<h4>Metalheads? </h4>
(From left) University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, former Indiana coach Bob Knight and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski star in a new commercial Guitar Hero Metallica
No. 1 seed Louisville not making it to the Final Four wasn’t a surprise to outgoing Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell.
Louisville lost to Michigan State 64-52 in the Elite Eight last weekend.
“Not after the way Louisville acted (against UA); I thought they were very arrogant,” Pennell said Tuesday in his postseason interview with the media.
Louisville ended Arizona’s season last week in the Sweet 16, defeating the Wildcats 103-64 for UA’s worst defeat in NCAA Tournament history.
Did the last-second dunk by Louisville’s Kyle Kuric have something to do with Pennell’s sentiment? “Not just that,” he said.
Although, Pennell said, Louisville coach Rick Pitino apologized for that after the game.
“It was their whole approach,” Pennell said. “They were ripe for what was going to happen in the next game. That was the take I had watching the way they carried themselves.”
Pennell said his feeling is not sour grapes because of the loss. “They got their ship right, so to speak, against us and I think they got the sense that, ‘We’re back.’ ”
But Michigan State put an end to the Cardinals’season.
“It was almost like they accomplished something,” Pennell said of the Cardinals’ actions after beating UA. “And all they did was get a step closer to the Final Four.”
Zeller adds depth for Tar Heels
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Tyler Zeller’s freshman year at North Carolina was supposed to be over, done in by a broken wrist just two games into the season. The 7-footer seemed destined to watch the Tar Heels from the bench as a redshirted rookie.
Yet Zeller is back after sitting out three long months, a choice that amounted to burning a year of eligibility for just a handful of games.
“I’ve always felt good about it,” he said. “But now it’s kind of starting to pay off because I do get to play in the Final Four now .”
At first glance, Zeller’s return is seemingly little more than a luxury for the Tar Heels (32-4) heading into Saturday’s national semifinal against Villanova in Detroit. He is fourth on the depth chart behind Tyler Hansbrough, starter Deon Thompson and 6-foot-10 freshman Ed Davis, and hasn’t played more than 13 minutes in an NCAA Tournament game so far.
But Zeller proved valuable against Oklahoma in the South Regional final, where he helped guard Blake Griffin after Hansbrough picked up two fouls. Zeller’s stats were modest – two points, two rebounds in six minutes – but it was still key in the overall defensive effort on Griffin in the 72-60 win.
The Associated Press
NHL roundup: Canucks move to first
Henrik Sedin scored four minutes into overtime and Roberto Luongo stopped 33 shots, lifting Vancouver over host Minnesota and into first place in the Northwest Division.
In other NHL action, Florida beat Ottawa 5-2 behind power play goals from Richard Zednik and Bryan McCabe; Montreal downed Chicago 4-1 as Alex Kovalev scored for a fourth straight game; and Boston beat Tampa Bay 3-1 as Manny Fernandez stopped 24 shots.
Also, Columbus downed Nashville 2-1 as Raffi Torres scored early in the third period; Dallas beat Los Angeles 3-2 as Brendan Morrison scored two power-play goals; and Anaheim downed Edmonton 5-3 led by Scott Niedermayer’s goal and two assists.
The Associated Press
Federer, Roddick to meet
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Roger Federer has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open, and he plays Andy Roddick on Wednesday. Federer erased eight break points in a pivotal game early and went on to beat American Taylor Dent 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday night. The No. 5-seeded Roddick advanced earlier by beating Gael Monfils 7-6 (2), 6-4.
The Associated Press
ESPN gets Winfield
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield has joined ESPN as a Baseball Tonight analyst.
Winfield will mainly work Sundays and select Mondays with host Karl Ravech and analysts Peter Gammons and John Kruk throughout the season. Winfield will make his first appearance Sunday before the opening game between Atlanta and Philadelphia.
The Associated Press
QUOTABLE
'To do this when somebody is one home run away . . . I don't know how to react.'
GARY SHEFFIELD,
on being released by the Detroit Tigers one homer shy of No. 500
———
SPORTS SOUND-OFF
On UA’s basketball coaching search
• I thought it might be Rick Pitino until today. It’s not and here’s why: Russ Pennell is a straight shooter and a great guy and a super coach. In his exit press conference today he mentioned that the Louisville players were arrogant and that he wasn’t surprised they lost to Michigan State. There is no way that he’d bash players whose coach would be coming to Arizona, because some of them might come with him. And that is not his style. . . . UA athletic director Jim Livengood wants Final Four coaching talent and a young coach. A once-in-a-quarter-century type of hire. There are three who fit that bill the best: Jamie Dixon, Jay Wright and Mark Few. GUERT
• If UA is able to snag a Pitino level coach, you just might get Chase Budinger back for another year and . . . top-notch recruits right off the bat. . . . This is not the time to go cheap. It’s an arms race, and my hunch is three years from now $3 million to $4 million a year will look like a bargain. Bite the bullet, Baby. SOUNDSTAGE 28
• We’re not going to get a top tier coach because the only two coaches out there with any guts to leave are John Calapari and Rick Pitino. “Cal” is gone to Kentucky, and I think Pitino will relish the challenge of going against “Cal” now that the two will be competing in the same state. 4274
• I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Pitino would be a terrible long-term choice. We will be in the same boat five years from now because he won’t stay. LV444