Columnist Steve Carp: No. 1 seed at stake when UConn meets Stanford

Steve Carp's college basketball notebook appears Friday. Reach him at [email protected] or 259-4087.

On the surface, the game may have lost some of its luster. But make no mistake about it, Saturday's intersectional contest between once-beaten Connecticut and No. 4 Stanford has important, far-reaching implications.

The NCAA Tournament is looking for a few good teams to fill its top seeds in the four regions, and two of the most viable candidates are Connecticut and Stanford.

If UConn, which saw its undefeated season go by the boards Monday when the Huskies lost to Syracuse, wants to stay a No. 1 seed in the East and play in nearby Boston, it needs to beat the Cardinal at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford, which gutted out a 57-55 win over California Wednesday, also needs the win if it wants to stake its claim to the top seed in the West.

"Seeding is important," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "We'd love to be a No. 1 seed playing in Boston. But when you're without your center and you also lose your leading scorer, you think more about survival than seedings."

UConn got good news Wednesday when it found out center Jake Voskul's foot injury was not a stress fracture. Voskul did not play in Monday's 59-42 loss to Syracuse which snapped the Huskies' 19-game win streak. The bad news is leading scorer Richard Hamilton's leg injury has not improved and he is more questionable for Stanford than Voskul is.

If neither plays, it will be a real struggle for 19-1 Connecticut. Even if both play, it won't be easy beating Stanford in Maples Pavilion.

UConn has not exactly been tearing it up in recent weeks. Calhoun's team has struggled against the likes of Miami, St. John's and of course, Syracuse.

"I don't think we were playing great the past five games," he said. "We were playing good. Stanford's a real good basketball team. They know how to respond to adversity.

"I watched their game with Cal the other night and they could've easily lost that game. But they found a way to win and that's the sign of a good team.

Whether Voskul and Hamilton play probably won't be known until game time. Neither has practiced this week though both will try to practice today in the Bay Area.

"I'm optimistic Jake will play," Calhoun said. "But I'm not as optimistic about Richard."

Stanford's Mike Montgomery is preparing his team as if both will play.

"We know Connecticut is a great team with great talent," he said. "Jim will have them ready to play."

Stanford will look to avenge last year's 76-56 drubbing at Storrs, Conn. The Cardinal brings a 19-3 record into the nationally televised game at Palo Alto. Hamilton scored 24 points in the lopsided UConn victory.

But the win would mean more than revenge. It would help solidify Stanford's cause for being the West's top seed.

* BOB KNOWS BOTH: Washington's Bob Bender is familiar with both Stanford and UConn, having played, and lost, to both schools. He thinks the Huskies are going to have a tough time in the Bay Area.

"It's going to be interesting to see what they do against Stanford's big people," he said. "Especially if Voskul doesn't play. But if Voskul's back, you have to decide who to guard, (Tim) Young or (Mark) Madsen. (Mike) Freeman's a very strong kid, but he's going to have his hands full with either one."

* FOSTER'S SUCCESSOR: Who will take Pat Foster's spot at Nevada-Reno?

Don't be surprised if it's Ben Howland, the former UC Santa Barbara assistant who has done great things at Northern Arizona. Word is the UNR brass is very impressed with what Howland has done with the Lumberjacks and they're going after him.

Athletic Director Chris Ault supposedly talked to Utah's Rick Majerus the other day about Donny Daniels, Majerus' top assistant. Other names that have surfaced include Stanford assistant Trent Johnson, Gonzaga's Dan Monson and former DePaul coach Joey Meyer.

As for Foster, his six-year stay in Reno hasn't been altogether pleasant. And while you might have read about the bouquets Ault tossed Foster's way after the coach stepped down Monday, the fact is they never got along. Given UNR's struggles this year, it was likely a change was going to be made, anyway.

At 1-7, the Wolf Pack is in serious danger of missing the Big West tournament, which it is hosting at Lawlor Events Center. No doubt that was a contributing factor to Foster's unhappiness and ultimate decision to leave, along with his frustration over being unable to take UNR to the next level. His tenure will conclude with just one postseason appearance -- the 1997 NIT, where his team upset Fresno State in the first round, then lost to Nebraska in the second round.

