
They will just have to settle for having one-fourth of the Sweet 16, with one team in each region.
"We think we're one of the best conferences in the country," Pittsburgh's Ontario Lett said. "We want the Final Four to be like the Big East tournament."
It almost was in 1985 when three Big East teams reached the national semifinals after four had been in the round of 16.
The only other conference to go 4-for-4 in teams reaching the regional semifinals was the Big Ten in 1980 and two of them reached the Final Four.
Syracuse beat Oklahoma State 68-56 on Sunday and Pittsburgh beat Indiana 74-52 to complete the Big East sweep. Connecticut and Notre Dame advanced on Saturday with wins over Stanford
"Our kids are playing with a chip on their shoulders without anyone saying anything to them because they felt our league was slighted."
Mike Tranghese Big East commissioner
and Illinois.
The Big 12 had three of its six teams reach the third round, while the Southeastern Conference. Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten will have two each.
All but one of the 16 seeded teams reached the second round — fourth-seeded Dayton lost to Tulsa in the first round. Only nine of the 15 made it through to the second weekend with the No.4 seeds all gone.
The Midwest and West will have Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 in the regional semifinals, while the East will have Nos. 1 and 3 joined by Nos. 10 (Auburn) and 12 (Butler).
The South has only top-seeded Texas left along with Nos. 5 (Connecticut), 6 (Maryland) and 7 (Michigan State). That means three of the last four national champions are in that regional semifinal.
Sunday's biggest upset was No. 13 Butler knocking off fourth-seeded Louisville 79-71, while not far behind was No. 10 Auburn beating No. 2 Wake Forest 68-62.
Michigan State also dispatched a No. 2 seed, beating Florida 68-46, the Gators' fourth
loss in five games.
Butler and Auburn were two of the five double-digit seeds to reach the second round. Their chances to move along in the tournament now drop decidedly as only four of the 21 that reached the round of 16 over the last five years went to the regional final, including Kent State and Missouri last year.
Butler, which was left out of last year's NCAA field despite a 25-5 record, was 14-of-22 from 3-point range, including 9-of-13 in the second half.
Darnell Archey, the man known for his free throw shooting, was 8-of-9 on 3-pointers and made all six he took in the second half.
He matched his career high with 26 points.
"I was in the zone. I felt like Michael Jordan in '92 against the Blazers," said Archey, who set the NCAA record this season by making 85 consecutive free throws. "My teammates just kept getting the ball to me with wide-open looks."
The loss ended a season that saw Louisville climb to No.2 in the country under second-year coach Rick Pitino.
"Obviously, if you don't win a championship, you're going to end on a low note," said Pitino, who had won 12 of his last 13 NCAA tournament games. "To me, this is not a low note because of what our team has accomplished this year. And I'm not too disappointed, because Butler is a great team."
In other games Sunday, Maryland beat Xavier 77-64, Texas downed Purdue 77-67 and Kentucky defeated Utah 74-54.
Sooner freshman emerges, helps team in tournament
The Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma freshman De'Angelo Alexander is making his coach look good.
When Kelvin Sampson decided to make senior Jason Detrick a redshirt this season, he did so with the expectation that Alexander would emerge as a solid player for the Sooners. Now, Alexander is a starter who played a major role in top-seeded Oklahoma winning its first two games in the East Regional.
"There's a lot of people who ask me questions about why did we redshirt Jason Detrick? And that's a fair question," Sampson said. "But now you know why. De'Angelo Alexander is a very good basketball player."
With Hollis Price bothered by a groin injury, Alexander scored a career-high 16 points in a first-round victory over South Carolina State and added 15 points and seven rebounds in the second round against California.
The Sooners (26-6) will play 12th-seeded Butler (27-5) next in the regional semifinals Friday at Albany, N.Y.
"Jason, in five NCAA tournament games last year, I think he averaged 4 points per game. I had a good feeling De'Angelo could do that."
Sampson also had faith in Alexander a year ago when Alexander and four teammates were kicked off their Midwest City High School team. They were accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman
"There's a lot of people who ask me questions about why did we redshirt Jason Detrick? And that's a fair question."
tion."
Kelvin Sampson
Oklahoma basketball coach
while at a tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
The woman eventually chose not to file charges, but Alexander's high school career was abruptly ended and his reputation was tarnished.
"I knew the kid, and that really helped me," Sampson said Monday. "I knew the kid, knew his mother, his father. I just brought him into my office even as it happened and sat down and talked to him. I think what he went through was a severe punishment, not getting to play his senior year."
Alexander said it was a difficult time.
"I was used to being in every state championship of my high school years, and for me to sit and have to watch the playoffs over something that didn't really happen, it hurt," he said.
"But I know the people who really know me, they really know De'Angelo, so I really don't care what people think about me."
It hasn't always been easy on the court this year, either. Like any freshman, Alexander had to adjust to the rigors of the college
game and get used to not being a starter. But he has been steady all year long, and that steadiness helped move him into the starting lineup.
Ebi Ere, who was expected to be Oklahoma's leading scorer this season, shot just 29 percent in Big 12 Conference play. Sampson eventually chose to bring Ere off the bench and replaced him in the lineup with Detrick, who has started seven of the past eight games.
"I think it really helped De'Angelo's confidence when we started him," Sampson said. "I think he felt that he belonged more."
Alexander scored in double figures in the final three games of the regular season, then totaled just 14 points in the three games at the Big 12 tournament. But then he played well in the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament.
"He's played well the last 10 or 12 games," Sampson said. "Since we've moved him into the starting lineup, he's had a lot of good games. We've played a lot of good teams this year and he's played well."
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Alexander has the strength to score inside and is a good rebounder. He also has worked to improve his perimeter scoring.
Sampson said this time of the year boiled down to mental toughness and confidence, and Alexander had both.
"He went through the typical freshman ups and downs," Sampson said. "But late in the season, he's been tremendous."
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Remember those long, lo-o-o-ong lines at the enrollment center?
Add them to your list of KU memories.
Students asked for it. It's been a long time coming, and now it's here for fall enrollment.
Starting Friday, KU students will enroll online from any computer connected to the Internet, from any location.
Watch your email for instructions on how to get online, not in line.
- Enrollment appointments will be
- Enrollment appointments March 28 - April 30 for fall 2003 classes.
- All enrollment information will be available at: http://students.ku.edu
- All enrollment information will be
- Walk-in assistance will be available at the enrollment center in Strong Hall.
- In the new online enrollment system, Windows users must use Explorer 5.5 or above. Mac users must use Explorer 5 or above. Netscape is not compatible.
- Questions? Email webenroll@ku.edu
Online enrollment is partially funded by KU students through the Tuition Enhancement Program.
KU Enrollment: Get online, not in line.