The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 40

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 2001 THE RECORD t-5 A Villanova homeconiia Midwtst Rtglonal Opening round its COLLEGE BASKETBALLSOCCER wane eea NfM, Oee aasnwaaaaaiai ttaae Mnana staaa Wright greets new 'family' one of us reaching 100 percent of our potential. Wright'i job could be mad more difficult by the possible departure of second-team Ail-American Michael Bradley next season. Bradley, a 6 foot-10, 245-pound center, averaged 21.4 point and 10.1 rebounds, but could elect to forego his senior season to enter the NBA draft The new coach met with his play ers individually Tuesday, but he hadn't yet talked to Bradley about hi plans. "As soon as I can," Wright said. Hofstra lost its first-round NCAA tournament game the past two years, dropping a hard-fought 61-48 decision to UCLA on March 15.

In 2000, Oklahoma State beat the Pride, they're in his soul," Nkastro said Wright was being wooed by several other schools, including Rutgers and Tennessee. He had interviewed with Rutgers last week and had been scheduled to interview with the Vols today. Wright, who led the Pride to a 26-5 record and a second straight America East Conference title, takes over a Villanova program that has missed the NCAA tournament two straight years. Villanova lost in the first round to Mississippi in its last trip to the NCAA tournament in 1999. The Wildcat were 2-4 in the tournament under Lappas, losing three straight years in the first or second round de By MICHAEL Rl'BINXAM Tht Anociftvd Pros VILLANOVA, Pa.

Jay Wright'i first stint at Villanova came as an assistant coach just a few years titer the Wildcat' stunning 1985 NCAA men' basketball tournament championship. Wright, introduced as Villanova's coach Tuesday, hopes to return the Wildcats to those heights. "I think what fans are going to have to expect is a team that's going to play with great passion, a team that's going to play with great pride," Wright said. Wright, who led Hofstra into the last two NCAA tournaments, said he's thankful to be back in Philadelphia. The suburban Philly native grew up watching Big 5 basketball and was an assistant at Villanova from 1987-1992.

This is just amazing. I really feel like I'm home," said Wright, choking up. "Once you're touched by the Villanova family, it sticks with you forever." Wright, 39, replaces his friend Steve Lappas, who resigned unexpectedly Saturday after jine years at Villanova to become coach at Massachusetts. After Lappas made the announcement, Villanova athletic director Vince Nicastro immediately called the Hofstra coach. "The overriding factor was to find someone who truly understood the Villanova tradition, the values, and the culture here.

Jay Wright not only understands those things, he embraces them, he lives them. I believe spite being seeded No. 3, 3, and 4. Villanova, 13-13 this season, lost to Minnesota on March 14 in the NIT, closing a season that began 11-2. Wright hopes to improve on that record, although he said he won't be swayed by outside expectations.

"I do understand that fans and media have to judge it by wins and losses and NCAA tournaments. So I will never back away from that But the way we judge ourselves and our Villanova basketball family is not going to be based on outside expectations," said Wright, whose news conference was attended by one of his former players, Speedy Claxton, now a Philadelphia 76ers rookie. "It's going to be based on our family and each would be happy to see Dunn receive an offer from Rutgers or any other school Penn State has yet to make Dunn an offer, but it is expected to lowball him when it does. Penn State officials didn't return repated phone calls Tuesday. Neither did Xavier officials.

Mulcahy is said to also be interested in Xavier head coach Skip Prosser. This all leaves Mulcahy in a bit of a bind as his ill-fated search for a coach continues. Mulcahy, however, was not waiting on a final word from Welsh. He is believed to have reached RUTGERS: Coach status shaky From Page S-1 State coach Jerry Dunn, whose contract expired at the end of the season. Dunn is not a favorite in Happy Valley.

There was a great deal of talk that the school's administration was set to sack him before the Big 10 tournament But the Nittany Lions had a strong conference tournament, which included an upset of Michigan State. Dunn then led the team into the Sweet 16. He is now considered a hot commodity by some. Privately, there is the feeling that Penn State officials Tickets scarce for Final Four f- S3 Cat State KoiwiUtfa 79 7 72 Nee Dame 13 MCONS ROUNO al 67 51 79 Kaaeae City Me. 73 62 Demo 9 RtOtONAL SEMIFINALS All Araona96 90 REOIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ArnonaS7 Wast Regional FIRST ROUND 16 At Cea Arena at Attee Ratal St Jeeepn'a 66 Stanford 99 Kant State 77 Cincinnati 94 At SSU Pavilion Georgia Tech 62 90 Indiana 73 Bngnam toting 59 Georgia Stata 50 Maryland 93 Georgetown 63 Hampton 56 WleconeM49 George Maaon 90 Iowa State 57 SECONO ROUND Saturday, March 17 Al Coi Arena at Altec Sool Cincinnati 86 Stanford 90 At SSU PetrlUon Kent State 43 St.

