March 1 , 2007 - SPORTS NEWS - SPECIAL EDITION MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL SPORTS NEWS

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (covers.com): College hoops report card for wed's feb 28, 2007. You knew Florida’s slow starts would catch up with them. It was in the air. And unless something drastically changes in the next week, the defending national champions will be in trouble. The problem has followed the Gators around like carload of frat boys. Too many times they’ve fallen behind early, only to battle back and win by a hair. Or, as they've been doing recently, never recover (or cover). On Saturday, Florida missed its first six shots and trailed LSU by 13 points at halftime in the 66-56 loss as 6 ½-point favorites. Vanderbilt led by eight at halftime two weeks ago when it snapped Florida’s 17-game winning streak. And Alabama nearly knocked the defending champs off when it built an 11-point halftime lead one week earlier, only to have Florida come roaring back in true Gators fashion. No wonder Billy Donovan sounded the alarm Monday, saying his team needs to play up to its potential.  "Every team is coming at us like it's the last game of their life," Chris Richard said. "We can't afford to go down anymore at the half by 11 or 12 points. We need to be the team that's on top like we were last year. We have to come in, try to take the game over in the beginning." Did I mention Donovan said no excuses? Didn't think so. Otherwise I wouldn’t have led into that quote to make a point that the Gators are in need of some serious soul searching. They're better than this. Only two regular season games remain on the schedule and another slow start could bounce Florida from the SEC tournament faster than you can say “letdown." Grade: B Syracuse Orange Sweet baby pandas, if I hear or see one more reference about Syracuse being “on the juice” or an “a-peeling bet” I’m going to lose it. Yes, they are on a roll (dammit!) having won five straight and six of seven (5-2 ATS), but honestly, can we take a break from the predictable puns and focus on why Syracuse is winning down the stretch. Defense has always been a top priority for the Orange and this season is no exception. The thing is, nobody noticed because Syracuse was overshadowed by Pittsburgh’s dominance, Georgetown and Villanova’s run, and Connecticut's failures. If you didn’t know, the Orange lead the Big East in field goal defense (37.4) and have held five of their last seven opponents to less than 40 percent shooting. During Monday’s win over Georgetown (Syracuse’s second over a ranked opponent in six games) the Hoyas shot 29 percent for the game, including 20 percent in the second half and committed 19 turnovers. Doesn’t Georgetown rank third in field goal shooting? Didn’t look like it Monday. Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone defense is getting better by the hour. By clamping down defensively and having a healthy starting five, the Orange are dictating the kind of tempo matched by maybe only Villanova in the Big East. And look at what the Wildcats are doing. "Two weeks ago, we didn't deserve to be in (the NCAA tournament)," Boeheim said after Monday’s payday. "I'm proud of my kids. This game was the culmination.” Grade: B Nevada Wolf Pack Remind me again who Nick Fazekas is. Better yet, remind me who his teammates are because I was just testing you. I know who Nick Fazekas is and how drastically his game has improved since he dodged the NBA draft last year after Nevada’s opening-round loss to Montana. Tell me about Kyle Shiloh’s defense or Ramon Sessions’ clutch shooting.  Or maybe the way Marcelus Kemp’s 17.5 points per game are lost behind Fazekas’ 20.9. I want to hear how this foursome all average double-figures in scoring during conference play to lead Nevada to its first top 10 ranking in school history and the country’s best winning percentage, not to mention eight paydays over its last dozen games. Nevada is a deep team with more of an upside than most imagine. There’s already talk of a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. The Wolf Pack have two more games to make it official but before they do, expect Fazekas and the boys to make a statement. Grade: A Maryland Terrapins Last year, I could barely stand watching an ACC game. Frankly, it stunk. Two teams (Duke, UNC) ruled the conference with Boston College closely behind in third. But this year I can honestly say the ACC one of the most exciting conferences in the country. The SEC still takes the cake but I’m loving how a team like Maryland can win five straight-up and against the number and still be