Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Boeheim CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 tional championship.” Boeheim’s resume now is crammed with 653 victories, 22nd all-time, and his .742 winning percentage is third among active Division I coaches. He’s the longest-tenured coach at the same school, having coached the Orangemen for 27 years. , Not bad for a walk-on who had to talk his way onto the team when he arrived at Syracuse in 1962 and was appointed head coach in 1976 with a first contract that paid him $28,000. This might have been his best coaching job. Older, wiser and more mellow with three young children at home to tire him out, Boeheim molded a team that start ed two freshmen, two sophomores PHOTO BY HARRY E. WALKER/KRT CAMPUS Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, center, accepts the national championship trophy from Myles Brand, right, after his team’s 81-78 win over Kansas in Monday’s title game. and one senior into a winner. Even though the Orangemen started 11-1, Boeheim tinkered with his lineup and gave fresh man guard Billy Edelin playing time. He called that the hardest decision in his career because it meant the lone senior on the team, Kueth Duany, would lose minutes. Along with such talented play ers as freshmen Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara, Boeheim incorporated sopho more Josh Pace into the lineup. He, too, became a solid contrib utor. If Boeheim needed any vindi cation for using a 2-3 zone de fense, it came in the final seconds against the Jayhawks. Michael Lee, who was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers in the Jayhawks’ semifinal win over Marquette, was wide-open for a 3-pointer in the left comer. But just as he re leased his shot, sophomore for ward Hakim Warrick flew up and blocked it. Kirk Hinrich’s desperation 3 pointer at the buzzer bounced harmlessly to the floor. This time, the Orangemen sur vived. “I know he’s happy,” Anthony said. “Tonight, he’s probably the happiest man on Earth.” Rothenberg CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 ready play fewer games than the major leagues, cutting the sched ule further would not be a great idea. Delaying the opening of the season in April would have long term effects in September, when major-league teams expand their rosters, plucking their minor lea guers, who might be in the heat of a pennant race. _ But some leagues, such as the Eastern League, have the opportunity to play some games a bit farther south of the poor weather. Even Pettltte still, there are no I definitive answers telling how to keep this situation from happen ing in the minor leagues. Moreover, it’s not fun for the fans, who’ll have to sit in the win try weather. Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who was sched uled to start his team’s home opener on Monday, knows what it’s like to play in the snow and empathized with the fans. “It’d be miserable for the fans,” Pettitte said in Monday’s New York Daily News. “The fore cast is better Tuesday, so that’s a better situation. I don’t want to do it in the snow again,” like he did in an early-season game in April 1996: Something’s got to be changed as far as early-season scheduling goes, because in the grand scheme of things, everyone — from the players to the fans to management — is getting a real snow job. Now for a Rothy Award... NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST AWARD: congrats are in order for Jim Boeheim, coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball team, who wins this Rothy. After 27 years at the helm of the _ . „ Boeheim Orangemen, Boeheim finally has his first national champi onship. Boeheim also made sure to give props to his former play ers, including Derrick Coleman and Rony Seikaly, which just displays his true sense of class. Rothenberg is a fourth-year sports- and entertainment management student. I The Gamecock’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Pool Here are the final standings in The Gamecock's NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament pool. The top five readers will receive a prize from The Gamecock. The Gamecock Staff 1. Brad Senkiw - 92 points 2. Katie Smith - 78 points 3. Adam Beam - 67 points Matt Rothenberg- 67 points 5. Justin Bajan - 58 points 6. Chris Foy - 56 points 7. David Stagg - 52 points Readers 1. Jake Corbett - 74 points 2. Josh Corbett - 71 points Peter Farr - 71 points 4. Stephen Wayne - 69 points Paitra Pinkney - 69 points 6. Aisha Haynes - 65 points 7. Ernest Stroman - 61 points 8. Brandon Simmons - 60 points 9. Larcey Simpson - 59 points Brad Senkiw, the assistant sports editor, wins the title, and Head Page Designer Katie Smith takes second place. Reader Jake Corbett finished in first place, while Josh Corbett and Peter Farr landed in a be for second place. The top five readers can stop by room 333 in the Russell House on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday night to receive their prize. Briefs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 In other track and field news, the first Trackwire.com poll for the outdoor season has been posted, and the USC wom en’s track and field team has been selected as the top squad in the nation. The men’s team is currently ranked eighth in the country. Six SEC women’s teams are listed in the top 25, while eight men’s teams are among the top 25. Carolina’s track and field teams have a combined 13 indi viduals and four relay teams listed in the Dandy Dozen. The Dandy Dozen is a power rank ing of the top 12 athletes and re lay teams in each NCAA event. USC’s McPherson reinstated by NCAA Two-time All-American and defending SEC champion Kristy McPherson will be al lowed to continue playing golf for USC this season after hav ing her eligibility reinstated by the NCAA with no conditions, according to the ruling given to the USC Athletics Department Monday afternoon. I McPherson was forced to sit out during the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Ga., last weekend because of an NCAA ruling stating that she was not taking the minimum •academic load necessary this semester. Without McPherson, a native of Conway, the Gamecocks finished in 10th place out of 17 teams at the com petition, with Tiffany Catafygiotu the top finisher for USC. Catafygiotu tied for fourth with a three-over-par 219. With McPherson back on the team, the Gamecocks will be able to defend their SEC title at the conference championships April 18-20 in Lexington, Ky. “We’re pleased with the rul ing we received from the NCAA earlier (Monday),” Kristi Coggins, USC head coach, said. “An honest mistake was made and fortunately, it has been rec tified. We look forward to de fending our SEC champi onshiDS later this month.” Gamecock riders qualify for nationals The USC equestrian team will be represented at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals after two riders won their classes at the Zone 5 Finals in Statesboro, Ga„ this .past weekend. Riders can qualify for the National Championships by placing first or second at Zones. Lindsey * Wilson will represent Carolina in the novice over-fences com petition, while Michelle Jenkins took the walk/trot category. Three riders barely missed the nationals by finishing in third place. “It was very frustrating to have three miss qualifying by one place,” head coach Boo Duncan said. “They all rode ex tremely well, so we couldn’t be disappointed in their perfor mances. I am very proud of all of them.” USC will compete next m the ■ Varsity Equestrian Champion ship, which will be held at Texas A&M on April 18. The IHSA Nationals will be held at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., from May 2 to May 4. “Everyone rode exception ally well this weekend even though not everyone qualified to go on. Michelle and I are ex cited about representing South Carolina in nationals and in Texas,” Wilson said. The USC Athletics Department contributed to this report. -1 Online Exclusive Offer for Graduating Students Did vou fe?"SL,. know you're eligible for 10,000 free frequent flyer miles from United Airlines just for graduating? It's simple, easy and best of all, free! Visit www.dailygamecock.com/gradzone and click Free Frequent Flyer Miles, nradznnp We’ll tell you how to claim your free graduation gift. ® note: only graduating students are eligible _J■ Uf I_ <y I The Department of Justice, Office of Legal Education For more information, call Annemarie Sullivan at 803-544-5152 (Monday - Friday between 8:30 am - 5:30 pm)