Joaeph'a 83 Maryland 78 Georgetown 79 Georgia Stata 60 57 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Al Arrowhead Fend Anaheim, Cam. Thuredey'e acoraa Maryland 76 Georgetown 66 Stanlord 78 Cincinnati 65 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday'a score Maryland 87 Stanford 73 The Final Four At The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodomo Mlnneapolle NATIONAL SEMIFINALS Saturday'a gamee Michigan State (28-4) vs. Arizona (27-7), 5:42 p.m. Duke (33-4) vs.

Maryland (25-10). following first game NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Monday, April 2 Semifinal winners. 9:18 p.m. At The Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City Utah 78 -Iowa 69 At Memorial Gymnasium Naahvllle, Tenn.

Vanderbilt 65 -Colorado 59 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS At Papal Arena Denver Saturday's scores Notre Dame 69 Vanderbilt 84 lowa Stale 65 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Monday'a acoraa Notre Dame 72 West Regional FIR8T ROUND Friday's scores At The O'Connell Center Gainesville, Fla. Washington 67 Florida 84 Oid Dominion 65 Holy Cross 52 Saturday'a scores At Cameron Indoor Stadium Durham, N.C. Arkansas 68 -Baylor 59 Duke 96 -Wisconsin-Milwaukee 63 At The Brown Athletic Center Ptecataway S. Missouri State 89 Toledo 71 -Stephen F. Austin 43 Rutgera 80 At The Lloyd Noble Center Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma 70 Stanford 76 Oral Roberts 64 George Washington 51 SECOND ROUND Sunday'a score At The O'Connell Center Gainesville, Fie. Washington 86- Florida 75 Monday'a acoree At Cameron Indoor Stadium Durham, N.C. Duke 75 At The Brown Athletic Center Placataway S. Missouri Stale 60 Rutgera 53 At Tha Lloyd Noble Center Norman, Okla. Oklahoma 67 Stanford 50 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS At Spokane Arene Spokane, Wash.

Saturday's acoraa Southwest Missouri St. 81 Washington 84 Oklahoma 67 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Monday'a score S. Missouri State 104 Washington 87 The Final Four At The Sevvla Canter St. Louie NATIONAL SEMIFINALS Friday's games Purdue (30-6) vs. S.

Missouri State (29-5), 7 p.m. Connecticut (32-2) vs. Notre Dame (32-2), 0:30 p.m. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Sunday'a game Semifinal winners, 8:30 m. Late Monday Notre Dame 72, Vanderbilt 64 VANDERBILT (24-10) Kllmesova 12-19 3-4 27, Bennlngfield 1-5 0-0 3, Anderson 6-11 2-3 14.

McElhlney 3-11 4-4 12, Danker 3-10 0-0 8, Colli 0-0 0-0 0, Hager 0-4 0-0 0. TolalS 25-60 9-11 64. NOTRE DAME (32-2) Slemon 8-11 0-1 16. Riley 11-21 10-12 32. Haney 2-4 0-04.

Ratay 7-11 0-0 17, Ivey 1-3 0-33, Joyce 0-1 0-0 0, Hernandez 0-1 0-0 0, Barksdale 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-52 10-16 72. Halftlme Tied at 40. 3-Point goals Vanderbilt 5-19 (Danker 2-5, McElhlney 2-6. Bennlnglleld 1-1, Kllmesova 0-1.

Hager 0-4). Notre Dame 4-6 (Ratay 3-4. Ivey 1-1. Joyce 0-1). Fouled out Anderson.

Rebounds Vanderbilt 35 (Kllmesova 12), Notre Dame 29 (Slemon 7). Assists Vanderbilt 20 (McElhlney 7), Noire Dame 15 (Ivey 9). Total fouls Vanderbilt 13, Notre Dame 12. A 8.422. Southwest Missouri State 104, Washington 87 WASHINGTON (22-10) Payne 5-9 4-6 17.

