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News Nuggets, 03.28.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Xavier not figuring on being Duke's cupcake

ATLANTA — From a historical standpoint, this one looks like a slam dunk.

The Duke Blue Devils have spent so much time at NCAA regional finals, they could be charged with loitering. And Xavier? The Musketeers never knew they played basketball at this time of year.

The unlikely Sunday matchup — tourney-tested Duke vs. neophyte Xavier — will decide the Final Four representative from the Atlanta Regional. Not surprisingly, both sides spent a lot of time on the eve of the game trying to downplay what came before this season.

"It doesn't matter to me at all," said Justin Cage, one of two freshmen who starts for the X-men. "Hey, they tie their shoes just like we do. It's not like we're just going to lay down and die."

No. 1 seed Duke (30-5) doesn't want to rest on its laurels, which are rather hefty. The Blue Devils are appearing in their 17th regional final — the last 10 during the Mike Krzyzewski era.

Since "Coach K" took over, Duke has been a virtual lock when it gets to this point in the season, going 9-1 in games that decided a Final Four berth. Overall, the Blue Devils have 14 Final Four appearances and, oh yeah, three national championships.

"The past is really irrelevant," Krzyzewski tried to argue, pointing out that point guard Chris Duhon is the only holdover starter from the last title team in 2001. "The fact that a program has done it before doesn't make any difference. It's the individuals on the court, the experiences they have."

Xavier (26-10) better hope so. The seventh-seeded Musketeers are playing in their first regional final, having knocked off No. 2 Mississippi State and No. 3 Texas to get this far.

While the Musketeers can't match Duke's resume, they are proud of their accomplishments nonetheless. Just look at the cover of the media guide, which proclaims on the front cover: "Xavier University, A Tradition Of Excellence."

They have been to the NCAA tournament four years in a row. They have eight straight seasons with at least 20 wins. They have averaged more than 22 victories per season since 1985.

Duke doesn't have to worry about making its case. The Blue Devils have their usual array of weapons, starting with the gritty Duhon. He's playing with extremely sore ribs, which prevented him from taking part in any media activities Saturday. He's also been limited in practice, mostly standing around and avoiding anything that might cause him more pain.

He'll save that for the game.

Tulane, LSU aim to reclaim attendance mark

NEW ORLEANS - Two years ago, the state of Louisiana laid claim to the college baseball single game attendance record when an April 2002 game between Tulane and LSU drew a crowd of 27,673 in the Louisiana Superdome. That game, as well as the record-setting Super Regional attendance the previous year at Zephyr Field, established Louisiana college baseball fans as the country's best.

On March 11, 2004, however, a crowd of 40,106 fans packed San Diego's brand new PETCO Park to watch a college game between San Diego State, coached by legendary Padres' star Tony Gwynn, and perennial Conference USA power Houston.

An April 27, 2004, battle beween the Green Wave and Tigers provides an opportunity for Louisiana to restake its claim as the nation's hotbed for college baseball as the teams meet for the third time this season in a 7 p.m. contest in the Superdome.

Tickets for the game are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Tulane Ticket Office at (504) 861-WAVE, the LSU Ticket Office at 225-LSU-2184 or 1-800-960-8587, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting any Ticketmaster Outlet.

Memphis phenom named to National All-Freshman Team

Memphis' Sean Banks has been named to Basketball Times' (BT) National All-Freshman Team, the publication announced last week.

Wake Forest's Chris Paul, Duke's Luol Deng, Minnesota's Kris Humphries and Iowa State's Curtis Stinson joined Banks as selections for the squad.

Banks also received several other honors after the postseason began in early March, including ESPN.com's National Freshman of the Year, CollegeInsider.com National All-Freshman Team, Conference USA Freshman of the Year and All-Conference first team.

He led the Tigers in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg), and is ranked among the C-USA statistical leaders in scoring (2nd), rebounding (11th), three-point field goal percentage (12th) and blocked shots (13th).

A 6-foot-8 forward, Banks led all league freshmen in scoring and rebounding. He scored 20 or more points 12 times in 2003-04, including the final six games of the regular season.

Banks is the only player in Memphis basketball history to hit at least six three-pointers in a game on four different occasions.

Horned Frogs placekicker nails postgrad grant

Texas Christian placekicker Nick Browne is one of 58 student-athletes selected for a $7,500 scholarship from the NCAA for postgraduate study at TCU or at the professional school of his choice.

The 29 male and 29 female student-athletes selected participated in fall sports, including women's badminton, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's water polo.

In addition to the fall sport honorees, the NCAA awards 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in winter and spring sports, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually.

Browne was named first team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Foundation and was named second team All-America by The Sporting News, the Football Foundation and the Associated Press in 2003. He was a first team All-Conference USA selection for the second straight year and was named the 2003 Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year.

A product of Garland, TX, Browne was also a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American for the second straight year.

Last season, Browne ranked second in the NCAA in field goals made (28), second in field goals made per game (2.15) and was 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging a conference-leading 9.4 points per game.

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News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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