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It won’t be long before the Madness is back. College basket-ball’s regular season is winding down, but there’s still plenty tobe decided before hoops crazies fully submerge into MarchMadness. It’s clear that Oklahoma, North Carolina, Pittsburghand Connecticut are contending for No.1 seeds. But there are
plenty of other teams that could make serious runs, whilesome squads will likely fall short of preseason expectations. Asfor the Cinderellas? Well, that’s part of what makes March somagical. Who knows? Staff writer Trae Thompson breaks downthe high fliers and season stumblers, 6D
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | NEARING THE MADNESS
Magical performances aregreat part of crazy March
Heroes of March? Five players who could be difference makers down the stretch:
G JamesHarden,Arizona StateOne of sevenplayers in thenation averagingmore than 20points and shoot-ing better than 50percent from field.
NCAATournamentSelection Sunday: March 15Opening-roundgame: March 17First round begins: March 19Title game: April 6 at FordField in Detroit
PHOTOS: AP, GETTY IMAGES, MCT
G Tyrese Rice, Boston CollegeAverages 18.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game; seventh playerin school history to score 2,000 career points.
G Jerel McNeal, MarquetteSaw his string of nine consecutive 20-point games snapped with13 points in a win against Seton Hall.
G Devan Downey, South CarolinaAveraging 19.8 points per game and has 71 steals for the Gamecocks.
F Dante Cunningham, VillanovaTeam’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.5 points and7.1 rebounds per game.
M
Sports Saturday, February 21, 2009
Baseball 8DBoxing 3DBriefs 11DColleges 5-6DDaily Ticket 2D
Golf 11DHigh schools 9-10DHockey 5, 10DHorse racing 2DMotorsports 2, 10D
NBA 4DNFL 7DRecreation 2DScoreboard 11DTV/Radio 2, 11D
ORL 92CHA 80NYK 127TOR 97SAC 115MEM 106
CLE 111MIL 103PHX 140OKC 118ATLPOR
NOLAL
COL 4WAS 1CAR 4TB 1DET 5ANA 2
IND 112MIN 105WAS 107NJ 96CHI 116DEN 99
NBA, 4D NHL, 5D
High Schools Timberview rips The Colony in girls’ area round 9D
D
ROCKETS 93, MAVERICKS 86
DIRK QUIET ASMAVERICKS FALL
Josh Howard, left,scored 21 points, butthe normally depend-able Dirk Nowitzki was4-of-18, finished withnine points and theDallas Mavericks fellto Southwest Divisionrival Houston 93-86on Friday night.Report, 4D
SURPRISE, Ariz. — When theTexas Rangers hired long-shotcandidate Ron Washington tobe their manager in Novem-ber 2006, one of the primaryreasons was that owner Tom
Hicks and general managerJon Daniels felt he would be a“players’ manager.”
That doesn’t mean theywanted him to allow the in-mates to run the asylum. Whatthey hoped he could do waschange the culture in an up-tight and tense Texas club-house after four years of Buck
Showalter micro-managing.If that was the first mission
in a two-part plan towardbuilding a winning culture,consider the Rangers halfwaythere.
The idea is that a relaxed,family atmosphere in theclubhouse should translateinto a relaxed, cohesive team
on the field, one that, with theright talent, can compete forchampionships for years tocome.
The irony is that Washing-ton, who has done exactlywhat the Rangers have asked,
will enter the 2009 seasonmanaging without a net. TheRangers have an option on hiscontract for 2010. There is nobuyout clause.
Whether it’s the economy orsomething else holding themback, there’s just somethingwrong about that picture.
IN MY OPINION
WASHINGTON DESERVES BETTER THAN A LAME-DUCK SEASONRon Washington has donewhat the Rangers asked. So where’s his job security?
More on REEVES on 8D
� Rangers have plenty ofoptions for closer’s role. 8D
A nickname change ap-parently is needed.
See ya, Coach Cupcake.Please say hello to As-
sistant Coach Cupcake.Thursday’s news from
Indianapolis that Cow-boys owner Jerry Jones officially had gagged all ofhis coaches via memotook away any and all pre-tense about what Wade Phillips is or how he stayed em-ployed after that debacle in Philly.
He is a powerless puppet, with a sock in his mouth. “Can’t,” he said Thursday when asked to provide
answers on football topics. “Against the rules.”Self-gagged, or Jerry-gagged? Doesn’t matter.The fact is the lone voice of the Cowboys is the owner,
and it is unprecedented in any league to have your coachsilent on his team. Can you imagine Bill Parcells or JimmyJohnson deferring to Jerry to speak on all things football?
Even Chan Gailey and Dave Campo were given a mikefrom time to time.
IN MY OPINION
HEY, JERRY, DON’T GAGHIM, SHOW HIM DOORBy taking away Wade Phillips’ voice, the Cowboys’owner is exposing the coach as the puppet he is.
JENNIFER FLOYD [email protected]
More on ENGEL on 7D
� Safety Roy Williams’ status with Cowboys still in question. 7D� QB Rhett Bomar draws attention at Scouting Combine. 7D
�
Horse racing Debt woes could affect Lone Star Park 2D
Boxing Olympian Yanez has brief, successful debut 3D
NHL Stars finding out that their kids are all right 5D
The UIL steroid testing program is likely to be scaled backafter a second round of test results announced Fridayshowed seven positives out of nearly 19,000 students tested,about three-hundreths of one percent.
On top of last year’s results, which found four positivesout of more than 10,000 students tested, the $6 million pro-gram has found 11 positives in 28,934 tests.
The author of the law that authorized the testing pro-gram said he is encouraged by those numbers, and he believes the program can be cut back.
“It continues to work as a deterrent, and we’ve said allalong that is what we needed it to do,” said state Rep. DanFlynn (R-Van). “Do we need to continue the program as it isnow? Probably not. I think we can
HIGH SCHOOLS
Texas steroid testingturns up clean athletesFor a second year, the UIL steroid testing program isfinding a remarkable few positives.
By CARLOS MENDEZ [email protected]
More on UIL on 10D
