The Morning Dish – Thursday, April 1st
Wooden Finalists: The list for the 2004 John R. Wooden Award for the nation’s top college basketball player has been paired down to ten. The finalists are John Lucas of Oklahoma State, Emeka Okafor of Connecticut, Chris Duhon of Duke, Andre Emmett of Texas Tech, Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph’s, Ryan Gomes of Providence, Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State, Josh Childress of Stanford, Devin Harris of Wisconsin and Blake Stepp of Gonzaga. The list will again be cut to five this weekend before a final announcement of the winner on April 10th.
Okafor Stung Again: Late in Connecticut’s practice Wednesday, Wooden Award candidate Emeka Okafor suffered a stinger but it’s not expected to limit his availability for Saturday night’s game against Duke. The injury was very similar to the one he suffered against Alabama last Sunday in the regional finals. Okafor will take it easy for Thursday’s practice but is expected to participate again fully on Friday.
Cardinal to Test Waters: Reports say Stanford’s junior forward Josh Childress will declare himself eligible for the NBA draft. He averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season and was named Pac Ten Player of the Year despite missing nine games. It is believed Childress has not signed with an agent and could choose to return to school by the June 17th deadline if he’s not pleased with his draft standing.
Future Stars: Presented more as a showcase for the NBA draft, the 2004 McDonald’s High School All American game was last night with the East beating the West 126-96. Of the 24 players, all but two of them have committed in some form to play college basketball. But through out the night, speculation had any number from 9 to 15 of them considering declaring for the NBA draft. At the top of that list is potential first overall pick Dwight Howard who scored 19 points and was named co-MVP; although co-MVP JR Smith stole the show. The North Carolina recruit scored 25 points and varied his shots from 360-dunks to 30-foot three pointers. Another Smith made news with his appearance in the game. Indiana recruit Josh Smith was playing in his third all-star game which according to NCAA rules makes him at risk of losing a year of college eligibility. He had a big block of a dunk that had everybody talking and only added to the speculation that he will enter the NBA draft.
Tar Heel Sightings: Former North Carolina Coach Matt Doherty was at the campus of James Madison on Monday and sources say he is the favorite to be the next head coach of the Dukes. Doherty announced his resignation from North Carolina last spring amid rumors of a player revolt. Doherty would replace Sherman Dillard who resigned from James Madison earlier in March after a 7-21 record this season.
Larranaga’s Signs on for more: Fresh off a school record 23 wins and trip to the NIT, George Mason has extended Coach Jim Larranaga’s contract through the 2009 season. He became coach of the Patriots in the midst of a streak of seven straight losing seasons in 1997. Just two years later, he led them to an NCAA tournament berth. This year the Patriots lost in the CAA championship game to Virginia Commonwealth.
Maryland Migration: Maryland assistant coach Jimmy Patsos has been named the new head coach at Loyola College. Loyola had fired Scott Hicks who led the team to a 1-27 record this season. Patsos has been at Maryland for the past thirteen years and had been interviewed by Loyola for the coaching job four years ago when they instead hired Hicks.
Another Opening: After 18 seasons at the helm, Dave Magarity has stepped down as coach of Marist. Magarity took a job in the athletic department after a 6-22 season. Former Duke star Bobby Hurley publicly stated his desire to coach the Red Foxes but has yet to be contacted by Marist officials. Hurley has no formal head coaching experience but is currently a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers and has been an assistant with his father who coaches St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey.
Tonight’s Menu:
• The NIT crowns its champion tonight with Rutgers taking on Michigan in Madison Square Garden.
• The College Slam Dunk and Three Point Championships will kick off Final Four festivities in San Antonio tonight. Blake Stepp of Gonzaga and Matt Lottich of Stanford are two of the featured players in the long distance championship. Andre Emmett of Texas Tech and Julius Page of Pittsburgh highlight the dunk competition.
