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Show B 5 Scoreboard 0 B4 Business B5 Financial Markets B6 Monday. April 1, 1996 The Daily Herald Coaches ax arrive By DICK WEISS Now York Daily News crossroads By DAVID TEEL Newport News Daily Press NEW YORK Rick Pitino carried his bride of several hours into the suite at New York's Americana Hotel and placed her on the bed. There they were, two kids in their 20s about to explore life's mysteries when ... The phone rang. Much to Joanne Pitino's dismay, her husband answered. It was Jim Boeheim. newly appointed head coach at Syracuse. He w as in the lobby, there to offer Pitino. recently fired as an assistant at Hawaii, a job on his staff. L'h. Jim. Can't this wait a day? No. headed to Chicago tonight to recruit. forward Antoine Kentucky Walker feels he is standing on the threshold of something special, a chance to be a part of history if the Wildcats can defeat Syracuse and win this school's first national championship since 1978. "This is the highlight of my life," he said His teammates feel the same way. They hae been programmed for this moment eer since they arrived in Bluegrass and now. just one more team stands in the way. "After we beat L'Mass Saturday night. I heard the students were going cray. running around the campus nude." lead guard Anthony Epps said. "I can't wait to see what happens if we win the cham- pionship." Kentucky (33-- 2 enters Monday night's game as a healthy favorite. But Epps was doing his best to downplay his team's dominance. "Every time we take the floor." he said, "it's Kentucky vs. the world. Ever) one wants to knock us tiff the pedestal." 1 Especially Syracuse forward John Wallace, who has become increasingly surly tow ard the media, especially when the subject is hmached of whether the Orangemen can survive the waves of pressure Kentucky will throw at them. "It's you guys who are saving that." Wallace said. "Why don't you talk to each other about that?" The Orange (29-8- ) probably e ter hut at least seven who NBA have The ability players who shot just nine Wildcats against L'Mass (making are no longer dependent three on long-rang- e snooting. This team has show n it can play in halfcourt or transition and is showing the best defensive intensity of any team at IK. Jim Boeheim may have a record against Pitino. but the 'Cats dismantled Syracuse's guards when the teams met last year at Lexington, forcing the Orange into 33 turnovers during a 77-7- 1 victory. " This is not a knock on the d young man. but they had a to (Michael Lloyd) trying play one guard." Pitino said. "Now they have Laarus Sims. merit more respect than they have been given. Jim Boeheim has done a superb job with this team, getting t Syracuse to play a v game Saturday during a over mistake-pronMississippi State. The Orange shot an effifrom the foul line, cient committed just five turnovers and forced the Bulldogs into 21. multi-purpos- near-perfec- 77-6- 4 e 4 Kentucky is another story. IX'spite W allace's lottery pick abilities, it may take a sledgehammer to knock the "Cats off their game. Kentucky has been on a roll, b-- 1 -- using a combination of talent, depth and defense to blow away the competition. At the center of this tornado stands Rick Pitino. who has built a team in his imace w ith no true cen two-guar- run-ner- Kentucky's biggest problem in this game will the temptation to shoot the three against Sy racuse's 3 one instead ot working the ball inside. 'hxl gold." Pitino called it. 2-- It may take another day to beat Kentucky. But it has happened before, back in NN5 when Villanov a shocked Georgetow n near-peite- "I picked Villanov a to win that game," Boeheim said. "Nobody realized it. because nobody asked - me at the time." Vols whip Bulldogs By CANDACE PUTNAM ban Jose Mercury News L'h. honey. I need to go downstairs. Make it fast. Nearly three hours later. Pitino returned to his bride, his new job secure, his new marriage anything but. The honeymoon would have to wait. Pitino had to hit the recruiting trail. 11k ensuing 20 years have allegedly bn night some sanity and perspective to Boeheim and Pitino. But they remain wedded to the game of their boy hoods, and kmight tliey compete for college basketball's national chompitwiship when Boeltcim's Syracuse Orangemen face Pitino's Kentucky Wildcats at the Jersey Meadow lands. They ainve at this most public uf crossroads at v ary ing stages of their careers, htino. 43. is tlx." star, reaping the do idends of a sporting culture that pays coaches miliums to kxi talk smoothly and win a few gxJ. games. Boeheim. 