The elite three

By John McManus Sports Central Columnist

If you thought that Duke's loss to Maryland on Sunday might have opened up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, you are mistaken. It did quite the opposite.

What it did was all but lock up three of the four No. 1 seeds which, unless dinosaurs come out of extinction in the next three weeks, will be Duke, Kansas, and Maryland.

With that said, we must not lose sight of the fact that things can change quickly on the college hoops scene. Sunday morning, we were prepared to call the 2002 NCAA Tournament the next coming of the "Duke Invitational." By 3:00 PM on the same day, we came to the realization that the Blue Devils will have to share their elite status with two other teams.

Kansas has dominated the Big 12. Recent blowouts over Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Missouri have given the Jayhawks an aura of invincibility. They look like the best team in the nation right now. Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich have raised the levels of their games exponentially, much like Mike Dunleavy has done for Duke.

The additions of freshmen Aaron Miles, Wayne Simien, and Keith Langford have solidified this team in terms of quickness, size, and depth. And let's not forget about unsung heroes like Jeff Boschee and Nick Collison. Boschee is the only senior starter and can shoot the three just about as well as anyone. Collison would have been the star big man on this team were it not for Gooden. He and Gooden are part of a new breed of mobile inside players. And let's not forget that Collison was the most highly heralded recruit in a class that included Gooden and Hinrich.

Maryland is now on the inside track to win the ACC regular season title and ruin Duke's chances at winning its sixth in a row. Last Sunday was the first time Duke was embarrassed in years. Think about it. When was the last time Duke was dominated in such a fashion? This group never was. You have to go back to 1998 and the ACC Final when North Carolina, led by Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter, handed the Blue Devils a 15-point defeat.

Maryland is probably the only team in the land that knows how to play Duke. Steve Blake is probably the only point guard who knows how to contain Jason Williams. I've seen a good number of Jason's games and recall him struggling only against two guards, Blake and Kansas's Hinrich, who gave him fits in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

That game, if you recall, was one of the best of the tournament. Kansas, a No. 8 seed, had Duke on the ropes and in danger of being the third No. 1 seed to fall that weekend. Late heroics by Williams and Carlos Boozer bailed the Blue Devils out and they advanced to the Sweet 16.

Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams had a brilliant game plan on Sunday. It was a blueprint for stopping Duke. It didn't hurt that the Blue Devils were off their game, but nonetheless, a lot of credit had to go to the Terps' defense.

Another factor was forward Chris Wilcox stepping it up. He and Lonny Baxter were just too much inside for Boozer, who has yet to receive the help he needs from reserves Matt Christensen, Nick Horvath, and Casey Sanders.

Duke's starting five is unquestionably the best in the land, but they seem to be in the same situation as last year at this time after losing to Maryland then. The few weaknesses stick out like a sore thumb compared to the many strengths. Duke will regroup and that is not a good sign for upcoming opponents Wake Forest and St. John's.

I am not sure how they'll get from point A (today) to point C (Selection Sunday), but rest assured that Duke, Kansas, and Maryland will get No. 1 seeds. They are far above the rest of the field.