The Republic from Columbus, Indiana • Page 11

Edited by Joe Gill The Republic, Columbus, Ind. Thursday, November 18, 2010 B3 No easy job picking larger NCAA field Bv Michael Marot Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS Putting three more teams in the NCAA tournament won't make the selections any easier for Gene Smith or his selection committee members. In fact, things could get more complicated. Smith still expects to hear complaints from the bubble teams that are left out of the new 68-team field this March. "I still believe there's going to be that 38th and 39th team that feel they should have been the 36th or 37th (at-large) team," the selection committee chairman said Wednesday on a conference call.

"I do believe, though, in the room we'll kind of have one of those moments of, 'OK, here we are with trying to solidify who 35, 36 and 37 But it leans, the selection committee did discuss holding an opening day event to start the college basketball season. No formal proposals have been made, but the two coaches on the call Stevens and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski said they would support the move. "I think sometimes toward the waning parts of the football season, or at least the regular season, all of a sudden pops up a college basketball game," Stevens said. "It's like, 'I didn't realize that was going Duke and Butler played for last season's national title and will meet in a Dec. 4 rematch at East Rutherford, N.J.

Krzyzewski and Stevens also voiced opposition to eliminating summer recruiting, a proposal the NCAA executive committee decided last month would be studied over the next 12 months. The Collegiate Commissioners Association had proposed an outright ban. Krzyzewski was upset no coaches were included in the CCA's discussion and contends a ban would actually increase a school's recruiting costs. "Summer recruiting is essential for schools of all levels," Krzyzewski said. "I think the amount of money that you would have to put into it if you didn't have summer recruiting would be immense because you get to see so many kids during a short period of time in one area.

So it's essential. What we do with it, I mean, it should be a consensus with the coaches and our administrators as to what is best for our game. You're going to have to do something in the summer, there's no question about it." ers carried on TNT, TBS and truTV. And there will be the inaugural "First Four" round of games. Previously, there had been one such game, which fans dubbed the play-in game because the winner advanced to face one of the four No.

1 seeds. This time, however, two games will be played between the four lowest seeds to make the field, while the other two will feature the last four at-large qualifiers. Some lire hoping it will open the door to giving more bids to the so-called mid-major programs and conferences, though Smith cautioned the committee will follow the same selection and bracketing rules and procedures it has in the past. "I don't know if it will make it easier," Smith said. "It's real ly hard to speculate what that moment will bring for us.

We'll move through our process. Now, as opposed to stopping, we'll go to 37 at-large." Will the extra spots help teams like Butler and Northern Iowa? Maybe. "It helps four teams, I don't know which four teams it helps," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "I don't know they're in any given league. What we try to do is we try to go out and schedule the best schedule that we possibly can, which in the coaching fraternity they call me crazy for doing that, so that we at least have a shot to qualify for the tournament in two ways." The new tourney format wasn't the only hot topic.

Smith acknowledged that during last week's meeting in New Or- won't change our process. "I think it will be more of a psychological or emotional experience in the first year of going to 68." The NCAA announced in April that it would expand the field to 68 teams rather than going to 96, which many considered inevitable because the governing body was negotiating a new television deal. When CBS and Turner Sports, which won the rights to televise college basketball's marquee event, said they didn't necessarily need that many additional games to turn a profit, the NCAA opted for a smaller expansion. Clearly, this March will look quite different to viewers. It will be the first time every tourney game will be televised live nationally.

One game will be carried by CBS, with oth Celtics dominate Wizards NBA Roundup M- Double akF rm WURSDM FAMILY tllGIIT "xc A playing in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles took advantage of Richard Hamilton's early ejection in the win. Bryant scored 24 in the first half, helping the Lakers open a 1 4-point halftime lead, and the struggling Pistons allowed the first seven points of the third quarter to fall behind 66-45. Pau Gasol added 25 points and 1 2 rebounds for Los Angeles. Rodney Stuckey scored 18 points for the Pistons. Bryant had 14 points by the end of the first quarter.

Heat 123, Suns 96 MIAMI Chris Bosh scored a season-high 35 points, LeBron James finished with 20 points and Miami beat Phoenix. Dwyane Wade added 17 points for the Heat, who blew it open with a 18-3 run to close the third quarter. James also had nine assists and eight rebounds. Bosh had 22 of his points by halftime, already topping his previous Miami best of 2 1 Raptors 94, 76ers 86 PHILADELPHIA Andrea Bargnani scored a season-high 30 points. Sonny Weems added a career-high 25 and Toronto beat Philadelphia in a matchup of two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.

Reggie Evans, who began the night fourth in the league in rebounding at 1 1 5 per game, pulled down 14 for the Raptors, who improved to 3-9 and snapped a two-game losing streak. Jose Calderon chipped in 12 points for Toronto. Associated Press BOSTON Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 13 assists on Wednesday night before the Boston starters sat out the fourth quarter and watched the bench pull away for a 114-83 victory over the Washington Wizards. Kevin Garnett scored 18 in 24 minutes, and Ray Allen had 11 points in 26. Except for Sha-quille O'Neal, who scored 13 points in 22 minutes, all the starters spent more time on the bench than in any other game this season.