51. is the steady, guy who's been associated w iih Syracuse tor 34 years and is suddenly the beneficiary of rev sionist history that is dividing he isn't such a bad guy after all. "I've always had a sense of humor." Boeheim said Sunday as the championship game participants were bussed into the city to face the horde. "Maybe I just didn't show it. ... In the season I get focused in sometimes, and I don't like to talk to people. It's not the writers I don't like to talk to. I don't like to talk to anybody. "So when I get like that, it's not personal. But people take it personally, and 1 apologize for that. But that's just tlie way I am sometimes. ... I'm a hard guy to like." Indeed, for a coach who's taken a program to 17 NCAA Touma-- ; mcnts and two national title games in 20 seasons, w ith just one brush with the NCAA police. Boeheim has absorbed a lot of body blow s: He whines too much on the sidelines; his players underachieve; they don't make good pros. This F inal Eour run. w ith a modestly talented team, has been a revelation. Sure. Boeheim has gnmaced a time or three, but his team has played with poise and he's enjoyed poking fun at his own image. "I was termed, called by every ouch that I played against and every player I played w ith or against, as a one of the very smart player smartest players," Boelieim said of his days as a Syracuse guard. "And now I'm one if the dumbest ouches," The room howled. "He's extremely funny." htino said of his y "If you go to a it's him. with going to sound party strange to you. but he's the life of the paity ... and he's tlat out one of the premier ouches in the game." That has never been a consensus, but Boeheim doesn't care. "I think ouches should stay out of taking the credit." he said. "We're supposed to take the blame. That's what we're here for. ... Hut's what ouches are paid for." htino is no stranger to criticism or money. Between endorsements, salary. Taco Bell commercials, book royalities and his own restaurant, htino rakes in more than $1 million a year. easy. And as the fiHmcr coach of the New York Knicks and the current coach at Kentucky, he has faced slings and arrows from the tiKst obsessed fans and media in the world. But despite all his success, despite all tin cash and visibility, he has never won a championship as a head coach. Tonight, in fast, is his first title game. image-conscio- no-fril- i- So the CHARLOTTE, N.C. is doesn't true. One adage player make a championship team. At least that's what Tennessee proved Sunday at the Charlotte Coliseum, when the Lady Volunteers shut dow n Naismith play er of the year Saudia Roundtree of Georgia and defeated the Lady Bulldogs 83-6- 5 to win the NCAA women's basketball championship. After guiding the Lady Vols (32-- 4 no their fourth and her national championship and first since 1991. Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt glowed almost as brightas her fluorescent orange ly pantsuit. interrupted President Bill Clinton during his congratulatory phone call and herded her players around her to address the media. "I told the players in the locker riHm. "We're getting ready to take on our last exam of the year. Do " you feel prepared? Summitt aid The Lady Vols aced the exam vs ith the and beat Georgia (28-5- ) help of guard Latina Davis, who stuck to Roundtree like Saran Wrap. After scoring 26 points against Stanford on I nday to prointo the final. pel Georgia Roundtree mustered only eight points Sunday. Davis had been instructed to play on Roundtree's left side since the Georgia point guard tends to sIhhh trom the lett of the line. Davis was so successful that Roundtree scored no points in the second half and finished 3 for 14 from the floor. tree-thro- w Though forward La'Keshia Frett tried to make up for Roundtree's straggles with game highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds. Georgia couldn't recover. When Roundtree started begging officials for calls in the second half, it was clear she was frustrated. " f lj" i "She was shaken up a little bit." Tennessee point guard Michelle Marciniak said. "You can see that in a player's eyes, and I saw it. I think our whole team saw it and we look advantage of it and did a good job." After the game, a solitary tear splashed a path down Roundtree's right cheek when she was asked if she had wanted the championship loo much, if she I1.1J pressed too hard. Georgia Coach Andy Landers answered for the choked-uRoundtree. if (See CO U HES. Page R2l 1 X 3: p "'The thing about Roundtree is. two nights ago. we were singing