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 Wednesday, February 7, 2001
Beware of the Crazies
By Brent Musburger
Special to ABC Sports Online
Each week, ABC Sports play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger gives his take on news and notes in the world of sports.
The next big sporting party on your calendar is March 31, when the Final Four in Minneapolis tips off. Now that the Baltimore Ravens have captured the Vince Lombardi Trophy, we can concentrate on some hoops.
|  | | Matt Doherty will now experience the UNC-Duke rivalry as a coach. |
If you're wondering, two of the four No. 1 seeds already seem a certainty: Stanford out West and Duke in the East. They've already met once this season, and Stanford handed Duke its only loss. Meanwhile, Stanford remains the lone undefeated team in the country. If the projections hold true, a rematch could very well take place as East meets West in the national semifinals.
In more immediate matters, the Cardinal host No. 19 Southern California Thursday night, and I'll be in Palo Alto with Dickie V on Saturday when arch rival UCLA (13-5, 7-1 Pac-10) visits (ABC, 3 p.m. ET). After getting blistered by Arizona, the Bruins came back with strong performances against Oregon State and Oregon. The Stanford matchup should be a dandy.
Duke, of course, is getting ready for its big one against North Carolina on Thursday night, and I will tell you that the Cameron Crazies have been living in Krzyzewskiville (the tents outside the building) for the last month lining up for tickets to this one. This is a big event for the Crazies, because for the first time in their lifetimes, an emotional coach will be center stage in front of the Tar Heels.
They've grown up with the calm, cool and collected ways of Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge. But Thursday night, Mr. Enthusiasm, Matt Doherty, will be jumping up and down, throwing his suit jacket to the bench, pumping his fists at his players and the officials, and the Crazies will be beside themselves.
It will be Round 1 between one of the best student body hecklers against a visiting coach. This rivalry, over the last 20 years, has simply become the best in all of sport. Two of the classiest programs in the history of the game go head-to-head at least twice a year, and frequently a third time, if they clash in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
The ACC is the best conference in college basketball this year, and these two teams are right at the centerpiece. Wake Forest coach Dave Odom has lost to both Duke and UNC on the road and he told me Saturday that Duke is the most focused team in the country. Odom says what separates Duke is its leadership on the floor.
|  | | Shane Battier's block on Juan Dixon preserved Duke's miraculous 98-96 comeback victory at Maryland Saturday night. |
He says Shane Battier is the best leader he's ever seen in the college game. You saw Battier's leadership at the end of Saturday's magnificent comeback in the final 54 seconds at Maryland. Trailing by 10 points against a quality Terrapin team who had dominated for the first 39 minutes, Battier and Jason Williams found a way to get the game into overtime, and then Duke prevailed. Don't you wish we had a Super Bowl that exciting?
Head coach Gary Williams and the Maryland bench looked so deflated at the end of regulation, that you had the sense once Duke came back and forced overtime that they knew they would win. For the Terps, this will be a very difficult defeat to shake off, especially for a team that has lost to both Duke and UNC this season.
In this week's Tobacco Road clash, there are three potential first-team All-Americans on the court: Duke's Battier and Williams, and Joseph Forte of Carolina. Forte shook off a mild early-season shooting slump and is now driving this Tar Heel team.
With the No. 1 seed in the South up in the air, North Carolina has as good a chance as anyone to grab one of those spots. Normally, a No. 1 seed is an automatic ticket to the Sweet 16. A year ago in Birmingham, Ala., UNC advanced by upsetting No. 1 Stanford 60-53 in the second round. The momentum from that win propelled the Tar Heels to the Final Four.
It will be very difficult, even for a talented team like Carolina, to win at Cameron. It's simply one of the toughest venues to play in as a visiting team. This game could very well be a classic, but I will guarantee this: Thursday night's UNC-Duke contest will be more exciting than last Sunday's Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Michigan State still appears to be the favorite for the top seed in the Midwest, but the Spartans can't afford any more upset losses. They look to rebound from a tough loss at Ohio State with games against Michigan and Purdue.
Above the rim
There's gossip that prep sensation Dejuan Wagner may be headed for the NBA and not Memphis. Rumor has it that Wagner hasn't met the academic requirements yet, and several scouts say he may be ready to jump to the professional level.
Wagner is the son of Milt Wagner, who quarterbacked Denny Crum's last national championship team in Louisville in 1986. Milt is now on John Calipari's staff at Memphis, but was not that close to Dejuan when he grew up.
Young Wagner recently scored 100 points for his Camden, N.J. high school team, and he's already associated with Nike. Since Memphis is aligned with Reebok, there are rumors circulating that Nike representatives may attempt to swoosh Wagner away from the Memphis Tigers and into the NBA Draft.
Many people have been critical of Wagner's 100-point performance against an overmatched opponent, but someone present at the game told me that the beaten team didn't feel it had been shown up.
It is my feeling that a decade from now, if he becomes a quality player in the league, we'll be seeing the following: "Wagner, who once scored 100 points in a high school game, tonight did such-and-such against the Los Angeles Lakers."
Brent Musburger is a play-by-play commentator for ABC's coverage of college football and college basketball. He is a regular contributor to ABC Sports Online.
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 Duke's Nate James misses the dunk but Mike Dunleavy is there for the bucket.
avi: 861 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Duke's Jason Williams steals the ball and drains the three-pointer to spark the Duke comeback.
avi: 560 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Joseph Forte steals the inbound pass and goes the distance for the finger-roll.
avi: 607 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Brendan Haywood's rejection deflects off Anthony Grundy and Carolina gains possession.
avi: 834 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kris Lang is blocked by Kenny Inge, but the second effort translates to the basket and the foul.
avi: 602 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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