Sheets 3-7 6-9 12. Latum 4-9 4-4 12, Glu.Mendlola 4-11 0-2 8. Franza 2-11 7-9 12, Duncan 0-0 0-0 0, Autrey 0-1 0-0 0, O'Neill 8-8 1-1 14, Glo.Mendlola 4-6 0-0 10, Pimley 1-3 0-0 2. Hal-penny 0-0 0-0 0. Relchmann 0-0 0-0 0, Sorenson 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals 29-89 22-31 87. SW MISSOURI ST. (29-5) Mltchem 7-7 6-6 23. Deer 2-6 5-6 9. Rama 8-10 0-1 16, Slllea 1 1-22 6-6 32, Campbell 2-3 0-0 4, Klaa 0-0 4-5 4.

Vicente 2-2 6-8 9. Busbey 0-0 0-0 0, Hohen-berger 2-4 0-0 5, McMorrls 0-0 0-0 0, Cavey 1-2 0-0 2. Totala 35-56 26-30 104. Halfllme SW Missouri St. 61-33.

3-Polnt goals-Washington 7-23 (Payne 3-6, Glo.Mendlola 2-3, O'Neill 1-1, Franza 1-4, Autrey 0-1, Pimley 0-1, Lalum 0-3. Glu.Mendlola 0-4), SW Missouri St. 8-15 (Stiles 4-6, Mltchem 3-3, Hohenberger 1-1. Deer 0-3). Fouled out Stiles.

Rebounds Washington 27 (Glu.Mendlola 8), SW Missouri St. 37 (Ranta 11). As-alsla Washington 17 (Franza 6). SW Missouri St. 25 (Campbell 8).

Total fouls Washington 23, SW Missouri St. 25. A 11,144. Eaat Regional Ho Cram SciMhera Ceeasrais I tieee 12 WenStaaeTT UCLA 91 On (tM (OT) HUmd Georgia 70. MCONO MiMeO M.Y.

Scuttwra CaWerna 74 Kentucky? Soeton Cottage 71 taaaTI At Brumtl AaMuaAaVaHW a DukeM UCLA 79 Mteeouritl -Utah SUM OIONM. MMWINAU AIM Southern Cal. Duk7f -Kwitueky7t UCLA 63 PtlOrONAL CHAMPIONIHW Sotaraay'e eeere Duke 79 South Rtglonal MIST ROUNO rtae, Hank 1 At Tha PyfanM Memphle, Teiw. Ooraaga Indiana Stata 70 Mkrtflan Stata Freeno Stata 12 Virginia (S OS Sttia 3S Cautorma 70 At Temple 79 Florida 69 Pann Stata 69 North Carolina 70. TexaeM -Weetem Kantucky 66 46 SECOND ROUND Sunday, March 16 Al Tha Pyramid Qonzaga 65 Stata 68 Fraano Stata 65 Michigan State 61 Al Tha Leulstana luoerdome Naw Ortaana Tempi 75 Pann Stata 62 North Carolina 74 RCQIONAL SEMIFINALS At Tha Oaargla Dama Atlanta Frlday'a acoraa Michigan Stata 77 Temple 84 Gonzaga 62 Pern Stata 72 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 8 un day's aeera Michigan Stata 69 Temple 62 East Regional FIRST ROUND Frlday'a acoraa At Stegeman Coliseum Athena, Ga.

Missouri 71 Wisconsin 68 Liberty 48 Georgia 77 At Reynolds Coliseum Raleigh, N.C. Villanova 66 N.C. State 76 Drake 58 -Delaware 57 Saturday's acoraa At Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 8torra, Conn. Connecticut 101 Long Island University 29 Colorado State 83 Maryland 69 At The Thomas Assembly Center Ruston, La.

Texas Christian 77 Penn State 75 Louisiana Tech 84 Georgia State 48 SECONO ROUND Sunday's scores At 8tegeman Coliseum Athena, Ga. Missouri 78 Georgia 65 At Raleigh Sports Arena Raleigh, N.C. N.C. State 68 -Villanova 64 Monday's acoraa At Harry A. Gampel Pavilion Storra, Conn.

Connecticut 89 Colorado State 44 Al The Thomas Assembly Canter Ruston, Le. Louisiana Tech 80 Texas Christian 59 REGIONAL 8EMIFINALS At Mellon Arena Pittsburgh Saturday'a scores Louisiana Tech 78 Missouri 67 Connecticut 72 N.C. State 58 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Monday's score Connecticut 67 Louisiana Tech 48 Mideast Regional FIRST ROUND Frlday'a acoraa At Thompson-Bollng Arena Knoxville, Tann. St. Mary's.

