Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 11

DREW SHARP Harmony reigns in Spartans' locker room Coach Olson are up for Hall FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES of lung cancer and his mother, Linda, undergoing breast cancer radiation treatment. "I'm really going to miss this locker room when it's over," Thomas said. And it will end in Minneapolis, whether it's Saturday or Monday. Hutson and Bell have possible NBA opportunities awaiting them, and they already understand that the dynamics of the locker room will change drastically. A team of 12 players becomes a consortium of 12 individual corporations, each sitting at his cubicle holding court with a cell phone rather than a teammate.

"It's going to be tough and that's why you have to appreciate this for as long as you can," Hutson said. "And you take the memories with you and hopefully you learn from it. It's made us better players because we've become a better team." And they've become better people. And hasn't that always been the underlying goal of college athletics? Contact DREW SHARP at from his CD player. Ishbia and Richardson offered a private challenge.

Which one could make Anagonye laugh? It's hard enough making him smile, but Ishbia leaned over to him, and suddenly Anagonye burst out laughing, evoking the same response from the others. Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor, the two star freshmen who have been close friends for several years, were quietly keeping to themselves at the opposite end. But Andre Hutson and Charlie Bell, the two dominant seniors, intruded upon the solitude. Soon, the four were giggling and slapping. Randolph got up and joined the frivolity at the other end, taking his turns ragging on Richardson and Ishbia.

Having fun is one secret of the Spartans' success. And one better understands how well they work together on the floor after seeing them work together off the floor. "It's like we're lying," coach Tom Izzo said with a smirk. "It is. It's like we're lying because you see it and say to yourself that no marriage can be that good.

There's got to be some friction or hurt feelings somewhere because you're dealing with different personalities and different backgrounds. But I look around at these guys and marvel." Camaraderie can be a cliche in sports. But there's a genuine closeness among the Spartans. They're brothers of the heart. "We've got each other's backs," Bell said.

"There's a level of trust, and it all starts in the locker room. It doesn't matter if you're the first guy or the last guy. Cliques can be dangerous because you'll get stuff coming out behind people's backs that someone said something about somebody and it builds into something serious. We may get mad at times, but we take care of it quickly and don't let it spill out onto the floor." Such harmonious unity was Iz-zo's vision, but it was Antonio Smith's execution. Grandpa Flint-stone was the first to commit to the then-future MSU head coach in 1994 and he enthusiastically embraced the family concept.

"Tone made sure that everyone felt like they had an important role with this team," Izzo recalled. "During the team meals, he'd sit and eat with the managers one day or with the walk-ons the next day. Whomever had the worst day at practice or during the game, Tone ate with him." Izzo remembered one particular explosion when he "ripped a manager," practically driving the kid to tears. He felt bad about it later and sought out the manager at the team meal. He saw the manager and Smith huddled at the table, smiling and joking.

The problems of the day are forgotten and forgiven. The moment moved Izzo. This was his image of family. The father gets on the son. The son goes to his brother for comfort.

The coach jumps on his team. The team turns to each other for consolation. "Tone set the example for the rest of us to follow," said Thomas, a fifth-year senior who first arrived in East Lansing during Smith's sophomore season. "And it has passed down over the years. It was Mateen (Cleaves) and Mo-Pete (Morris Peterson) last year, and now it falls upon us seniors this season to maintain that attitude.

All these guys are my brothers." The brotherhood has helped Thomas cope with a cousin dying i the clown prince of Spartans' bench VI vja DIANE EAST LANSING Locker rooms, regardless of the sport, operate under a caste system, a strict social order in which those who rarely play know their place two paces behind the stars at all times. Cliques are unavoidable, particularly with young men from divergent cultural backgrounds. But such divisiveness is uniquely absent from the Michigan State locker room. Following a weekend practice in Memphis, recently, Jason Richardson grabbed a chair and sat between walk-ons Mat Ishbia and Tim Bograkos, who were trash-talking with seniors Mike Chappell, David Thomas and Brandon Smith. "Ishbia, what you know about trading smack?" said Saginaw na- tive Richardson to the Bloomfield Hills suburbanite.

