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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2002
ATLANTA -- Before his team met Duke in the Sweet 16, Indiana coach Mike Davis phoned a good friend for a suggestion on how best to beat the Blue Devils: Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson.
Davis stuck with his pal's plan of going inside, and the Hoosiers upset the nation's top team, fueling an improbable run to Monday's national title game against Maryland. So, did he again seek out Dickerson for advice? "I called last night," Davis said before the final. "He wouldn't return my call."
FAMILIAR BANNER: Maryland became the eighth Atlantic Coast Conference team to reach the NCAA title game in the past 13 years. The league was 4-3 in those with Duke winning in 1991, '92 and 2001, and North Carolina winning in '93.
A TIME TO REMEMBER: Maryland senior forward Byron Mouton said he would take a special moment after the final to remember his brother, Kevin, who was shot and killed in December in Houston. He was 32.
"My whole family is going to come together and say a prayer," Mouton said.
He dedicated this season to his brother, saying a prayer before each game, and hoped to honor him with a championship.
ODDS AND ENDS: Maryland played in its 2,002nd game Monday. ... IU entered Monday with a 6-1 record against No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. ... Maryland became the 53rd school to reach the title game. ... Former Georgia Tech star guard Mark Price was honored Saturday with the Coach Wooden Keys to Life Award, which goes to an individual who best embodies coach John Wooden's guiding principles for success on and off the court. The other finalists were North Carolina State standout David Thompson, ESPN analyst and ex-North Carolina center Brad Daugherty and former Valparaiso guard Bryce Drew.