near the middle of the pack. There’s a lot more parity in the ACC than I think anybody realized. What’s lacking is experience. Maryland has the most seniors on its roster (6), three of which are starters. At this point of the season, that experience and leadership are invaluable tools that help translate into unexpected wins and paydays. Without a doubt, Maryland wouldn’t have come back to beat North Carolina last week without the play of D.J. Strawberry, who scored a career-high 27 points on his senior night. Seniors have that unique ability to step up when it counts, especially when their career is coming to a close. I don’t expect big things from Maryland in the conference tournament or in the NCAA tournament for that matter, but their late-season push, which included wins over Duke and North Carolina, saved what was almost another disastrous season. Grade: B+
  NCAA BASKETBALL PICKS: (covers.com): texas maturing at right time. One day they’re getting their feet wet at the Coaches vs. Cancer tourney and the next they’re reeling off five straight victories and winning eight of their last 10 conference games. I’ve had the benefit of watching the Texas Longhorns grow from a group of fresh-faced frosh to one of the hottest team in college basketball this season. There were some growing pains along the way, like the overtime losses to LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma State, but it’s those types of games that shaped Texas into the team it is today. Without a tough out-of-conference schedule or an equally difficult Big 12 slate, the Longhorns would not be in such a strong position as they go for their sixth straight win this Wednesday night against hated state rival Texas A&M. The maturation of Texas, a team that starts four freshmen and a sophomore, has been most evident during its last five games (3-2 ATS) and has shown on both ends of the floor. At the start of the season, the Longhorns offense depended on superstar forward Kevin Durant to create points on his own. The 6-foot-9 small forward’s 32.5 points per game was enough for Texas to hold its own against Big 12 opponents, putting together a 6-3 record (5-4 ATS). However, after back-to-back losses to the Aggies and Kansas State the Longhorns youth had a revelation. They would need more than just Durant if they were to contend for the Big 12 title. In the succeeding games, the Longhorns won by spreading the ball on offense and had four or five players score in double-figures almost every game during this streak. "I thought we could get better as a team, and I think we have," head coach Rick Barnes told the Dallas Morning News. "We never once talked to Kevin Durant about needing to score 25 every night. We've said over and over again that we're not a one-man team." Durant’s scoring has taken a dip, averaging only 21.4 points in the last five games. But according to Barnes, his star recruit isn’t caught up in averages and attention or even the possibility of jumping to the NBA next year; his main focus has always been winning. Scoring isn’t the only aspect of Texas’ game that is seeing improvement. The team’s overall defense has grown along with the players, holding its last five opponents to an average of 59.6 points. Stopping teams was the Longhorns’ biggest weakness this season, allowing conference opponents to score more than 77 points in their first nine Big 12 games. “All season Coach Barnes stressed to his players the importance of playing on both ends of the floor,” says Scott Rickenbach of Covers Experts. “Any one of those guys can come down and score but the toughest part is to get his freshmen to buy into playing defense.” Texas’ newfound wisdom and maturity will be tested in its final two Big 12 conference games. Wednesday’s matchup with Texas A&M and this Saturday’s visit to Allen Fieldhouse to face the Kansas Jayhawks will let bettors know if the Longhorns have really gone from boys to men. “I still think their youth is still going to get them,” Rickenbach says of the Longhorns inexperience. “The game on Wednesday will be a big revenge game against a rival, but the Kansas game should be very, very tough.” “They are still a step behind some of the elite teams and are a bit over-hyped because of Durant,” adds Rickenbach. “It makes it hard to play them because of some of the inflated lines they get.” Oddsmakers have the Longhorns set as 2-point favorites for tonight's game. The total is set at 139 1/2. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN2 live from the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
 
