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News Nuggets, 03.25.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Holland named to powerful USA Basketball panel

East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland will have a say in the strategic direction and oversight of the United States' international basketball efforts.

Holland has been elected to the USA Basketball Executive Committee for the 2005-2008 term. The 10-person governing panel was announced Thursday by USA Basketball's Board of Directors in a news release from the organization's headquarters in Colorado Spring, CO.

Holland, who was also elected USA Basketball Secretary, recently served as chairman of the 2000-2004 USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee. His involvement with the organization also has included a stint as head of the prestigious NCAA Men's Basketball Committee.

Val Ackerman, founding President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was elected President of USA Basketball for the four-year period.

USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. The organization is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as some national competitions.

The competitions in which USA teams regularly compete include the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, World University Games, World Championship for Young Men/Women, Junior World Championships, Hoop Summit and Youth Development Festivals.

ECU fans to have rooting interest in NIT semis

COLUMBIA — South Carolina senior Carlos Powell ran around the gym with his arms outstretched like a little kid. He had good reason to celebrate.

Powell and the Gamecocks (18-13) — presumably including USC assistant and newly-appointed East Carolina head coach Ricky Stokes — are headed to New York and Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals after a 69-66 victory over Georgetown on Thursday.

``I thought senior day was my last time playing here,'' said Powell, whose 21 points led the Gamecocks. ``There's a lot of people who were wishing they were playing right now.''

Instead of ending the season losing five of its last six, South Carolina has turned things around and won three in a row.

But the Gamecocks have needed a couple of last-second wins to stay alive in the NIT, and Thursday night was no different.

The Hoyas (19-13) had two chances to tie the game late but Darrel Owens and Jeff Green each missed 3-pointers with less than 30 seconds remaining. Down by three with 2 seconds to go, a final Georgetown attempt from beyond midcourt was swatted out of bounds by Josh Gonner.

South Carolina will face the winner of Saturday's Texas-Christian-Maryland game in the semifinals in New York. Saint Joseph's and Memphis will play in the other semifinal next Tuesday night.

It's South Carolina's second trip to Madison Square Garden under coach Dave Odom, who served as East Carolina's head coach from 1979-82.

``Wow, what a game — what a three-game run,'' Odom said. ``We haven't played a bad team yet.''

The Gamecocks' three-game excursion to reach the NIT semifinals apparently hasn't too much of a distraction to keep Stokes from doing his job for ECU. Since being named Pirates coach at a press conference in Greenville last week, he has already announced the hiring of two highly-regarded assistants.

Triangle's Sweet 16 teams converge at RDU

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski saw something quite rare before his team left for the Austin Regional.

As the top-seeded Blue Devils headed to their charter plane at the Raleigh-Durham airport Wednesday, Atlantic Coast Conference rivals North Carolina and North Carolina State were doing the same a few hundred yards away.

It's the first time since 1989 that those three teams advanced to the round of 16. North Carolina and North Carolina State both were bound for the Syracuse Regional, where the Tar Heels are the No. 1 seed and the Wolfpack are No. 10.

``It was like we were either evacuating or we were all deploying,'' Krzyzewski said. ``I (was) looking and said, `I am sure this hasn't happened.' That is great for our region, and I am happy for our league.''

Duke will face fifth-seeded Michigan State on Friday. North Carolina State will take on sixth-seeded Wisconsin before North Carolina faces fifth-seeded Villanova.

Another DUI charge embarrasses Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati basketball assistant Keith LeGree was suspended after he was charged with driving under the influence, less than a year after coach Bob Huggins was suspended for a drunken driving conviction.

LeGree will remain on suspension until the university completes an investigation, the school said Thursday. He will continue to be paid but will forfeit benefits and will not be allowed to coach the team.

``Our image has taken yet another big hit by the careless action of someone, who, given the events of the past year, should have been very much aware of the consequences,'' athletic director Bob Goin said.

Huggins returned to work Aug. 27 from a university suspension after his drunken driving conviction. The university suspended Huggins indefinitely June 12, following his arrest four days earlier.

LeGree completed his fifth season on the coaching staff. He was a point guard on the 1994-95 and 1995-96 Bearcat teams.

He could not immediately be reached for comment, and there was no telephone listing for him in Cincinnati.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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