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Mirror images face off in East

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 15, 2001

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Even though he stopped slicking his hair straight back, Hofstra coach Jay Wright said he still gets mistaken for his good friend and, coincidentally, today's opposing coach, UCLA's Steve Lavin.

"It wasn't just last year, it's really been the last five years," Wright said Wednesday. "At the coaches convention at the Final Four, I'm in the lobby and everyone comes up to me and asks me for my autograph and they always say, 'Coach Lavin. Coach Lavin.' "

Some haven't believed him when he's tried to correct them and, for expedience sake, has signed Lavin. But Wright said it's not just fans who get it wrong.

"People walk by me on the streets, and I won't use names, but there's a lot of Division I head coaches who coach in the Pac-10 who walk past me on the street and say, 'Hey Coach. Nice season. Good job.' And I know they're not talking about the America East," he said.

Wright may find it hard to believe, but Lavin insisted it works both ways.

"I've had people say, 'Jay,' " he said. "Guys do the double take "

TOUGH YEAR: The lines in coach Eddie Sutton's face, carved by 31 years on the sidelines, seem etched deeper than ever after the tragic crash that killed two players and eight other members of the Oklahoma State traveling party on Jan. 27.

The team was on its way home after losing at Colorado when a chartered plane crashed, killing all 10 people aboard. Among those killed were redshirt freshman Nate Fleming and reserve Dan Lawson.

"It was difficult for all of us," Sutton said Wednesday after his team practiced for its NCAA tournament game against Southern California. "It's hard to describe. I've told friends I hope this never happens. They don't prepare you for this."

(NOT SO) FUNNY SEEING YOU HERE: The usually loquacious Georgia coach Jim Harrick didn't have much to say about UCLA, the program he led to national title (in 1995) before he was dumped, and his former assistant, Lavin.

"I have none," he said when asked about his relationship with Lavin.

Lavin had said that in the past two years, he and his former boss, to whom he's indebted to for giving him an opportunity 10 years ago, have talked.

"There's water under the bridge and I hope that times heals some wounds," he said.

"Yes, it is (water under the bridge), I have no ," Harrick said later. "UCLA's a great place. Just some of the people aren't."

ROOKIE AWARD: Duke guard Chris Duhon was a slam-dunk choice for freshman of the year in the ACC, the fourth in the program's history and first for Mike Krzyzewski. Duhon averaged 7.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists with a nearly 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

"It feels good," he said. "I just want to thank my coaches and my teammates for giving me the opportunity to play well."

Previous Blue Devil winners: Jim Spanarkel (1976), Mike Giminski (1977) and Gene Banks (1978).

Florida State's Michael Joiner also was named to the all-freshman team, becoming the second Seminole so honored. Corey Louis earned the honor in 1995.

RUSH TO JUDGMENT: Missouri forward Kareem Rush said he's doing well after missing seven games with a torn ligament in his left (shooting) thumb, but concedes he's only about 85 percent. After a tentative return against Kansas in the regular-season finale (he shot 1-for-7), he hit 18 of 29 shots in two Big 12 tournament games.

"I'm not surprised by how well I'm doing," he said. "I've been working hard at it and doing extra time shooting and make sure I'm comfortable doing it."

South

UNSUNG HERO: The two words commonly used to describe Andre Hutson are "quiet" and "warrior."

Who ever heard of a quiet warrior?

A second-team All-Big Ten selection, Hutson is the third-leading scorer on Michigan State, averaging 13.5 points, and the leading rebounder at 7.4. He's one of 17 players in MSU history with at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

"If you look at his statistics for this year and his career," said assistant coach Brian Gregory, who works closely with Hutson, "you're amazed at how well he's done. I think people take for granted where he is in our total rebound list and with points and all that."

Midwest

SEEING IS BELIEVING: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom was at Joel Coliseum last year and watched Butler nearly upset Florida in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. He knows how good that team is and, just in case his players missed that game, he called Florida for a videotape.

"They were kind enough to send it to me and you can bet that my team is going to watch that before we play on Friday," he said.

West

WHAT IF?: Maryland coach Gary Williams wasn't surprised to see that his team could end up with a second-round game against Georgia State, coached by former Maryland icon Lefty Driesell. But then Williams' Terrapins have met Driesell.

"Lefty came walking in the gym at Georgia State before the Wake Forest game," Williams said, referring to the team's ACC tournament quarterfinal. "I just said, 'Hey, Lefty. Come over here and say a few words to the team.' "

In pure vintage Driesell, he jokingly jabbed at his former player and current Maryland assistant, Billy Hahn: "Hey, Hahn. You still haven't bought anybody a dinner at Maryland since you been there."

Driesell then told the players he was proud of them for having a good year and wished them luck.

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