NCAA BASKETBALL FREE PICKS- (covers.com): college basketball must win games. This is a great time of the year for basketball wagering. Good NBA teams are priming for the stretch run, while bad ones might begin to pack it in. In college, teams are approaching conference tournament play with seedings and division titles on the line. This can set up many revenge spots, as teams will be playing each other for a second time. Take a close look at the earlier meeting and see if one rival embarrassed another and now gets them on their home court. In addition, there can be must-win games with teams approaching the 20-win mark or in a battle for division titles. Take UNLV. This week the Rebels had a nice home game against Air Force. It was a must win situation for the Rebels if they had any thoughts of winning the regular season title. They came up a bit short in a 56-50 loss earlier at Air Force. I took a close look at that earlier meeting and found some important facts. What was most impressive in that game for UNLV was that they shot just 36% from the field including 1 of 18 from long range, yet they still covered the number and nearly won the game. They were able to dominate on the boards, virtually doubling the Falcons in rebounding. I couldn't fathom the Rebels shooting 1-for-18 from three-point land again and they should dominate the boards, especially when you realize that UNLV had home court for the rematch. UNLV is 15-1 straight up at home this year and they have beaten the Falcons 10 of the last 11 meetings at the Thomas & Mack Center. The lone loss was a 2-point decision here a year ago. Air Force has dropped four of their last five road games with the only win coming against a weak New Mexico squad. The Falcons were able to dominate non-conference opposition early because of their unique style of play. But they are just 4-10 ATS in Mountain West action because conference rivals are more prepared for what Air Force likes to do. So what happened? UNLV crushed Air Force on the boards again, 41-28. They weren't a whole lot better from long range (4-of-18), but it was +3 better than the earlier meeting, which translates to nine more points. And that's pretty much what they won by, 60-50. Most important, they covered. When Mississippi State hosted Vanderbilt this week, it was a combination of must-win, revenge and a let-down spot that gave the Bulldogs extra edges. Revenge isn't always from this season. A year ago the Bulldogs faced the Commodores on the road and were embarrassed 80-52. Now the tables were reversed on Vandy. This meeting would be at Mississippi State and the Commodores were coming in sky-high off a win over topped ranked Florida. That was their first victory over a top ranked team since 1993 when they knocked off Kentucky. Of course, that was at home. How is Vandy on the road? A bad team, at 3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS. In addition, they have lost to some questionable teams on the road, Auburn and Wake Forest, as well as being blown out at Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. Mississippi State is tied for the division lead and playing their best ball of the season. The Bulldogs need every victory possible if they intend on making the big dance and they are on a 14-3 spread run as home favorites. The game meant far more to Mississippi State than the visitors, who were in a let-down spot after the thrilling upset of Florida. Mississippi State shot 53% while Vandy shot 42% for the game, and the Bulldogs led 45-27 at the half. Guess who won and covered with ease? Handicapping is about analyzing stats and situations, and college basketball this time of the year offers endless angles and winning opportunities
  
 
NCAA BASKETBALL PICKS- (associated press): miami suspends starting point guard.  The University of Miami's basketball team will lose its second player this month because of behavior problems. Point guard Denis Clemente has been suspended for the rest of the season for violating an undisclosed team rule, coach Frank Haith said. The story was reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. ''Here at the University of Miami we hold our players to certain standards and expect them to abide by policies set by both our university and this basketball program,'' Haith said. ''Denis chose to break those rules and will be held accountable for his actions.'' Clemente averages 9.8 points and 3.3 assists. He had started 15 of the 27 games he played in this season. This is the second time Clemente has been punished by Haith. He missed the season-opener for violating a team policy. Earlier this month, forward Raymond Hicks was suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules.
NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS- (covers.com): mid majors prepare for upsets at ncaa tournament.  Anybody who enjoyed watching the big boys squirm during the first year of college basketball's mid-major revolution is going to love the second. No longer content with just stealing spots in the NCAA field from their big-conference brethren, this season's versions of George Mason, Bradley and Northern Iowa could pick off a few choice seedings, too. We won't know for sure until Selection Sunday rolls around March 11. But considering the tournament committee's success in playing hunches a year ago, expect more of the same. That explained, in part, Ohio State coach Thad Matta's jubilation after beating Wisconsin. There was plenty for Matta to get emotional about - the Buckeyes locked up the nation's No. 1 ranking and a Big Ten regular-season title with a 49-48 win over the Badgers - but the biggest prize may be the one he talks about the least. Though the conference tournament still looms, the win put the Buckeyes in the driver's seat for a No. 1 seed when the NCAA brackets come out. And for all the changes the college game has undergone in recent years, there are few better predictors of success. The one-and-done tournament format means there are no guarantees, but since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985, top seeds have made it to the regional semifinals 84 percent of the time. A week ago, after beating Minnesota, someone asked Matta how important it would be to get a No. 1 seed and play their games in the Midwest all the way through the regional final in St. Louis. He demurred looking that far ahead, replying, ''you just listed sites where I didn't know there were sites.'' Seeding is on everyone's mind - his disclaimer aside, Matta included - and with good reason. Like the Buckeyes, UCLA is likely a lock for a No. 1, but losses by Florida and North Carolina over the weekend and a recent surge by Kansas means there is plenty of heavy lifting to be done. The Badgers aren't out of the picture, either. What's made those numbers more important than ever is the unprecedented depth in the college game. A top seed can count on an easy first-round game, and with luck, a big edge in the second. But that's about it. More kids are staying another year or two - defending champion Florida returned its starting lineup intact - and the new NBA minimum-age limit has forced high school stars to spend at least one season on campus. Even so the grip that coaches at big-time programs had on talent has been gradually loosening. They're now forced to choose between recruiting top talent and trying to win right away or dropping down a tier on the recruiting lists - the way Gators coach Billy Donovan did - and trying to keep a few players long enough to benefit from cohesion and experience. That was never a choice for the mid-majors. George Mason, for example, had three fifth-year seniors on the roster last season and the edge in experience showed. No major-conference favorite with designs on winning it all wants to run into Southern Illinois, a veteran team auditioning for this year's George Mason role, before somebody has softened the Salukis up. Last year, NCAA selection committee chairman Craig Littlepage came under withering criticism for awarding George Mason the Colonial Athletic Association's first at-large since 1986 at the expense of Cincinnati, which went 8-8 in the Big East, and second-tier Atlantic Coast Conference finishers like Maryland and Florida State. Almost as loud was the cry that went up when Bradley and three other Missouri Valley Conference teams totaled as many invitations as the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-10 each did. But Littlepage and his selectors looked like geniuses once the ball went up for grabs. A host of first-round stingers set the stage - Northwestern State beat Iowa; Wisconsin-Milwaukee tripped Oklahoma; Bucknell clipped Arkansas, then George Mason whipped perennial powerhouses Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut. And just for good measure, Bradley rolled Kansas and Pitt. The upstarts were so happy just to be seated at the table last year they didn't dare complain about the seedings. But there will be plenty of howling if Missouri Valley Conference champ Southern Illinois gets the same No. 7 slot given league champion Wichita State in 2006. With the MVC tournament set to begin Thursday, the 25-5 Salukis have won 11 straight and boast the nation's fifth-best RPI. It's worth remembering that for all the stunning upsets a year ago, the longer the tournament runs, the less likely the mid-majors stick around. At some point, talent matters more than the size of the chip on a team's shoulders and maybe even more than experience. Being unafraid is one thing, but being overmatched is something else. The last school to come from outside the power conferences and win it all was UNLV and that was in 1990, with the a handful of future NBA players on its roster. So by the time the survivors collect in Atlanta little more than a month from now, there will be plenty of familiar faces. But because the mid-majors will likely claim not just more perches in the field, but higher ones than they've been granted before, it's going to be a tougher road than ever. That's why Matta wanted his kids to know that for all they accomplished Sunday by beating Wisconsin, it was the start of a journey, not the end. ''I hope it motivates us,'' he said. ''I hope it continues to pour gas on our fire.''
NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS: (associated press): missouri valley canference taking aim at big dance.  The Missouri Valley Conference touts itself as a better league than it was a year ago. That doesn't mean it will receive as many NCAA tournament bids. With an unprecedented four awarded in 2006, the Valley was celebrated as a mid-major marvel. Critics of the selection committee's generosity - CBS' Billy Packer among them - were temporarily silenced when Bradley and Wichita State reached the Sweet 16. ''We've come back from a year in which we had a lot of doubters,'' Valley Commissioner Doug Elgin said Tuesday. ''The performance in the NCAA tournament was sweet validation against the backdrop of the criticism we came under on Selection Sunday. What our teams have done as an encore this year is pretty impressive.'' Impressive, for sure, but a bounty of bids still might be hard to come by. Regular-season champion and 11th-ranked Southern Illinois, whose RPI is No. 4, is a lock. And so is the winner of this week's MVC tournament in St. Louis, if it's someone other than the Salukis (25-5). newbodog.com has the Salukis pegged at +5000 to win the NCAA tournament this year. Southern Illinois has a 15-12-2 ATS record this season. Creighton (19-10) and Missouri State (21-9), the Valley's second- and third-place teams, probably need one win apiece in St. Louis to secure a bid. Both teams boast a 16-11 ATS record on the year. Then there's Bradley (20-11), which finished fourth in the regular season but is a respectable No. 46 in the RPI. Last year the Braves ended up fifth in the Valley, lost in the conference finals and then beat Kansas and Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament. Bradley coach Jim Les points out that his Braves have the same RPI as they did a year ago at this time and still got into the NCAA tournament as an at-large team. ''We believe our league deserves multiple bids, potentially three or four, and we'd like to believe we're in the hunt,'' he said. Elgin and the coaches say the argument for the Valley's strength lies at the bottom of the league, not the top. The bottom four teams came into the week with 57 wins. Only the Southeastern Conference had more wins from its worst four teams, with 61. Early-season surprise Wichita State (17-13) succumbed to the rigors of conference play. The Shockers joined Bradley in last year's Sweet 16 after knocking off Seton Hall and Tennessee, and they were as high as No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25 this season. But losses to three of the four bottom teams marked a free fall that landed them sixth in the standings. The league has a 79-32 nonconference record highlighted by Missouri State's win over Wisconsin in November. The Bears are the only team from outside the Big Ten to beat the Badgers, now ranked fourth after being No. 1 last week. No Valley team is lower than No. 142 in the RPI (Indiana State), and the league's No. 6 RPI is one rung ahead of the Big 12. Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson said in leagues such as the Big 12, there never is a debate about its second- and third-place teams getting NCAA bids. Some prognosticators have five NCAA bids penciled in for the Big 12. ''But with us, there is a rumbling about Creighton and Missouri State having to win a game (in St. Louis) to get in,'' Jacobson said. ''My feeling is three teams should be in because our league is so good top to bottom.'' Missouri State's Barry Hinson learned the hard way not to take anything for granted. He's still flabbergasted that his Bears weren't the fifth Valley team to make the NCAA tournament last year despite being No. 21 in the RPI. After last year, Hinson said, he told his players the only people they can count on to get into the NCAA tournament are themselves. That may be especially true this year. ''No one owes you anything,'' Hinson said. ''You have to earn it.'' FREE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (associated press): wisconsin big man could miss entire ncaa tournament.
  
 Wisconsin forward Brian Butch is expected to be out at least four weeks after dislocating his right elbow in the Badgers' loss to Ohio State. The team's leading rebounder had a dislocation and an associated fracture, and his anticipated recovery time is four to six weeks, the team said Monday. The injury occurred when Butch crashed to the floor while battling under the basket in the first half of the Badgers' one-point loss Sunday to the Buckeyes in Columbus. He watched the second half from the bench with his arm in a sling. At the time, Ohio State was ranked No. 2 and the Badgers No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25. The Buckeyes won 49-48 to clinch the conference title and then got the No. 1 spot in this week's poll. The Badgers, who end the regular season at home Saturday against Michigan State, slipped to No. 5. The 6-foot-11 Butch started 29 games for Wisconsin this season and is third in scoring, averaging 8.8 points, and tops in rebounding with 5.9 a game
 
 
FREE MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (associated press) gonzaga ready to make run.
