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News Nuggets, 03.29.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Spring dawns on new era of Army football

WEST POINT — Mother Nature smiled on the Army Football program Saturday, providing a glorious spring backdrop as the Black Knights ushered in the "Bobby Ross" era with the first spring practice of the renowned coach's tour at West Point.

Although rain was forecasted, the storm front moved through the Hudson Valley faster than expected and patches of blue sky welcomed the Black Knights as they broke ranks for conditioning drills following Ross' first whistle at 8:35 a.m. Following a spirited workout that lasted more than two hours, Ross was as pleased as with his squad's performance as he was with the unexpected good turn in the weather.

"We had a beautiful day for (practice), the weather broke well for us, and we got a lot of good work in today," Ross said, indicating his squad still has much room for improvement. "We've got some work to do, I don't think there is any question about that. But, my main concern is getting us healthy, and being able to get the work out of the people I think will be able to help us. Right now, we have a few more injured (players) than I would like for the start of camp, although we came out of today with nothing (to report), so that is good."

After stretching exercises and special teams sessions to open the workout, more than 100 Black Knights dispersed throughout the pair of expansive grass practice fields on Howze Field, reporting to their respective positional coaches for individual work.

The defensive linemen participated in agility drills and the offensive line concentrated on "line calls" with coach Stan Brock, while the quarterbacks adjourned to an edge of Field 2 to work on their technique under the watchful eye of coach Eddie Wilson. Meanwhile, coach Tucker Waugh tutored the wide receivers as the defensive backs and linebackers concentrated on alignments and footwork.

Later, the coaching staff reunited the offensive and defensive squads for a host of drills, featuring interior line matchups, as well as the secondary against the wide receivers.

As the practice session unfolded, a large contingent of fans rimmed Howze Field to catch a glimpse of Ross' much-anticipated on-field debut. All the while, Ross roamed the complex, encouraging, cajoling and reprimanding players as necessary.

C-USA baseball standings (through Mar. 28)

                 CONFERENCE---   OVERALL-------
TEAM             W  L  T  Pct.    W  L  T  Pct.
Tulane           5  1  0  .833   19  7  0  .731
Texas Christian  5  1  0  .833   17  9  0  .654
Louisville       5  1  0  .833   14  9  0  .609
Southern Miss    4  2  0  .667   20  4  0  .833
South Florida    4  2  0  .667   18  8  0  .692
East Carolina    3  3  0  .500   21  6  0  .778
Charlotte        3  3  0  .500   13  9  0  .591
UAB              2  3  0  .400   14  9  0  .619
Houston          2  4  0  .333    9 17  0  .346
Saint Louis      1  4  0  .200    7 16  0  .286
Memphis          1  5  0  .167   12  9  0  .571
Cincinnati       0  6  0  .000    3 20  0  .130

49ers' Withers named 3rd-team All-America

Charlotte 49ers sophomore forward Curtis Withers has been named third-team all-America by Basketball Times. Withers, a first-team all-Conference USA selection, averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds while ranking fourth in the NCAA with 16 double-doubles.

The 49ers top scorer and rebounder led the 49ers to a 21-9 record, a share of the Conference USA regular-season championship and an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

A two-time Conference USA Player of the Week, Withers scored in double figures and pulled at least seven rebounds in all but two games this past season. In Conference USA action, he averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds with eight double-doubles. He scored 20 or more points nine times, with seven of those games coming against C-USA competition.

His 16 double-doubles are the third-best single-season total in 49ers history and his 19 career double-doubles rank seventh all-time.

Withers, a Charlotte native, ranks sixth in C-USA in scoring, second in rebounding and first in offensive rebounding. The 49ers led Conference USA in both scoring and rebounding.

Among Withers' top games were a 26-point; 11-rebound outing vs. UAB, a 23-point, 10-rebound performance vs. then #9/#9 Louisville, a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. Southern Illinois and a 23-point, seven-rebound outing vs. Memphis. He averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in two games vs. Top 15-ranked Cincinnati. In 11 games vs. 2004 NCAA participating teams, Withers averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Withers and Louisville's Francisco Garcia (3rd team) were the only representatives from Conference USA.

Dukies bump off Cinderella to round out Final Four field

ATLANTA — Too much history. Too much Duke.

The Blue Devils ended Xavier's remarkable run in the NCAA Tournament and headed to their 14th Final Four, holding off the Musketeers 66-63 Sunday to win the Atlanta Regional.

Xavier (26-11) had already chopped down the second- and third-seeded teams in the region, but couldn't make it 1-2-3 against Duke (31-5). The Blue Devils will be the only No. 1 seed in San Antonio, advancing to meet Connecticut next Saturday in the national semifinals.

Duke and UConn will be joined by regional winners Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State in the three-game scramble that will culminate with the national championship battle on Monday, April 5. The Yellow Jackets and Huskies will collide on Saturday in the other national semifinal.

The seventh-seeded Musketeers had never been this far in the tourney, and it showed in the closing minutes against postseason-hardened Duke.

With the score tied at 56, Chris Duhon drove to the basket and missed, but Luol Deng grabbed the offensive rebound and passed out to J.J. Redick, who swished the 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils ahead for good with 2:55 remaining.

Xavier couldn't overcome the loss of Anthony Myles, its best inside player, who fouled out with 12½ minutes remaining after scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. His absence was especially telling at the end.

After Redick's trey, 6-foot-1 Dedrick Finn drove the lane, only to have his shot swatted away by 6-9 Shelden Williams. Duhon sped the other way and missed again, but Deng tapped in the rebound to give the Blue Devils a five-point lead with 1:55 to go.

Justin Doellman finally scored for the Musketeers, their first basket in nearly 4½ minutes, but Duke closed it out at the free throw line. Redick hit a pair. So did Duhon, the only prominent holdover from Duke's last national championship team in 2001.

The Blue Devils lost the last two years in the regional semifinals. They didn't slip up this time.

Deng had 19 points and was named the MVP of the regional. Williams also came up big, scoring 12 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

Lionel Chalmers led Xavier with 17 points.

Xavier failed to become the first team since LSU in 1986 to reach the Final Four by knocking out the top three seeds in a region. Duke is a virtual lock when it gets to this point, improving to 9-1 in regional finals under coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The Blue Devils will be seeking their fourth national title at the Alamodome next weekend.

Maryland to crack down on boorish fans

COLLEGE PARK — Fans at Maryland games would have to watch what they yell under a behavior policy proposed by the university and backed by the state.

The school can limit offensive chants, signs and clothing at games while preserving the principle of free speech, Maryland Assistant Attorney General John Anderson wrote in a March 17 memo. Anderson was consulted by the school in February.

The university may "constitutionally adopt a carefully drafted policy that prohibits offensive speech at Comcast (Center)," Anderson wrote in a memo first reported by The Washington Times. "I do not conclude that the First Amendment condemns any such effort to failure."

The school cannot arrest individuals who violate the policy since offensive speech is protected under a 1971 Supreme Court case. But Anderson said it's possible to restrict such language in cases involving a captive audience.

Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow declined comment but has supported restrictions on vulgar language. The school wants the policy in place before the first home football game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 4.

The policy most likely would cover all sports although its stems from complaints by fans during the men's basketball season.

During a Jan. 21 home game against Duke, vulgar chants from the student section could be heard by the TV audience on ESPN. The school began playing a pregame recorded message from coach Gary Williams that discouraged offensive language.

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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.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007