COLLEGE BASKETBALL & FOOTBALL
Page B4 • Saturday, April 6, 2013 *
MICHIGAN (30-7) VS. SYRACUSE (30-9), 7:49 P.M. TODAY, CBS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com
AUBURN
Orange, Big Blue’s styles clash Reports By PAUL NEWBERRY The Associated Press ATLANTA – Syracuse is brimming with confidence, largely because of its suffocating style when the other team has the ball. Next up, a guy who knows a thing or two about breaking down opposing defenses. Trey Burke, meet the Orange Crush. The Final Four semifinal between Syracuse and Burke’s Michigan team will present a clear contrast in styles tonight – the Orange, a veteran group that is perfectly content to settle into their octopus-like zone, versus the brash young Wolverines, who love to run, run, run and have been compared to those Fab Five squads of the early 1990s. Clearly taking to heart the adage that offense wins fans but defense wins championships, Syracuse sounded like a team that fully expects to be playing in the title game at the Georgia Dome.
doesn’t hurt, either. The Associated Press player of the year already came up huge in the regionals, leading the Wolverine back from a 14-point deficit against Kansas with less than 7 minutes remaining. He knocked down a long 3-pointer at the end of regulation to tie the score, then finished off the upset of the top-seeded Jayhawks in overtime. But Burke never has played against a defense quite like this. “We’ve just got to try to find different ways to attack the zone,” the sophomore guard said. “They play a really good 2-3. It’s tough. We’ve AP photo got to make sure we knock down Michigan’s Trey Burke watches during practice Friday in Atlanta. Michigan will uncontested 3s.” play Syracuse in a semifinal game tonight. The zone usually is viewed as more of a passive defense. “It’s going to take them a while from Syracuse’s media session. Not the way Syracuse plays it. “It sounds like cockiness,” said to adjust to the zone,” junior guard Coach Jim Boeheim has assemBrandon Triche said Friday, a day guard Tim Hardaway Jr., son of when all four teams got a chance to the former NBA star. “But it’s not bled a bunch of guys with imprespractice in the cavernous, 70,000- going to come down to just talent sive size and surprising quickness. seat stadium that is normally or who has the biggest players. It’s When they’re all working together home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. going to come down to heart and it can be tough to get an open jumpThe Michigan players quickly passion.” er and nearly impossible to work got wind of the comments coming Having a player such as Burke the ball inside.
Louisville’s trip to Final 4 last year was something of a surprise • FINAL FOUR Continued from page B1 into the locker room after big wins. Yes, this is a school with all the makings of a team the entire country could get behind. Problem is, in this case, Louisville and Ware already are tugging on America’s heart strings. “I’m just glad to know Kevin Ware now even more because he’s probably the most famous person I know,” Peyton Siva cracked. “You know, when you have Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama call you, it’s pretty good to say you know that person.” Louisville’s trip to last year’s Final Four was something of a surprise, coming after the Cardinals skidded into the Big East tournament just two games over .500. So when they got to the NCAA tourney and finally got bounced by
archrival and top-ranked Kentucky in the national semifinals, it wasn’t a shock. Or a huge disappointment. This year, however, the Cardinals – and everyone else – expect Louisville to win it all. “I think that’s the one difference from last year to this year,” Chane Behanan said. “Last year, I don’t want to say it was a fluke because we were a great basketball team. This year is just totally different. We have the No. 1 seed. It’s a lot of pressure with everyone expecting us to win.” Until Ware got hurt, the Cardinals seemed immune to the pressure and the expectations, to say nothing of letdowns. They won their first four NCAA tournament games by an average of almost 22 points. They limited opponents to 59 points and 42 percent shooting while harrassing them into almost 18 turnovers. Oregon was the only team to get
within single-digits of Louisville at the buzzer. The Cardinals blew out mighty Duke by 22 points. Russ Smith was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional after averaging 26 points in the first four games and tying an NCAA record with eight steals against North Carolina A&T. Gorgui Dieng has 10 blocks. But losing Ware was big. He was the main substitute – the only substitute, really – for Smith and Peyton Siva, the high-octane guards who are the key not only to Louisville’s suffocating press but its offense, too. “Our players totally understand the challenge that lies ahead with this Wichita State team,” coach Rick Pitino said. “We understand with Kevin out that we not only have to play very hard, we have to play very, very smart.” Particularly against the Shockers. This is the first Final Four ap-
Welcome to Plan!t Weekend April 6&7
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Top 3 Picks! April 6 Annual Spring Wine Tasting Blumen Gardens, Sycamore Sample a variety of wines and enjoy appetizers at this annual event. Tickets are $30 at the door. From 1 to 5 p.m. lundeenliquors1@aol.com for more information
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April 6 Second Chance Crafts DeKalb Public Library, DeKalb Did you miss a fun craft because it was at the wrong time or on the wrong day? Now you have another chance to create something fun, while supplies last. Make one or several fun craft projects. Younger children should have an adult present to assist with any cutting or gluing required. From 2 to 4 p.m.
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April 7 NIU Steelband Spring Concert Boutell Memorial Hall, DeKalb The concert will feature the legendary steelpan performer/composer and arranger, Robert “Robbie” Greenidge. Concert starts at 3 p.m. niu.edu/music
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Please note; we try to be as accurate as possible with our events but things are subject to change without notice. Check the listing and confirm before heading to an event.
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pearance for Wichita State since 1965, but the ninth-seeded Shockers are no fluke. They’re big, they’re athletic, they rebound and they can shoot 3s better than just about anyone. Just ask Pittsburgh, a first-round victim of the hot-shooting Shockers. Or No. 1-seeded Gonzaga, which was out before the first weekend of the tournament was over thanks to Wichita State. Or Ohio State, a fashionable pick for a third straight Final Four until the Shockers sent them packing. (Pitino, by the way, swears he picked Wichita State to get to the Final Four.) “Their whole team is tough. It’s not just one guy,” Siva said. “Macolm Armstead, of course, makes them go. But on any given night, anybody on the team can have a big night. It’s up to us to play collective defense, hit the glass and continue to play how we’ve been playing.”
put Tigers on defense By JOHN ZENOR The Associated Press AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn is once again on the defensive amid allegations of wrongdoing going back to the 2010 national championship season. Two reports surfaced this week accusing the athletic department of wide-ranging misdeeds ranging from covering up widespread use of synthetic marijuana among football players to grade-changing and illicit payments, allegations the school strongly denies. Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs and other officials have disputed the findings in both reports, which painted a bleak picture of a department and football program that weathered an NCAA investigation in the recruiting of Cam Newton through much of the title run. Jacobs dismissed allegations made by former players and their parents in an ESPN report Thursday that Auburn covered up widespread use of synthetic marijuana as “baseless and inaccurate.” Former football coach Gene Chizik said an earlier report on roopstigo.com by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts was “short on facts and logic.” Regardless, the reports again cast a negative light on a season that produced Auburn’s first national championship in 53 years and a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in Newton. Chizik compared the latest reports to the Newton investigation in a statement Thursday in response to Roberts’ story. The NCAA ultimately said it found no evidence of wrongdoing by Auburn or Newton in an investigation into pay-for-play allegations. “The NCAA focused intently on widespread accusations about Auburn players being paid and other alleged recruiting violations,” Chizik said. “The NCAA conducted 80 interviews. In October 2011, the NCAA rejected ‘rampant public speculation online and in the media.’ “Unfortunately, the recent story published by Selena Roberts is more of the same. It once again portrays Auburn University, current and former coaches, professors, fans, supporters and community officials in a false light. Unfortunately, Ms. Roberts’ story is long on accusation and inference, but short on facts and logic.”