 
 This sure looked like the year Gonzaga's dominance of the West Coast Conference would be shattered. As the Bulldogs struggled with a tough schedule, the drug arrest of one of their top players, and an uncharacteristic three losses to conference rivals, they seemed so vulnerable. Wrong. Gonzaga won its final three games, including a 74-64 win on Monday at San Diego that clinched a seventh consecutive WCC regular-season title. The Zags (21-10, 11-3 WCC) finished the regular season one game ahead of Santa Clara, which lost to Pepperdine 89-82 on Monday. Sportsbook.com has the Bulldogs listed at +15000 to win the 2007 NCAAB Championships. Coach Mark Few said Tuesday this year is much different from recent ones, when the Bulldogs were a Top 10 juggernaut that cruised through the WCC, including a 40-2 record the past three seasons. ''We've faced a lot of adversity and a lot of things we haven't faced at Gonzaga for some time, including being in second place going down the stretch,'' Few said. ''Our guys never lost sight of the goal. We went on the road and got two hard-earned victories over good ballclubs.'' But some things the Zags didn't win. In awards given out Tuesday by the WCC, Dick Davey of Santa Clara was voted coach of the year, breaking a string of six consecutive coach titles for Few. Davey is retiring after this season. ''He's a heck of a coach and somebody I always looked up to,'' Few said. ''It's a well-deserved honor for him.'' Gonzaga did get its seventh consecutive WCC player of the year honor, but guard Derek Raivio shared the prize with Sean Denison of Santa Clara. Raivio leads the WCC in scoring with 18 points per game, and leads the nation in free throws by making 95.5 percent from the stripe. Denison averages 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and made 59 percent of his field goals. Few said Raivio does so many things well that it is easy to take him for granted. ''The way he shoots free throws is amazing,'' Few said. ''Any time he gets fouled, we assume its two points. That's probably not really fair.'' In other honors, Raivio and guard Jeremy Pargo were on the All-WCC first team, while Sean Mallon was an honorable mention. Matt Bouldin was picked for the all-freshman team. The regular season title gave Gonzaga a bye into the semifinals of the conference tournament this weekend in Portland, Ore. Gonzaga will play either San Diego, Pepperdine or San Francisco on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the finals on Monday. Few had the first 10-loss season of his career, and the team's first since the 1997-98 campaign. A string of road losses in December also knocked the Zags out of the Top 25 for the first time in several years. Gonzaga lost three WCC games for the first time since 1999-2000. The Feb. 9 arrest of forward Josh Heytvelt, who was averaging 15 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, seemed to drive a dagger into the Bulldogs' season. Heytvelt, charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, has been suspended indefinitely. Three nights later, the Zags were beaten by Santa Clara, ending their 50-game home winning streak, longest in the nation. A few days later, they lost an overtime thriller to No. 6 Memphis. But the Bulldogs rebounded to win their final three games as Micah Downs, Bouldin and Abdullahi Cuso stepped up to fill Heytvelt's role. ''The team as a whole was greater than the sum of its parts the last two weeks,'' Few said. Still, many assert the Bulldogs will have to win the WCC tournament and the league's automatic berth to get into the NCAA tournament. That opinion was not shared by WCC coaches, who during a conference call Tuesday reached consensus in saying the Zags should be invited to the NCAAs if they do not win the WCC tournament. Seven of Gonzaga's losses came at the hands of teams in the top 52 in the RPI: Memphis, Duke, Nevada, Washington State, Butler, Virginia and Georgia. The Zags beat No. 8 North Carolina, No. 15 Texas, Stanford and Washington. MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS: (associated press) washington state on the rise. Bobby Cremins is hoping for an NCAA tournament bid to finish off his first season as coach at College of Charleston. After six years out of coaching, Cremins took over the Cougars and led them to a 20-win season entering the Southern Conference tournament. College of Charleston (20-10, 13-5) earned a bye and opens Thursday. The first round begins Wednesday at North Charleston Coliseum with three games: Chattanooga-Wofford, Western Carolina-Elon and Georgia