* LAND OF DISENCHANTMENT: What on earth is going on at New Mexico?

If 17-5 can be considered bad, it has been the Lobos' most troubled season to date. First, the team had to play without star Kenny Thomas for six games as Thomas and the NCAA settled an old debt. Then the team struggled during the first half of WAC play, culminated by a trouncing in The Pit at the hands of Utah Monday.

Now, coach Dave Bliss has suspended forward Damion Walker for violation of team policy. The former TCU standout has been a bust in Albuquerque, and it has caused problems for the team. In addition, Walker has been grousing about the way he's being used by Bliss, which may have had something to do with the suspension, along with an alleged physical altercation with Thomas after the team's Jan. 16 win over Arizona.

The Lobos left Walker home when they took off for their trip to Hawaii and San Diego State. And after a 4-3 start, New Mexico can't afford too many more setbacks if it wants to go dancing next March.

With the team's terrible RPI (106 as of Thursday) and lousy strength of schedule (246 out of 310), it's looking more and more like the Lobos will have to win next month's WAC tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center to get into the Big Dance.

With Walker out, New Mexico has just eight healthy scholarship players for the tough road trip to Hawaii. Either sophomores Greg Davis or Brian Smith will pick up Walker's minutes while trying to compensate for his 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds a game.

* LAVIN LEARNS LESSON: Looking back, UCLA coach Steve Lavin wished he had kept his composure at Hec Edmundson Pavilion last Sunday. But Lavin's frustration with referee Terry Christman had exceeded the boiling point, and blowing his stack to the tune of two technicals and an ejection cost the Bruins dearly in their 93-83 loss to Washington.

Washington shot eight free throws in the aftermath of the flurry of T's issued the UCLA bench, which took Washington's seven-point advantage up to 12 with 4:34 to play and essentially KO'd the Bruins.

"I'm disappointed in myself," said Lavin, who issued a public apology for his actions. "I lost my poise and my composure. I was at the end of my fuse which had been burning for the last three weeks.

"It's still no excuse. I'm supposed to be setting an example for my team and it was a case of role reversal."

Lavin wasn't the only Bruin regretting his actions. Guard Baron Davis, who accused Christman of cheating, also issued a public apology after being reprimanded by the Pac-10 office.

* THE FRAUD FIVE: This week's list is dedicated to all the myopic New Mexico fans who think nobody can beat their team in The Pit. If things don't improve quickly, your favorite team in silver and red will be in Las Vegas earlier than expected playing Tuesday's opening round of the WAC tournament.

1. New Mexico (17-5) -- Even Hawaii and San Diego State look tough right now.

2. Massachusetts (9-12) -- NIT is starting to look like a reach for Minutemen.

3. South Florida (9-8) -- Hope they play the congenial host at the Final Four.

4. Tennessee (12-6) -- Nice non-effort at Arkansas.

5. Kansas (15-6) -- UNLV would love to play Jayhawks now.

* HOOP DU JOUR: Utah coach Rick Majerus' autobiography will be in bookstores at the end of the month. The colorful tome, entitled "My Life On A Napkin," should make for interesting and entertaining reading. ... The candidates to replace outgoing Pittsburgh coach Ralph Willard are already lining up. Former St. John's coach Fran Fraschilla is friends with Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson and he figures to get a long look. Former Panther star Sean Miller is also garnering a lot of on-campus support and from boosters as well. ... More Pitt-falls -- The team's flight to Washington D.C. was delayed Monday after a man on board claimed to be a terrorist. The plane was evacuated but no bomb was found. The team switched flights, but that one was delayed nearly an hour by mechanical problems. Pitt, naturally, lost to Georgetown, 78-56. ...

It has been a rough senior season for Fresno State's Chris Herren, who had missed a few games with a sprained ankle and was not scheduled to play Thursday against San Jose State as he has been grounded by the flu. ... Must-See TV: Obviously, UConn-Stanford at noon Saturday (Channel 13). ... They're hot, but you didn't know it -- Old Dominion (18-3), College of Charleston (16-2) and Maryland-Baltimore County (13-5). They're not hot, and you do know it -- Kansas (15-6), TCU (15-6), Indiana (17-7) and St. John's (17-6).

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