ST. LOUIS - When Paul Hewitt took over as coach at Georgia Tech in April 2000, Marvin Lewis' parents wanted a word with him.
Recruited by Bobby Cremins, Lewis had picked Georgia Tech as much for its academic reputation as its basketball program. He was still pretty sure he wanted to go there when Cremins resigned, and a couple of phone conversations with Hewitt settled it.
But Lewis' parents still wanted to meet Hewitt. So when Lewis was at an AAU game his senior year, Nathan and Lachee Lewis met Hewitt in a diner in Winston-Salem, N.C.
"You've just got to tell them who you are and what you believe in," Hewitt said. "If you are going to turn your son over to a coach for the next four years, you at least want to meet him and talk to him to see what the plan is going to be."
The Lewises obviously liked what they heard, giving their blessing for their son to go to Tech.
Four years later, the decision has worked out well for Lewis and the Yellow Jackets. Lewis, a management major, has made the dean's list all but one semester and has a job offer for when he graduates this spring.
He also has helped revive Georgia Tech's program, which is in a region final for the first time since 1990.
Georgia Tech plays Kansas today in St. Louis with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Lewis, the team captain, scored 23 Friday night after B.J. Elder got hurt to lead Georgia Tech to a 72-67 victory over Nevada.
"He obviously represents everything that the NCAA wants to project," Hewitt said.
PRIDE OF AFRICA: Africa isn't known as a basketball hotbed but the continent will be well represented in today's Atlanta Region final.
Xavier is led by senior guard Romain Sato, a native of the Central African Republic. One of Duke's top players is freshman forward Luol Deng, who was born in Sudan.
"People are looking to us," Sato said. "I think we might help our countries through basketball. Maybe one day, people back home will say, "I want to do the same thing they're doing.' "
INSIDE GAME: Duke usually uses a three-guard lineup, but the Blue Devils showed in their region semifinal that they can pound the ball inside.
Deng scored 18 on 6-of-11 shooting in the 72-62 win over Illinois. Shelden Williams was 7-of-9 for 14 points. Shavlik Randolph came off the bench to go 3-of-5 for seven points.
Overall, the Blue Devils had 40 points in the paint.
"Over the last six weeks, and especially the last two or three weeks, the guys have really improved," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That was the best post passing I've seen. I can't think of another team that did it that well."
PAYING A COMPLIMENT: Kansas has been to the tournament so many times, off-day interview sessions are getting routine. But one question got point guard Aaron Miles' attention.
When Keith Langford and Wayne Simien were asked to describe Miles' leadership skills, Miles grinned and scooted forward in his seat, staring at his teammates.
Langford went first, and was very complimentary of his friend.
"Out of Kirk (Hinrich) and Nick (Collison), he's probably given me the most confidence as a player," Langford said. "I trust him as much as anybody, on the court, outside of the court. Me and Wayne have been such a big part of this team's success - everybody sitting at this podium. But when you look at the catalyst, it's Aaron. You can tell when he goes out of the game. It just doesn't run as fluid. He's needed for this team to win."
Obviously touched by the praise, Miles thanked Langford.
Then it was Simien's turn.
"As far as punctuality on the team, he's by far the worst I've ever been around," Simien said as Miles looked horrified and the rest of the Jayhawks laughed. "You try to go get something to eat and he's always the one that's being waited on."
"He's lying!" Miles said.
FOLLOWING A LEGEND: Roy Williams doesn't have to worry about being buried.
First-year Kansas coach Bill Self said he never considered doing anything to end the endless comparisons to Williams this season. He certainly never thought about having a mock funeral for Williams as Illinois coach Bruce Weber did for Self in December.
Weber was so sick of hearing about Self, who left for Kansas last spring, that he came into the locker room before the Illini's Dec. 11 game against Maryland-Eastern Shore dressed in a black sport coat, black pants and a black tie.
Self said Saturday he knew he'd be compared to Williams.
"When you leave a team like Illinois to go follow a guy that won 80 percent of his games, there's a good chance you're going to disappoint some people," Self said. "It was almost expected."
WHERE TO GO?: When Will Bynum decided to transfer from Arizona after his sophomore season, he narrowed his choices to two schools.
Either way, he would have been a game from the Final Four.
The 6-foot guard wanted to go to Oklahoma State so he could be reunited with Cowboys star Tony Allen, a friend and teammate from their days at Chicago Crane High.
"I wanted to play with Tony pretty bad," Bynum said. "Me and him are pretty good friends. I've known him since I was little."
Alas, Oklahoma State had no scholarships available and Bynum decided on Georgia Tech.
The move has worked out well for Bynum and both schools.
Bynum has become a key reserve for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 9.3 points and adding depth to a team that had plenty of talent. Oklahoma State filled out its roster with point guard John Lucas, who transferred from Baylor after its scandal-plagued summer.
Bynum and Allen still call each other almost daily.
"He's been talking trash about how they're going to the Final Four," Bynum said, smiling. "Hopefully, we'll get there against them."