Southern-The Citadel. Davidson (26-4, 17-1) and Appalachian State (24-6, 15-3) are the favorites, but Cremins likes the way his team overcame early struggles to reach 20 victories for the first time in three seasons. ''I really hope this team plays well in this tournament,'' Cremins said. If they do, the NCAAs could be next. Early on, it didn't look like the Cougars would do much in league play. Cremins admitted he overscheduled at the start of the season. He also might have be too tough on his players in his eagerness to get things shaped up after taking the job in July. Cremins put Dontaye Draper at point guard, something the senior had trouble coping with at first. There were big losses defeats to Villanova, Kentucky and Cremins' alma mater of South Carolina that left the Cougars sinking at 3-6. They trailed league rival Chattanooga 47-34 with less than 13 minutes left when something clicked, Cremins said. Led by Draper's 18 points, Charleston rallied for a 62-60 win and begin a run of 12 victories in 13 games. ''That just turned us around,'' Cremins said. These aren't the same powerful Cougars that went 19-0 in their Southern Conference debut in 1999 - the school's last NCAA tournament appearance - under former coach John Kresse. Charleston has gone 0-4 this season against Davidson and Appalachian State and the Cougars come into the tournament off a disappointing 74-65 loss at Georgia Southern this past Saturday. But Cremins looks like he's eased up on his players, Appalachian State coach Houston Fancher said. ''Just like the freedom he allows his players. I don't know they had that so much in past years,'' Fancher said. ''They have a sense of confidence and are going into this tournament loose.'' The Cougars will need all their confidence and freedom to crash the expected Davidson-Appalachian State final on Saturday night. Davidson, the defending tournament champion, is seeking its fourth NCAA bid in 10 seasons. Appalachian State set a school record for victories this season. Cremins, though, believes his team has a chance. ''I feel like this team accomplished a lot,'' he said. ''Now, it's a whole new season.'' League tournaments began this week for the smaller conferences. The Ohio Valley, Horizon League and Big South tournaments opened Tuesday; the Sun Belt and Patriot League gets under way Wednesday; and the Northeast, Missouri Valley and Atlantic Sun open Thursday. Also, the America East, Colonial Athletic Association and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tourneys start Friday, with the Mid-Continent Conference opening Saturday. The bigger conference tournaments open next week after teams play out the regular season this week. NCAA BASKETBALL PICKS: (associated press): arizona coach denies rumors.   Arizona's Lute Olson labeled speculation that he has Parkinson's disease "a vicious, vicious rumor" that is "totally false." The 72-year-old coach brought up the subject at his weekly news conference on Tuesday. "I have gotten some calls about rumors and certain radio stations running some things about me having Parkinson's, which is a complete lie," Olson said. "I have physicals like everyone else does. There is absolutely no medical indication of any type of problem."
"I'm healthy. When you get nervous, you start shaking a little. But most people my age do."
-- Arizona coach Lute Olson
A member of the basketball Hall of Fame, Olson has a 779-278 record in 34 years as a college coach, including a 587-186 mark in 24 years at Arizona. Olson was born on a farm outside Mayville, N.D., and played high school basketball in Grand Forks, where he led his team to a state title. He said he first heard the Parkinson's rumor a couple of weeks ago, then was asked about it after his weekly radio show on Tuesday. "There is absolutely no truth to that statement. If it has been repeatedly on radio stations then I will take the necessary actions that I need to get this stopped," he said. "It is a vicious, vicious rumor. If I need to I will get my physician to make a statement. I don't think anybody deserves that rumor to be circulating." The rumors apparently began when people noticed Olson's hands shake. "I'm healthy," he told reporters after the news conference. "When you get nervous, you start shaking a little. But most people my age do." He was concerned about what the rumor would do in the heated competition for high school talent. "This is the kind of thing you get from people you are recruiting against," Olson said. "If the rumor is going around here, it's certainly going to be passed around."