Calif. 68 Tennessee 80 At Clntas Canter Cincinnati Clemson 51 Xavler 80 Texas 64 Austin Peay 38 Chattanooga 49 Louisville 52 At United Spirit Arena Lubbock, Texaa Virginia Tech 77 Texas Tech 100 At Mackay Arena Wast Lafayette, Ind. LSU 83 Denver 57 Pennsylvania 57 Arizona State 66 UC Santa Barbara 62 Purdue 75 SECOND ROUND Sunday's acoraa At Thompson-Doling Arena Knosvlllo, Tenn. Tennessee 92 At Clntas Center Cincinnati Xavler 77 St. Mary's, Calif.

75 Clemson 62 At United Spirit Arena Lubbock, Texae Texas Tech 73 At Mackay Arena West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue 73 Virginia Tech 52 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS At Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Ala. Saturday's gamee Xavler 80 Tennessee 65 Texas Tech 72 Purdue 74 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Monday'a score Purdue 88 -Xavler 78 Midwest Regional FIRST ROUND Friday's scores Al Hilton Coliseum Ames, Iowa Florida State 72 Iowa State 100 Saturday's acoraa At The Joyce Center South Bend, Ind. Michigan 81 Notre Dame 98 Tulane 70 -Howard 61 Virginia 71 (OT) Alcorn State 49 Al The Jon M. Huntsman Center Sell Uke City Iowa 89 Oregon 82 (OT) Utah 7g Fairfield 67 At Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, Tann.

Colorado 98 Siena 78 Vanderbilt 83 Idaho State 57 SECOND ROUNO Sunday's score At Hilton Coliseum Ames, Iowa Iowa State 85 Monday's acoraa At The Joyce Canter South tend, Ind. Noire Dama 68 Florida Stale 70 -Michigan 54 out through a third party to Universe ty of Richmond coach John Beilein. Beilein has let it be known that he has a great deal of interest in Rutgers. He has a 78-39 mark in his four years at Richmond, which plays in the Cy-lonial Athletic Association. The Spiders posted a 22-7 mark this season and reached the second round of the NIT.

Richmond will play in the At: lantic-10 next season. Beilein has turned down offers from St John's and St Louis since taking over the program at Richmond. St. Louis 220 miles east after stopping Washington, 104-87, Monday night in the NCAA West Regional final. It's the team's first Final Four appearance since 1992.

Each school in the Final Four received only 800 tickets, said Missy Slay, the tournament's executive director. Of the remaining $100 tickets, 7,300 were sold to the general public in a lottery last June, and the rest went to NCAA institutions and schools. Lady Bear season-ticket holders who donated between $5,000 and $10,000 to the university were allowed Tuesday to buy four tickets, while those who donated could buy two tickets, said Kim Zirfas, assistant box office manager at the university. Fewer than 100 tickets were expected to be made available today to students with valid identification on a first-come, first-served basis, she said. Otherwise, fans must fend for themselves.

"I tell you what, not 10 minutes after the buzzer sounded from last night's game, we started getting calls from people wanting tickets," Slay said. "The phones started ringing again at 6 a.m. today. Unfortunately, we don't have any tickets." Slay said she had heard reports of scalpers seeking up to $1,900 for a tourney seat. Wednesday," he told the half-dozen U.S.

reporters who attended the team's light training session Tuesday night. "We don't want to give the Honduran coaches and players a day to think about what's going on." Of course, all the Hondurans had to do was note who did not get off the plane or attend the training session to realize who was missing. Arena called the rash of injuries unfortunate, but seemed upbeat about the U.S. team's chances. "I think we're going to win the game," he said.

"I'm not worried about who's missing, I'm worried about who's here. We've got these guys ready to play. They'll be fine." Among "these guys" are Preki, the 37-year-old midfielder who helped the Kansas City Wizards win the Major League Soccer title last season, and forward Chris Albright, who started for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the Sydney Olympic Games. The U.S.

squad's depth will be tested, and it will be interesting to see what combinations Arena tries since he's going to play without his starting forwards and his key playmaker. It's likely that Josh Wolff and his Chicago Fire teammate, Ante Razov, would start in place of McBride and Moore. Wolff scored one goal against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 28 and set up the other for Earnie Stewart. The MetroStars Clint Mathis is likely to take Reyna's place, as he did when Reyna had to come out of the Mexico game.

