By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published March 25, 2004
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Well, they finally figured out how to tell the Graham twins apart.
All it took, it turns out, was the big time.
Joey Graham? He's the one in the highlights on ESPN. He's the guy who averages 12.2 points for Oklahoma State. He's the guy who scored 21 in the NCAA game against Duke. You know, the one talking about hitting the NBA so hard he'll be able to buy his own plane.
Stephen Graham? He's the one on the bench, biting his lip. He's the one waiting his turn. He's the one who is getting a little weary of being called "Joey."
"It happens every day," Stephen said. "I don't even think our coaches can tell us apart yet."
Life has a way of separating people, however, even those as close as Joey and Stephen Graham, who played together at Brandon High and then at Central Florida. Joey is a forward, Stephen a guard, both are juniors.
The Grahams were restless at Central Florida and, after the 2002 season, decided to transfer to Oklahoma State. It has paid off for Joey. Stephen is still waiting.
"I know I'm every bit as good as he is," Stephen said.
For years the Grahams have been inseparable. They were the ones with the demanding father, the ones who had to make their beds each morning, who had to do their homework and play their musical instruments before being allowed to play basketball. Also, they were the ones who weren't going to any college except as a package.
Coming out of high school, Stephen liked FSU. Joey liked Florida. But most schools, including USF, had only one scholarship to offer. So they wound up at Central Florida for two years.
That might have worked out, considering UCF reached the NCAA Tournament this year. But the Grahams wanted a bigger stage.
Even with a lack of playing time the Grahams agree the transfer has worked out. Stephen has a 3.3 GPA, Joey a 3.1. Both talk about becoming pilots. Both talk about playing in the NBA. And even on the eve of the Sweet 16, both talk about next season.
"I can't wait until next year when he's out there with me," Joey said. "I feel better when he's out there."
I'M OKAY: Connecticut star Emeka Okafor keeps getting asked about his ailing back, even though he declared himself healthy last week.
He does not expect it to slow him down any longer.
Okafor, the Huskies imposing center who was voted a unanimous AP All-American on Tuesday, has been bothered all season by back spasms. He sat out two games during the Big East tournament but returned for the championship game against Pittsburgh.
Okafor has a small stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebrae and the spasms occur in the muscles around it, causing considerable pain. Connecticut's team doctor said Okafor will play when the pain allows him to.
"I have no pain in my back since I came back," the 6-foot-10 junior said before the Huskies practice session at America West Arena. "With the recovery time and the physical therapy, I was able to get back into things and get back into the system. My back feels great."
No. 2 seed Connecticut (29-6) plays No. 6 seed Vanderbilt (23-9) in today's first game.
LATE START: The expected 10 p.m. start to the Saint Joseph's-Wake Forest game at Continental Airlines Arena isn't going over big with Hawks guard Delonte West.
"Oh man. Well, we're going to miss Dave Chappelle,' West said.
The start is the latest of the year for St. Joe's. The Hawks opened the season with a 73-66 win over Gonzaga in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York, a game that didn't tip off until about 9:30.
SETTLING IN: Jamie Dixon promised he would try and keep nearly everything the same at Pittsburgh when he was promoted from assistant to coach after Ben Howland left for UCLA.
So far he has kept his word. The Panthers are back in the region semifinals for a consecutive season. Dixon has been with the team since 1999, when the Panthers were starting their rise to prominence.
"I was told we couldn't get it done," Dixon said. "It means a lot to be where we're at right now, with our record over the last couple years. I think it also means a lot because of how we did it."
Pittsburgh guard Julius Page has noticed a change in Dixon this season.
"It's a hard transition for him," Page said. "He wants to touch on every detail. We had to be patient with him. He's probably nervous. He had a lot of pressure taking over. Everything he does, he's going to learn from his mistakes. It's just a matter of being patient with the guy."
Around the nation
CLEMSON: Guard Chey Christie has been given permission to transfer. Coach Oliver Purnell said the junior said he wanted to go to another Division I school to get a fresh start. Christie started 26 of Clemson's 28 games as a junior and finished the season averaging 9.1 points.
NEW ORLEANS: Coach Monte Towe agreed to a five-year contract extension that runs through 2008-09. New Orleans, picked to finish last in the Sun Belt West, made it to the championship game of the conference tournament before losing to Louisiana-Lafayette.
SOUTHERN MISS: A lawsuit alleging the coaching staff committed serious NCAA infractions and wrongly revoked former center Ben Lambert's scholarship in 2003 will be filed in court this week, Lambert's attorney, John R. Reeves, said. Lambert, a 6-foot-9 center, averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds before leaving school 12 games into his senior season for what coach Jack Green called "personal reasons."
TEXAS A&M: Billy Gillispie, who coached Texas-El Paso to the NCAA Tournament this season after losing 24 the previous season, was hired to rebuild a team that hasn't made the tournament since 1987. He replaces Melvin Watkins, who resigned after the Aggies went 7-21 this season. Gillispie, 44, signed a six-year contract with a base salary of $600,000 a year, the school said.
Division II
METRO STATE 88, ROLLINS 54: The Tars' best season ended in the tournament quarterfinals in Bakersfield, Calif. The Tars (27-6) were unable to handle the pressure defense and hot shooting of the No. 1 Roadrunners (32-2). Eric Faber led Rollins, which is in Winter Park, with 17.