Ishbia fired right back, much to Richardson's delight. Aloysius Anagonye sat alone at his locker with a look that warns, "Proceed At Your Own Risk," softly tapping his foot to the beat shbia is By JEMELE HILL FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER EAST LANSING Mention the name Mat Ishbia to anyone on the Michigan State basketball team, and the reaction is either a big grin or a Mat Ishbia story. When Ishbia's name was brought up to assistant coach Stan Heath, he chuckled and said: "Ishbia is the man!" Ishbia, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound sophomore from Birmingham Seaholm, has played only 34 minutes this season, but he has an important role in the Spartans' pursuit of a second straight national title. Ishbia is the guy who breaks up the monotony, the guy the Spartans can count on to make them laugh. The comic relief, if you will.

That might not seem like a big deal, but it is to a team that's coated in pressure the entire season. Nearly every championship team has someone like Ishbia. "One big thing is how he imitates the coaches all the time," senior David Thomas said. "That gets everybody rolling. He's the comedian.

He gets everybody's spirits up." If a vote were taken among the players, Ishbia might win as the most popular teammate. For fans at the Breslin Center, he was the Spartans' favorite sub this season. When Michigan State is on the road, the central meeting place is Ishbia's room, which he shares with senior reserve Brandon Smith. The players go there because they are guaranteed to hear a comical fight between Smith and Ishbia. They are guaranteed to be engaged in a silly debate.

They are guaranteed to laugh. "They're something else," red-shirt freshman Jason Andreas said. "I always take my video camera in there because I know I'm going to get some good footage. They're like an old, married couple." Asked why he and Smith are the big attraction, Ishbia said: "We just make fun of everyone and have a good time." Strong NIT ByJACKSAYLOR free press sports writer NEW YORK Even if the Detroit Mercy basketball season had ended when it appeared to be doing so three weeks ago, a bright future would have been predicted for next season because of a near-roster full of returning players. But the campaign was stretched by the Titans' inclusion in the National Invitation Tournament.

And the Titans' reaching the final four in this competition sheds an even shinier light on their future. Detroit Mercy (25-11) closes its season tonight in Madison Square Garden in the NIT consolation game against Memphis. And John Calipari, coach of the Tigers, pointed out the value of participating in this event. "Seven teams that played in this tournament last year went to the NCAA tournament and advanced this year," said Calipari, who used two early NIT appearances (starting in '91) to win at least 20 games a season for the next six years with Massachu i SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Final Four coaches Mike Krzy-zewski of Duke and Lute Olson of Arizona are on the short list for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Krzyzewski and Olson were among 17 finalists seven players, seven coaches and three contributors announced Wednesday. The inductees will be voted into the hall in May and enshrined Oct. 5. "It knocks you back a little bit," Krzyzewski said. "It's the highest honor you can be considered for in your sport.

It can't get'any better than this except being elected." His team faces Maryland on Saturday in the NCAA semifinals. Olson's team plays Michigan State in the other game. Other coaches among the finalists are Larry Brown, who won an NCAA championship at Kansas and took six different teams to the NBA playoffs; Temple's John Chaney, who has led the Owls to five NCAA regional finals over the past 19 years and led Cheyney State to a Division II championship; and Fresno State's Jerry Tarkanian, who won an NCAA championship at UNLV. Among the players were Moses Malone, who played 21 years in the ABA and NBA; James Worthy, one of the game's greatest fastbreak finishers; former Piston Adrian Dantley; and defensive ace Bobby Jones. Cathy Rush, whose three national championships at Imma-culata College in the 1970s brought national attention and scholarship money to women's college basketball; and North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, who ranks fifth with 611 career victories and has taken the Wolf-pack to the NCAA tournament 15 times in the past 19 years, also were nominated to the hall.

Recker staying at Iowa: Luke Recker will return to Iowa for his senior season, putting off a move to the NBA. Recker, who missed 17 of 35 games last season because of an injured right knee, averaged 18.1 points a game. COX leaving UConn: Connecticut's Marcus Cox, suspended from the team after his February arrest on marijuana possession charges, plans to transfer. Cox, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, said he and coach Jim Calhoun agreed "It was best I get a fresh start." Badgers may hire Ryan: Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Bo Ryan might get the job he applied for nine years ago. Ryan could be hired as Brad Soderberg's replacement at Wisconsin as early as today.

The school has scheduled a news conference for 9:45 a.m. Ryan, 53, is a former Badgers assistant who wanted the head coaching job in 1992 but was beaten out by Stu Jackson. Coaches' corner: Tom Pecora is Hof-stra's new coach, promoted after seven years as an assistant to Jay Wright Pecora has never been a head coach in Division but went 62-24 from 1989-92 at SUNY-Farming-dale, a junior college program. Wright left to coach Villanova after taking Hofstra to the last two NCAA tournaments and going 122-85 in seven seasons. Pecora is known as a top-notch recruiter.

