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Slight slip still leaves Williams heads above

By BRIAN LANDMAN and Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 25, 2001

PHILADELPHIA -- Duke sophomore guard Jason Williams enjoyed banner days in his first two games at the First Union Center, against Temple on Dec. 2, then against UCLA on Thursday. He converted 21 of 33 shots, including 14 of 23 three-pointers, for 64 points.

"Knock on wood, you don't jinx me," he said before his third game in this building.

After starting 6-of-7 from the field against Southern Cal on Saturday night, he struggled and finished 10-for-26 for a game-high 28 points. He was named most outstanding player of the region.

MARRY ME AGAIN: Now that the Trojans have finished their tournament run, the first order of business for Jeff Trepagnier will be to formally propose marriage to Malika Edmonson.

The fact that they've been married for a couple of months is strictly incidental.

Earlier this season, the NCAA took an interest into the funding for Trepagnier's 2000 Cadillac Escalade. His girlfriend's father, Warren Edmonson, co-signed a loan for the car.

Normally, that would not be a big deal. But the fact that Barbara Edmonson, Malika's mother, is a volunteer track coach at USC touched off alarms.

That would be an "extra benefit" from the university for Trepagnier and an NCAA no-no. But if the money had come from a family member, say a father-in-law, that would be okay.

Hence, a rushed marriage one night in Las Vegas. "Then we spent an hour gambling before our flight back to L.A.," he said.

Now, Trepagnier was in the clear with the NCAA and back in good standing with the team, if not with hecklers around the Pac-10. The experts at Stanford let him have the full treatment. "It was kind of funny, really," he said.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The last time Duke won the national title, in 1992, it began the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., then traveled to Philadelphia and finally Minneapolis. This year, the Blue Devils are on the same course.

EAST HONORS: Duke senior forward Shane Battier and USC junior forward David Bluthenthal, junior forward Sam Clancy and senior forward Brian Scalabrine joined Williams on the region all-tournament team.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: USC, like many West Coast schools, tried to woo Mike Dunleavy out of Jesuit High in Lake Oswego, Ore. But the Trojans did it a bit differently than most: They tried mass mailings to show how interested they were. Dunleavy said on one day, he received 150 letters from USC.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER: The Trojans haven't beaten the nation's No. 1-ranked team since they upset UCLA 87-86 in Pauley Pavilion on March 6, 1970. Since then, they are 0-5 in such matchups.

IRON MAN: Trepagnier played all 120 minutes of USC's first three NCAA Tournament games. He actually sat out a minute (officially) in the first half Saturday and ended up playing a mere 39.

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