Preki, whose last game for the United States was against Iran in the 1998 World Cup in France, would back up Mathis. ASSOCIATED PRESS Minutes after Jackie Stiles and Southwest Missouri State moved on to the Final Four, people began calling the tournament director for tickets. hurt US. soccer team The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Southwest Missouri State is in the Final Four, but most Lady Bears fans without deep pockets will be watching on TV instead of from inside the St.

Louis arena 2xh hours away. The games were sold out long ago and prices are soaring. The some 19,600 tickets to see Friday's semifinals and Sunday's championship game at Sawis Center were doled out last summer. It has created a ripe market for ticket brokers and scalpers some reportedly seeking as much as $1,900 for a single center court seat to see No. 1 seeds Connecticut and Notre Dame play, along with Southwest Missouri and Purdue.

Adding to the frenzy is the fact that the local favorite Lady Bears are led by the all-time NCAA women's scoring leader, Jackie Stiles. "It's insane. It's off the wall," said Randy Chotin, a licensed ticket broker in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield. "This is the kind of interest that usually only happens with the baseball playoffs and hockey playoffs." Chotin initially sold single sets of tickets to the three-game tourney for $300 to $1,000, depending on location.

But he has received as much as $1,400 for premium seats in recent days. That's bad news for fans of the Lady Bears, who secured their trip to Neither are reserves Landon Donovan, who broke a rib in Trinidad while helping the U.S. under-20 national team qualify for this year's FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina, and winger Ben Olsen, who also is injured. Add it all up and Honduran coach Ramon Maradiaga will be hard-pressed to guess the U.S. starting lineup.

Arena, of course, isn't about to share that information. "I don't know who you're rooting for in this game, but we would prefer that this story doesn't get out till October or November for the stadium to be ready by April 2003. "Our priority is to get into a new stadium," Sakiewicz said. "We've set a deadline. We are down to some nitty-gritty negotiating with the communities and hope to have something soon." Garber also discussed the class-action antitrust lawsuit the league won over its players and the appeal that has been filed.

It was in that lawsuit where it was revealed that MLS has lost $250 million in its first five years. The appeal hearing with go in front of an arbitrator May 6. Garber estimated the league already has spent $11 million on its defense. Garber also revealed that the league is on the verge of signing American wunderkind Landon Donovan, who has been languishing with Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga the past two years. njuries By GRAHAME L.

JONES Los Angeles Times SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras It's difficult to say which will have the more patched-up look tonight the Estadio Olimpico on the outskirts of town or the U.S. national soccer team, which will be playing there. The stadium was built less than a decade ago, but already it has a dilapidated look that some Hondurans have called a national disgrace, considering its cost. The U.S. team, which flew here New venues key to MLS's future from Miami on Monday afternoon, is not exactly dilapidated, but it is beset by injuries.

Coach Bruce Arena will be missing four starters for the World Cup qualifying game against Honduras. Forwards Brian McBride (knee) and Joe-Max Moore (calf) have been sidelined, midfielder Claudio Reyna has not recovered from a groin strain suffered in the 2-0 victory over Mexico last month, and defender Eddie Pope injured his toe in training. None of them are with the team. soon be broken on a new home for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Domin-guez Hills, that also is expected to serve as the training center for the United States National team. The MetroStars and Chicago Fire expect to have new facilities by the 2003 season.

"We very much want to see a new stadium in 2003. That's the last piece of the puzzle," Garber said, referring to the MetroStars' venture. The MetroStars are still examining where their new home will be. Newark, Harrison, and a new facility in the Meadowlands complex are under consideration. The club has had "tremendous" meetings with local officials from all three, but Sakiewicz cryptically added that a fourth location could creep into the mix before the decision is made.

Construction is expected to take about 18 months, so ground would need to be broken in By TIM LEONARD Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD Back when it started, Major League Soccer hoped that 2001 would be the year it would start to turn a profit. That's not going to happen and getting out of the red is still at least a couple of years away, but MLS commissioner Don Gather foresees a time when the league will be a moneymaker. Garber and MetroStars general manager Nick Sakiewicz told reporters Tuesday that one MLS franchise could show a profit this season. Given that only one team the Columbus Crew plays in its own stadium, it's not hard to figure out which team he was referring to. New stadiums and the revenue they will create are what should propel MLS into the future.

The New England Revolution will get a new stadium in 2002, and ground will.