Royce Chadwlck, who led Stephen F. Austin to seven consecutive appearances in the NCAA women's tournament, was appointed coach at Marshall. Chadwick, 43, replaces Juliene Simpson, who was fired after going 30-81 over four seasons. Chadwick, who has a career record of 400-132, signed a five-year contract. Mike Mac-Donald, considered a coaching candidate at St.

Bonaventure, signed a four-year contract extension to remain with Canisius. MacDonald is 58-57 in four years with the Golden Griffins. Dennie Bridges, the most successful active men's coach in Division III, retired after 36 years at Illinois Wesleyan. Bridges' 667-31 9 record includes the 1 997 Division III national championship and a third-place finish this season. He is 35 wins short of the mark set by Dick Sauers for most Division III victories.

Making history: Basketball wasn't Invented in Indiana, though many a Hoosier would argue it was perfected here. The state boasts a basketball legacy that includes John Wooden, Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird, not to mention outsiders such as Bob Knight and Reggie Miller. The movie "Hoosiers" was based on the state hysteria over high school basketball. The legacy will grow Friday when Purdue and Notre Dame become the first women's teams from the same state to appear in the same Final Four. (It has happened six times on the men's side.) The Boilermakers (30-6) and Irish (32-2) are in opposite semifinals and could meet in the title game Sunday.

"We in Indiana who are basketball-crazy Hoosier nuts couldn't be happier," said Roger Dickinson, executive director of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Party With Sparty: Going to Minneapolis? The MSU Alumni Association, the Rebounders' Club and the MSU Alumni Club of Minnesota are co-sponsoring a pep rally for the Spartans, p.m. Central Standard Time Satur- o4 1111 Mirnllat Moll That'e a faui hlrvkc trom me Meiroaome, wnere ine spanans iaco Arizona at 4:42 in the first semifinal. Sparty will be there, along with the Spartan Brass, MSU cheerleaders and assorted university dignitaries. Admission is $25 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.

The charge includes stacks and souvenirs. Smith and Ishbia play the odd couple perfectly. And as everyone tells it, Ishbia is the instigator. One of Smith's pet peeves is for someone to lie in his bed. So Ishbia will ask another guy to lie in Smith's bed, which instantly starts a fight.

"I don't like that," Smith said. "I don't want other people under my covers. He always tells Adam Ballinger to do it, and of course, he always does it." It gets a good laugh, but the arguments between Smith and Ishbia usually started by Ishbia are a main attraction on the road. "That's because he always says something real dumb like Patrick Ewing is the best center in the league," Smith grumbled. No one is safe from Ishbia, the one player on the team who seems to know everything about everyone.

At least enough so he has a ready joke for everyone. He teases freshman point guard Marcus Taylor about the problems with his girlfriend. Or, Sophomore Mat Ishbia, left, and freshman Marcus Taylor get from the Michigan State band as they leave the court after the Spartans' South Regional victory over Temple. WEISSDetroit Free Press those little things from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also got mad because I called him a little leprechaun last weekend.

He had to get me back with some-' thing by saying that I can't shoot." Ishbia, a finance major, will 5 never be an All-America, but he feels like the luckiest walk-on in the world. Eventually, he hopes to become a college basketball coach, and he wants to pattern himself after Tom Izzo. "It's the best program there is in the country," Ishbia said. "And to be at the end of that bench is an 1 honor for me. It might be tough for another player at another school because they might not get treated well.

But I get treated as good as J. Charlie or Mike by 1 the coaches, by every player. It's not like, 'Oh, he's a Everything is even around here, and that's what makes it great. A lot of players don't have that." Contact JEMELE HILL at NIT FINALES Matchup: Detroit Mercy 25-1 1 Memphis 20-15; NIT consolation game. Tip-off: 6 tonight, Madison Square Garden, New York City.

Radio: WDFN-AM (1130), WTKA-AM(1050). Line: Memphis by 2: Overview Rashad Phillips concludes his brilliant, record-breaking career with the Titans, who can claim a school season record of 26 victories by beating the Tigers. But they need to forget the disappointment of losing to Alabama down the stretch and get after it early because the Grunts from Graceland can be as relentless on the boards as 'Bama was. Kelly Wise, 6-10, and Earl Barron, 6-1 1 will be a load for the Titans' inside game, whose rebounding against the Tide was led by Willie Green, a 6-4 guard, with nine. Three-point shooting must continue to be UDM's assault mode.

