By DAVE ROYSTER and
DAN WICHMAN
KNOXVILLE, Tenn -- There was plenty of action in Knoxville this weekend as four schools gathered to determine the Southeast Regional champion. Here are some of the highlights:
Coach K vs. Vitale?
In Friday afternoon's press conference, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski showed his sharp sense of humor. When talking about Purdue's Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, Krzyzewski stole a line from ESPN's Sportscenter, and host Dan Patrick in particular.
"You can't stop Robinson, you can only hope to contain him," Krzyzewski said. "Does this mean I'll get to be on ESPN? Just think, 10 seconds of me is 10 seconds less of Vitale."
Almost a fan
Kansas head coach Roy Williams was asked following his team's 83-78 loss Thursday to Purdue about the upcoming Duke-Purdue matchup.
"If I were just a fan, and didn't have the feelings that I have for our team right now, I would pay the scalper's price to see that game," said an emotional Williams. "But at the same time, when you're a college basketball coach and you invest so much time and energy and love for the kids that you have, it's hard to turn around two days later and be a fan.
"As a coach, I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I don't mean to belittle your question, but it's hard."
Tennessee in their future?
Two candidates for the vacant Tennessee coaching job were in town for the regionals. Marquette's Kevin O'Neill is considered the leading candidate for the job, while Kansas head coach Roy Williams may still be considering the job.
The future Volunteer coach will have a monumental task rebuilding a Tennessee team that had only five wins this season. The Volunteers played in front of sparse crowds in 1993-94, not a pretty sight considering massive Thompson-Boling Arena holds 24,800 people.
Big Dog Barks
Purdue's Glenn Robinson was not only active on the court, but he also had plenty to say off it. Following Purdue's 69-60 loss to Duke, Robinson was in especially good form. A few examples:
-One reporter asked Robinson what it was like to be frustrated by Duke's tough defense. Robinson replied sharply, "First of all, I don't get frustrated."
-Later, another reporter asked Robinson how difficult it was to end the year struggling against Duke (he was held to a season-low 13 points).
"I'm not ashamed at all," Robinson answered. "At the beginning of the season, I opened up Sports Illustrated and Street and Smith's, and we were ranked 30th, 35th, 29th. We fought to No. 3 in the final AP poll. I think we proved a lot of you guys wrong.
"If you guys are going to predict, I think you need to look at a team closely. We're not a one-man team. So we made some of you guys look like fools."
-Later, Robinson was asked if Saturday's game would be his last in a Purdue uniform. The junior would likely be the top pick if he entered the NBA draft.
"Who asked that?" Robinson asked as he angrily looked around the room.
When the reporter identified himself, Robinson glared at him and responded quickly, "Until I have a press conference, no."
-Robinson did show his soft side following the press conference. He walked into the Duke locker room and congratulated Blue Devils Grant Hill, Antonio Lang and Jeff Capel. Robinson hugged Hill and Lang, and he shook Capel's hand.
No respect
Purdue head coach Gene Keady was amused when he read a quote from Duke's Grant Hill in the Knoxville paper this weekend. Hill was quoted as saying that the Blue Devils haven't gotten as much respect and attention this season, while other teams -- he named North Carolina, Arkansas and Purdue -- have gotten all the ink.
Keady, whose Boilermaker program lives in the shadow of Bob Knight's Indiana team in the Hoosier state, responded thusly:
"Grant should come up to West Lafayette, (Ind.) for a while. I got to a damn mountaintop and there's a guy wearing a Duke shirt. I go to the desert to play golf in Palm Springs and there's a guy wearing a Duke cap."
Senior appreciation
Following his team's 59-49 loss to Duke in the semifinals, O'Neill took a moment to praise his three seniors -- Robb Logterman, Damon Key and Jim McIlvaine. The Warriors had their best season in 15 years, going 24-9.
"To coach these three guys has been a privilege that I'll remember forever," O'Neill said. "I've enjoyed every day I've coached these guys. These three guys have made their mark on Marquette basketball for a long time to come."
Thanks, coach
Earlier in the year, Coach K said that forward Antonio Lang is the team's "barometer": When Lang plays well, the team plays well.
This weekend in Knoxville, Krzyzewski expanded on the topic.
"We're 26-5, so he's playing well most of the time," Coach K said to Lang during a Friday press conference. "I'm not blaming our five losses on you, but what the hell. I'm giving you credit for 26 wins. Twenty-six out of 31 isn't bad, is it?
Dog talk
For the first time all season, a player received more attention than Duke star Grant Hill. Media and fans were fawning all over Purdue's Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson this weekend in Knoxville.
Before the Blue Devils and Boilermakers knew they would meet in the Southeast Regional final, Hill's Duke teammates tried to boost his spirits by calling him the "Dog Catcher."
The day before the two All-Americans met on the court, Hill said, "Tony [Lang] and I were talking about going down to the local dog pound. Maybe they'll take him away before the game."
Turns out they didn't need to. Hill, Lang, et al did just fine shutting down Robinson themselves. Big Dog's bark was worse than his bite, as he hit for only 13 points in Saturday's Duke win.
"During the game, Cherokee [Parks] was coming up to me and calling me Big Dog," Hill said. "That made me feel special."
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