Nick Young scored 20 points for the Wizards, who were without No. 1 overall draft pick John Wall and center Yi Ji-anlian for the second straight game. The depleted roster helped Boston pull away early and rest their aging starters in its first game back after a four-city road trip. The Celtics have won three in a row and eight of their last nine. It was 89-69 at the end of three quarters, and the Celtics' bench led by as many as 37 in the fourth.

Delonte West scored 12 points in his first game back from a 10-game suspension, Semih Erden scored nine and Associated Press 1 LARGE PIZZA UP TO 3 TOPPINGS BREADSTICKS 4-DRINKS Washington Wizards small forward Al Thornton (14) dishes off the ball, as Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal (36) arxfpower forward Kevin Garnett (5) apply defensive pressure diMngf the first quarter of Wednesday night's game at the Garden in Boston. WELCOME ROB WIETHOFF and scored 12 in a row, this time with Garnett putting in three baskets. Garnett also hit a long 2-pointer in the closing seconds of the half to make it 60-44. Lakers 103, Pistons 90 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Kobe Bryant scored 33 points without Glen "Big Baby" Davis had eight rebounds.

Boston trailed 12-9 before scoring 12 of the game's next 13 points, including three straight inside baskets from O'Neal. Washington cut it to three points in the second quarter against the Boston bench, but the Celtics' starters returned Bob Poynter GM is pleased to announce Rob Wiethoff as the 1 newest member of our sales team. Rob is a native of Seymour and a graduate of Indiana University. Rob moved to Seymour in May to be back in Jackson County with his family and fiancee, Tayler. Rob is, excited about his career with Bob Poynter GM and looks forward to helping you find that perfect vehicle.

Cr 3. Cik pnefuroat fyrn 1209 E. TIPTON ST. 812-372-5270 WWW.B0BP0YNTERGftl.COM i 'i mmw mm -r si o1 r- Associated Press Carolina Hurricanes' Brandon Sutter (16) tries to score on Ottawa Senators goalie Brian Elliott (30) as Hurricanes' Patrick Dwyer battles with Senators' Erik Karlssoh (65), during the first period of Wednesday night's game in Raleigh, N.C Staal's hat trick sinks Senators tc'-- NHL Roundup a nia trip that produced only one point and had their skid extended to 0-10-1. New York, which got goals from Matt Moutson and John Tavares, hasnt won since beating Tampa Bay ,00 the road on Oct 21 a 4 owerfime victory.

The Islanders ha4a league-low 1 1 poirtts. Panthers 2, Tluattfefitf ATLANTA StEtfl Weiss and RadekrrorakscOfd second-period goals atJdT tomas Vbkoun stopped 38 srotSaMfTorida beat slumping Atlanta, -fe i4 Vbkoun has allowed oVih one goal in each of his three" straight wins in a span of a week. The Panthers have won three of their past four and ended a streak of three straight losses in Atlanta. -f The Thrashers -suffered their sixth loss in their past seven games since a 4-3 win at Florida on Nov. 3.

Bruins 3, Rangers 2 NEW YORK Tim Thomas made 15 of his 34 saves in the third period, turning away three shots when, Boston was down two men in the third and lifting the Bruins over New York. Milan Lucie, Tyler Seguin and Mark Recchi scored three consecutive goals as Boston won its second straight in improving to 7-1 on the road. The Bruins have scored 21 goals in its past five road games. Penguins 3, Canucks 1 PITTSBURGH Sidney Crosby scored on a breakaway seven seconds after leaving the penalty box. Max Talbot scored short-handed and Pittsburgh beat Vancouver in regulation for the first time in 10 years.

The Canucks were 7-0-1 against the Penguins since losing 4-2 on Nov. 3, 2000, and had won their last four in Pittsburgh. Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. Eric Staal had three goals, including the 200th of his career, and two assists in the Carolina Hurricanes' 7-1 victory over the heavy-hearted Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. Chad La Rose added two goals and two assists, Tim Gleason had a goal and an assist and Tuomo Ruutu also scored for the Hurricanes, who put up four goals in the first period against Brian Elliott.

Cam Ward made 23 saves for Carolina. Reeling after consecutive blowout losses to Philadelphia and at Montreal by a combined 15-3, the Hurricanes shook up the roster a few hours before the puck dropped by trading two regulars to Calgary-Daniel Alfredsson scored late for the Senators, who lost their second straight, Elliott mlfcvW fMntl MmUr- stopped just 12 shots in fewer than 17 minutes before he was pulled for Pascal Leclaire, who made nine saves but allowed three goals. Lightning 4, Islanders 2 UNIONDALE, N.Y. Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added an assist as Tampa Bay sent the Islanders to their 11th straight loss. Capua no, promoted on Monday from the AHL on an interim basis after Scott Gordon was fired, couldnt change New York fortunes in his first game as an NHL head coach.

The Islanders (4-1 1 -3) returned home from a three-game Califor .1 YrS CITckvmw.thfc dfes.ccX.