Championship game: Alabama (25-10) vs. Tulsa (25-1 1 9 p.m., ESPN. Watson said. The experience of the 2001 Ti- tans in the NIT should be invaluable when they get back in Mid-1 western Collegiate Conference' 1 competition in 2002. Contact JACK SAYLOR at 313-222-2503.

lt run polishes the Titans' future spots on the floor and see who can make the most baskets. Or they shoot jumpers from anywhere. Ishbia claims he has beaten Richardson an All-Big Ten player several times. Ishbia's secret is to talk so much trash that it gets Richardson out of his game. "You get in his head, and he starts missing shots," Ishbia said.

"I just tell him that he's just not that good of a shooter. I tell him the guy at the end of the bench is the best shooter on the team. I'm sitting at the end of the bench, and I'm a better shooter than him. He'll get all mad and say, 'Man, you can't hit a So he starts 'shooting and missing. I'm not a good shooter, I'll tell you that.

But for some reason, when I go against him my shots fall." But Richardson has a comeback for the king of comebacks. He calls Ishbia insulting names. "Mat Ishbia got mad because I called him a 'Loompa, Richardson said. "You know, Big strides are needed from upcoming seniors Mike Harmon (6-11) and Marc Mazur (6-10). And 6- 8 sophomore-to-be Mark Maxwell needs to be trimmed up and gain stamina.

The fleet, long-armed Harmon is the principal hope. "I look at Mike like jumper cables," Riggs said. "He comes into the game and gives us a lift, rebounds, blocks shots, and really helps the team." Watson said the one thing he wants from Harmon is energy. "He can run the floor like a deer and block shots," the Titans' coach said. "If I know he's gonna give me energy and play hard, then I can live with the results." The only newcomers are three redshirts 6-7 Willie Wallace, 6- 9 Clark Headen and 6-3 David Baxter son of the Michigan backcourt star of the mid-70s.

Watson expects Wallace, a prep teammate of MSU's Charlie Bell, to offer a frontcourt lift. "He can help us play small or play big, and move Terrell to a wing for more versatility. A lot will depend on their improvement over the sprjig and summer," ex-girlfriend. He kids senior swingman Mike Chappell about his penchant for getting into difficult situations with women. "Mike has, urn, awkward situations," he said.

"I don't know if I can talk about it, though." He calls reserve Andreas the "6-10 Amish kid." Andreas isn't Amish, but he's from a mostly Amish community in Ohio. "Ishbia, he's the king of comebacks," Andreas said, laughing. "He gets on everybody. He's got a great personality. He's a very likable guy.

If J. R. (Jason Richardson), Zach Randolph, Marcus Taylor and Mat Ishbia are all together, everybody will come up and see Ishbia. Everybody knows Mat Ishbia." Ishbia's favorite person to mess with is Richardson, with whom he played AAU ball when he was a high school junior and Richardson was a sophomore. He often challenges Richardson to a shooting contest.

They pick five The only other loss is senior backup center Walter Craft. So the others all return a year older and, Watson hopes, a year wiser. "We expect everybody to be better after a summer to work on their weaknesses," he said. "We also expect them stronger so we are looking for a new, improved and more experienced ballclub." Forwards Terrell Riggs and Darius Belin, guards Willie Green and Greg Grays, and support players must step up their games and increase leadership qualities. One important major project is settling on a point guard; Jimmy Twyman gets first call after freshman backup duty.

But job one, so illuminated in the NIT, is to improve the rebounding, scoring and defensive power in the pivot. "I would hope next year we definitely would have more of a post presence on offense," Watson said. "Losing Rashad, we definitely need to be able to get to the free throw line. He was always the guy that was able to get opponents in foul trouble. Another way to do that is Vith a post game." setts.

UDM coach Perry Watson already has logged four straight 20-victory seasons, and the Titans have gone to the post-season in three of those four. These five NIT games should help keep the program at a high level. There will be a void, a huge one, with the departure of Rashad Phillips and his school-record point total, three-point shooting magic, general excitement value and team leadership. The loss of such a superstar can't be minimized, but Watson prefers to think positively. Phillips' absence will eliminate any possibility that others will be waiting for Rashad to make things happen.

"I think they did sometimes," Watson agreed. "One of the small problems in having a great player who is capable of creating a shot at any time and just exploding, is that others will step aside and kind of say, 'Let him do I think our team started growing this season and understood that." There may be no replacing Phillips, but UDM will retool and change style a bit..