The Morning Dish – Friday, March 25th
Stoudamire Shot Sends Arizona to Elite 8:
In a sea of Illini orange at AllState Arena, it was No. 3 Arizona’s Salim Stoudamire’s jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining that was the night’s most memorable play. Stoudamire scored 11 of his 19 points in the final four minutes as Arizona advanced to its fifth Elite Eight in nine years with a 79-78 victory against No. 2 Oklahoma State. Hassan Adams had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Channing Frye had 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the Cats. After struggling in the first two rounds, the Cowboys’ Joey Graham finished with 26 in his last game for OSU.
Illini Send Partisan Crowd Home Happy:
After waiting patiently to boo Bruce Pearl, the Illini fans had plenty to cheer about as No. 1 Illinois advanced to its first Elite Eight since 2001 with a 77-63 victory against No. 12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., Thursday night. The Illini once again rode their guards to victory. Five Illini finished in double figures, led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams with 21 each. Joah Tucker kept the Panthers in the game deep into the second half by scoring 32.
Louisville One Step Away from First Final Four Since 1986:
Using the motivation of being snubbed from a higher seed, No. 4 Louisville upset top-seeded Washington with a 93-79 victory against the Huskies in Albuquerque Thursday night. Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean continued to lead the way for the Cardinals. Garcia had 23 points, Dean 19 points and Larry O’Bannon 18 points for Louisville. Jamaal Williams led Washington with 18 points and six rebounds.
West Virginia Outlasts Texas Tech:
Kevin Pittsnogle scored 22 points, and No. 7 West Virginia shot 42 percent from three-point range, as the Mountaineers continued their improbable NCAA Tournament run with a 65-60 Sweet 16 win against No. 6 Texas Tech. Ronald Ross led Tech with 16 points.
Cincinnati Suspends Assistant LeGree:
Cincinnati assistant coach Keith LeGree has been suspended by Cincinnati after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. LeGree’s DUI arrest came a year after Bearcat head coach Bob Huggins was arrested for the same crime. The school announced that LeGree has received a paid suspension and will be evaluated during that time. LeGree just completed his fifth season as an assistant in the Queen City after playing for Huggins from 1994-96.
Fife Takes Over at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne:
Former Indiana hero Dane Fife has been hired as the next coach at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. The appointment makes the 25 year old the youngest head coach in Division I. Fife will try to revitalize a program that has struggled badly since entering Division I in 2000. Former coach Doug Noll was fired in January, after amassing a 40-199 record in five years. IPFW concluded 2005 7-22. Fife joins a long list of coaches switching jobs during this off-season’s Coaching Changes .
Weber Named Naismith Winner for 2005:
After leading Illinois to a 34-1 record, the Big Ten regular and tournament titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Bruce Weber has been named the Naismith National Coach of the Year for 2005. This is the 19th season that the award has been given out. The United States Basketball Writers Association also awarded Weber with the Henry Iba award, signifying their Coach of the Year.
UAB’s Anderson Given Permission to Speak with Vols:
Tennessee has been given permission to speak with Alabama – Birmingham coach Mike Anderson regarding the Volunteers’ vacant coaching position. Anderson has led UAB to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances including a Sweet 16 trip in 2004 and has a 65-34 record in three years in Birmingham. Former coach Buzz Peterson was let go after a 61-59 record in four years in Knoxville.
Theus Interested in New Mexico State:
Louisville assistant coach Reggie Theus is reportedly interested in the top position at New Mexico State. Theus is in his second season on Cardinal coach Rick Pitino’s staff and has coached in the ABA. Theus had a 13-year career in the NBA, including stops in Sacramento and Chicago. He played at UNLV. Aggie athletic director McKinley Boston has met with Theus twice and hopes to name a new coach to replace Lou Henson by Final Four Weekend.
Tonight’s Menu:
• No. 1 North Carolina will play No. 5 Villanova, and No. 10 NC State gets No. 6 Wisconsin in Syracuse.
• Meanwhile in Austin, No. 1 Duke plays No. 5 Michigan State, and No. 6 Utah tries to take down No. 2 Kentucky for a spot among the Elite Eight.