her praises." Landers said. "We all know the things we saw her do the dipsy-dos- . the pull-uand we all jump shots thought it was great. Now we it " it. I don't one-on-thr- AP p question question Tennessee's Michelle Marciniak. left, steals the ball from Georgia's Saudia Roundtree during Ten- - win Sunday in the women's nessee's championship game in Charlotte. N.C. 83-6- 5 P!0O NCAA A's become Vegas act By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer A lot of people are predict ing the Oakland Athletics will look like a minor league team at the start of the season because their stars are missing. Maybe it's fitting, then, that they'll open the year in a minor league ballpark. The As become a Vegas act tonight when they play the Toronto Blue Javs at 9.344-sea- t Cashman F ield The Athletics, forced to leave Oakland because of construction at the Coliseum, will play their first siv "hinie" games in Las Vegas. It will be the first time a major league game has been played at a minor league paik since Sept. 3. 1957. when Brooklyn faced Philadelphia at Roosevelt Stadium in Jer- tinned, r7 La - - sey City. N.J. ex-txs- n who's 6-- 4 and sees over pressure. That game was so foreign to the way this game will be played. Syracuse turned the bail over t'we times. If they turn it over five times against us. it will be a nice trophy that we will receive." for women's crown Analycis g, tetfire title flit Kemifaeky downplays hype Seattle's Joey Cora slides across homeplate Karfcovice applies the as Chicago catcher Ron tag during the ninth inning ol Sunday's open-In-g game in Seattle. Homeplate umpire Jim McKean. right, called Cora, who was trying to score the winning run on a wild pitch, out. "There's nobody on this team that has never play ed in a minor league park, so there won't be any surprises." Oakland's Scott Brosius said. "What I think is every this as an inconvenience but it's not like it's a or event. A total of 1 openers were scheduled for today. There had been 12, but the Philadelphia Phillies postponed their game a day in advance because they expected bad weather. Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves were to get their World Series rings. Ryne Sandberg was to return r from a I retirement and President Clinton was to throw out the first ball on ihe first full day of the 19 seabody-view- Warner By JIM COUR AP Sports Writer SEATTLE The eailiest start in baseball history ended with another late win by the Seattle Manners. Alex Rodngue singled home the w inning run w ith one out in the 12th inning Sunday night, lifting the Manners over the Chicago White Sox in the first nutuir league game played in Maah. "I felt this game could go m forever." Rodngue said Randy Johnson struck out 14 in seven innings part of a team record tying 21 strikeouts by Seat 3-- 2 Guiagae (SOBntaues onii tle pitchers and frank "Ihomas hit a two-ru- n homer tor the White Sox Ijter. the Manners, whose 43 comeback wins last year were part of the reason the 1995 AL West championship banner was raised in picgamc ceremonies, did it again. "These guys have a tradition of coming back late, an attitude, but we really let one gel away tonight." llHMnas said oad Ihe Martneis the tying run in the ninth on an RBI double by AL hatting champion Edgar Maitine. and only a luvky bounce loi the White Sox prevented Seattle Irom w inning then. In the 12th. though. Strange reached with one out on an error by second baseman Ray Durham and look third on newcomer Russ Davis' double After an intentional walk to Dan Wilson. Rodngue singled to right venter oil loser Bill Smus. "Alex Lkl a good spring and we have a Uh of confidence in him." nunager I ahi hniellj said of his rokie shortstop, who went deep in tlte hole to throw out leadoff hitter Tony ITiiIlips in the third inning "All we needed in the 12th was lot Ak-- to put the ball in play and we were confident he would." with a Rodngue was lug x stnkevHit and 1 996 w as thinking how badly he would feel if he went "I think I was a little overanx-ivHi- s and emotional at the start of the game." he said. "But I calmed down later " Ditto Davis. 26, also a rookie "I was nervous at first he said. "No questivHi I'm just glad wc came out of this game w ith a klory." Sinus, who spent last August and September w ith the White So. was disappointed with the way his first full season started out. Seattle won 16 times in its last dunng the 1995 regular season, and did it a couple more times in the playoffs. at-b- seavn-threateni- s ng 1 I2-yea- son. Recently retired Dave tSe MAJORS, Pag B2) |