Thursday, March 23, 2000
NCAA NOTEBOOK
Izzo says loss to Wright State isn't an issue
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — As far as Michigan State is concerned, the only record of its Dec.30 loss to Wright State is the official box score.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo said he discarded that defeat — perhaps the most significant upset of the college basketball season — as soon as it was over. “That tape is not in the archives at Michigan State,” he said.
There were some who believed the Spartans' candidacy for a No.1 seed should have been diminished by that loss. Wright State finished its season with an 11-17 record; Michigan State is 28-7.
Michigan State's other six losses all were to teams seeded sixth or higher in the NCAA Tournament.
“They beat us. It wasn't like we weren't ready to play,” Izzo said. “I think we learned from it one thing: that on any given night, anyone can beat you.”
EYE'S RIGHT: UCLA junior point guard Earl Watson expects to play tonight after retinal surgery. He was injured by an errant elbow in UCLA's second-round victory over Maryland; the cut above his left eye required several stitches.
“I think it's really the swelling that's a bigger concern,” coach Steve Lavin said. “We're calling him "Rocky' right now. He looks like he went 12 rounds in a heavyweight fight.”
'CUSE CRUISE: After opening the season 19-0, Syracuse cast doubt on its ability by entering the NCAA Tournament with losses in five of its last 10 games.
“Once a streak gets going, your confidence grows, you win those close games and you make good plays,” coach Jim Boeheim said. “At the end of the season, we weren't making the plays.”
The common thread to those five defeats was poor perimeter defense. The Orangemen, who often set up in a 2-3 zone, allowed the opposition in those losses to shoot 35-of-81 on 3-pointers, a .432 percentage. In their 26 victories, they allowed opponents to shoot .299 from long range.
“I told Coach that the best defensive team will win this tournament,” Syracuse guard Jason Hart said.
COINCIDENCE?: If you think the Cincinnati Bearcats and Temple are tired of seeing each other in the NCAA Tournament, imagine how Iowa State must feel to be running into UCLA yet again.
This is the fourth time in the past 12 tournaments that UCLA and Iowa State wound up on the same court during the tournament — which is pretty amazing given that Iowa State missed the tournament four times in that period.
The bad news for the Cyclones is that UCLA eliminated them the previous three times, including an overtime game in the 1997 Sweet 16 in San Antonio.
HOME ADVANTAGE?: This weekend, Michigan State becomes only the third No.1 seed in the 64-team era to play in a regional located in its home state, joining North Carolina 1998 and UCLA 1995. Those teams both made the Final Four. “It could be an advantage; it could not,” Spartans guard Mateen Cleaves said. “It all depends on if the fans come out and support us.”
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