COLUMN: March "Madness"

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by Chuck Whitten

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Have you noticed something different around campus recently? Is there a Nerf hoop hanging on the centrifuge in biology lab? Did you try to turn in a late paper to the History Department only to have your professor swat it away while saying, "Get that weak stuff out of here!"? Have you noticed Bob Truscott wandering around campus with a rainbow wig carrying a sign that reads "John 3:16"?

Yes, it's that time of year again. March Madness is in full swing and every God fearin' American is glued to the boob-tube rooting for his or her favorite team.

It's a time of glory and disappointment. It's the time when an entire season can be ruined by a single loss. It's a time when just a few seconds can mean the difference between being immortal or being quickly forgotten.

It's also time to dream of what could have been ...

Rice was shocked to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament after finishing below .500 and failing to win the Southwest Conference tournament. However, the team quickly reassembled and began practicing feverishly for their trip to the East regional in Richmond, Va. By receiving the 15th seed in that region, the Owls were facing the tough task of shutting down Allen Iverson and the Georgetown University Hoyas in the first round.

The action started quickly, with Iverson leading the Hoyas to an early 15-6 advantage: The Georgetown point guard scored 11 points and dished out two assists before Owls Head Coach Willis Wilson called timeout with about 12 minutes to go in the half.

Wilson had been studying game films of Iverson and, having now seen him in action, felt like he knew the key to stopping Georgetown's attack. "Gentlemen," the coach said to his team, "Iverson can't dribble with his left hand. Overplay him and force him to go left."

Tommy McGhee did just that, and the All-American dribbled the ball off his foot on 14 successive possessions. Rice lead at the half and continued pressuring their way to a 94-76 win.

"It was just a matter of time before some team figured out that Iverson has no left hand," Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson said.

On an emotional high after the first-round upset, Rice kept the momentum going into their second-round contest against the University of New Mexico.

Lead by 30 points by both Shaun Igo and McGhee, Rice ended the Lobos' 11-game winning streak with a 75-68 victory.

"One of our goals before this season was to never get beat by a team called the `Lobos,'" Igo said after the game. "We just played with confidence, and we're looking forward to some better competition in the Sweet Sixteen."

Rice flew to Atlanta with the prospect of facing Texas Tech University for the third time this year. Having struggled to shut down Tech's potent offense previously, the Owls knew that beating the Red Raiders would require some ingenuity.

Thus, Rice came out playing a bizarre defensive set consisting of one man under the defensive basket, one man on the ball and three players standing in front of Tech Head Coach James Dickey.

Dubbed the "Crazy, Crazy Zone" by Wilson, the alignment confounded the Red Raiders, who were only able to score six points in the first half.

"They completely took me out of the equation," Dickey said. "I wasn't able to communicate effectively with my team, and I certainly wasn't able to hit the open three like I've been doing all year."

Rice moved onto the final eight after winning 86-32.

Rice continued to utilize the "Crazy, Crazy Zone" in the East Regional finals against the University of Massachusetts.

However, the Minutemen countered by assigning All-America center Marcus Camby to guard the Rice cheerleaders. Camby also poured in 28 points as UMass and Rice played to a 94-94 tie in regulation.

With 30 seconds to go in overtime and Rice down by two, the Owls decided to run down the shot clock and play for the final three-pointer.

The ball swung around the Minutemen's defense until Kevin Nanney was left open in the left corner.

His three-pointer hit nothing but net, and Carmelo Travieso's last second desperation shot rattled in and out.

"Rice just has too many weapons," complained UMass Head Coach John Calipari after the game.

The Owls look to Saturday's Final Four matchup with Mississippi State as just another step.

"I know this is the cardinal sin of coaching, but I think our guys are really looking ahead to the game against Kentucky on Monday," Wilson said. "My job is to simply get ready for whatever Rick Pitino decides to throw at us."

Alas, the daydream ends here. But I can't help but wonder how far Rice will go next year, if they work a little bit more on the "Crazy, Crazy Zone."

This item appeared in the Sports section of the March 29, 1996 issue.

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