espn.com Ali Contest
You probably spent the weekend waxing poetically about the beauty of the college game as you followed the road to the Final Four. Doubt you even watched Sunday's Lakers-Kings tilt. The hoop world is inflicted with an epidemic of March Madness, but Page 2's Ralph Wiley says the NBA is still the best game in town.
WILEY: NBA IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER




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The Big Dance can make you feel bipolar. One minute, you're celebrating an upset of a No. 1 seed and gelling your hair up like Steve Lavin. The next minute, you're being rudely tapped on the shoulder and booted from the dance floor. Page 2's Brian Murphy ponders the meaning of life in the NCAA Tournament after watching 12 more teams get shown the door.

Sportoon 10 Burning Questions
It took four days to get the Sweet 16 down to the Final Four. If you weren't able to camp out on your coach for those dozen games, Page 2 cartoonist Kurt Snibbe is here to help. Snibbe has a recap of how Kansas, Maryland, Oklahoma and Indiana blazed their trails to Hot'lanta.
With the last swing he took that counted, Luis Gonzalez lived every kid's dream by winning the World Series in the bottom of the ninth. He might gotten the best of Mariano Rivera, but Gonzalez faced some real heat last week in spring training when he stared down Page 2's 10 Burning Questions.

THE SPORTS GUY
He might be 84, might walk with a cane and might have even cut back to two cigars a day. But Arnold "Red" Auerbach is just as sharp and cantankerous as he was when he led the Celtics to those 16 NBA titles. Page 2's Bill Simmons went to see Red last week, and it was a bit like a visit with Yoda.


With March Madness in full bloom, it's time to ponder a tough question: If you could pick one college basketball coach for a game that you had to win, who would it be? Page 2 weighed in with its 10 choices, and now our readers have compiled a list of their own. Check out the readers' top 10 and then vote in our poll to crown college hoops' best big-game coach:

10]  Denny Crum
"No one used late-game timeouts better than Crum. No one drew up late-game situation plays any better than Crum. His best coaching performance? The 1986 championship game in which he flat outcoached Coach K of Duke."
9]  Rick Pitino
"He has amazing charisma and game-time coaching cool ... a combination that always strikes fear in me whenever I am pulling for any team he's coaching against."
8]   Al McGuire
"McGuire brought a pack of raw basketball talent (often recruiting in inner-cities where some coaches refused to go) together and brought them to win as a team and lose as a team, never sacrificing a 'team-first' attitude in exchange for individual accolades."
  • GET THE FULL LIST


NCAA men FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG O/U
Saturday Oklahoma 6 Indiana 135½
Saturday Kansas 1½ Maryland NL
All Times ET -- Bold indicates home team
Complete Line


 
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RIGHT OF SPRING
David Lloyd says folks in every job deserve a spring training -- every job, except for maybe baseball players, that is.

THE SPORTS GUY
Page 2's Bill Simmons sorts through even more witty and warped e-mails from his loyal readers.

CRITICAL MASS
The arrival of another NCAA tourney flooded Page 2's Eric Neel with memories of Magic, Bird, Bias and others.

TOP SECRET
How did Jeff Kent really injure his wrist? Jim Caple's sources say it was all part of an elaborate government cover-up.

OSCAR & SPORTS
Page 2's Chris Connelly finds plenty of connections between the Oscars and the world of sports.
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


It's Texas coach Rick Barnes, whose Longhorns got bounced from the court by Oregon in the Sweet 16, and author John Grisham, who always seems to be hanging around the court. This match was requested by Ty Bronicel of Seattle. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo.

NCAA Women's Tournament
7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Can South Carolina make it two straight vs. Duke?
 
NCAA Women's Tournament
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 7 seed Old Dominion has nothing to lose against No. 1 UConn.
 
NCAA Women's Tournament
9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
In-state rivals Vandy and Tennessee battle for even bigger stakes.
 
• Complete TV Listings


If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Fri., March 22: Seeing Red
• Thurs., March 21: Top secret
• Wed., March 20: Bracket busted
• Tues., March 19: All-Hair Team
• Mon., March 18: Strange Bruin

Other featured content:
• 10 Burning Questions for Denny Neagle
• All-Hair Team for NCAAs
• All-Name Team for NCAAs
• 20 worst moments from 'Celebrity Boxing'
• 10 Burning Questions for the Saluki
• Berman Files: Jason Williams
• What the Heck Are They Thinking?
Monday, March 25, 2002
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