European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 o stars and stripes wednesday March 21 2007 Trojan horses Lead us Rise Young Hackett Gibson too much for Texas and Durant to overcome by Eddie Pells the associated press Spokane Wash the talk coming in was about Star fresh Man Kevin Durant How far he could take Texas and whether hed stay in College once the sea son was Over the talk going out was about Southern California the team that put an unceremonious end to Durant season and is taking a surprising trip to the regional semifinals Nick Young led us with 22 Points sunday in an 8768 run away Over the longhorns a loss that left Durant the front run Ner for National player of the year with a decision to make two weeks earlier than hed hoped i have a sour taste in my Mouth from ending the season like this Durant said while con ceding he still Hast thought much about next year As he often has this season Durant led everyone with 30 Points and added nine rebounds for fourth seeded Texas but he hardly dominated this East regional game it was hard to after the longhorns fell behind by 17 Early in the second half and played a desperation game of catchup the rest of the Way keeping Durant from going wild especially Early and mini Mizing the damage that guards do Augustin and a Abrams could do was the key to the us game plan basically theres nothing you can do against Durant Young said you just focus on the other two Guys Augustin was held to six Points and five assists Abrams had 20 Points and was the Only other longhorn in double figures the fifth seeded trojans 2511 also got 20 Points from Daniel Hackett and 17 Points and 14 rebounds from Taj Gibson a 6foot9 freshman like Durant us won by playing smarter More disciplined basketball especially on the defensive end and looking much More like a team in doing it it was a team with a very Good Leader in Young the scrappy swing Man who had every reason to believe hed be a us Alum by the time second year coach Tim floyds rebuilding efforts took shape turns out the talents there now and next week the trojans will make Only their second trip to the regional semis since 1979 where  play North Carolina in East Rutherford no not everyone was surprised going into the year we said we we rent going to sell this team Short Floyd said we had some players that could obviously play for anybody in the country this is a Long athletic relent less team one that relegated Duncan tournament South regional missed Chippie All the help tigers needed is Nevada by Jaime Aron the associated press new Orleans Nick faze Kas was a Chip shot away from tying what had been a lost cause All he had to do was make about a 3footer and the Momen Tum would be All nevadas the Wolf pack had been Down nearly the entire game but this Gimme woul Dve tied it and might have crushed the spirit of Memphis which had its Best player in the locker room getting rays but Fazekas missed and Nevada didst score again a stunning shutout Over the final that the tigers Rode to a 7862 Victory sunday in the second round of the Mcaa tournament Memphis 323 won its 24th straight and advanced to a Region Al semifinal against Texas on thursday in san Antonio its a shot that i make nine out of 10 times Fazekas nevadas career scoring Leader and three time Western athletic con Ference player of the year that could have changed the whole game because we had a Little momentum and the game would have been tied and there was still quite a bit of time left its just How the night went if that shot would have went theres no Tell ing what could have happened Chris Douglas Roberts led Memphis with 16 Points but he sprained his left ankle with left the tigers overcame his absence thanks to the play at both ends of the court from Guys like Jeremy Hunt Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier we Are a deep team Ander son said when Guys get their Chance to play they make the Best of it and that is Why we do what we do Hunt scored 16 Points Ander son had 14 Points and 10 re Bounds and Dozier had nine Points eight rebounds and most of the Good defense on Fazekas Elaine As Kevin Durant 35 walks off the court perhaps for the last time As a College player uses Nick Young Center and Gabe Pruitt celebrate an 8768 thumping of Texas in the Mcaa tournament on sunday As he was at times to the perimeter and dominated the Middle us put this game away Early in the second half after Texas had trimmed a 15point deficit to four Lodrick Stewart worked for and made an open 17footer Young came Back with a three Pointer then swatted augustins shot out of Bounds on Tex As next Possession a few moments later Young got an easy Putback he made two free throws then forced a steal filled the Lane and took a pass from Gabe Pruitt for a slam by then it was 4833 and Texas was All but out of it Durant added this to a 27point eight rebound opener against new Mexico state in which he never quite looked in sync but he  do it All for the horns and it is now decision time for the 26points 11re Bounds game Star who will probably win several play prof theyer awards Over the next few weeks if he chooses the Aba and Fel Low freshman Greg Oden of Ohio state Doest Durant will Likely be the top pick his perimeter skills giving him a Chance to succeed right away while he fills out that Skinny 225pound Frame Hes a great player Hes a great Guy Augustin said of Durant i dont know what Hes going to do whatever he does ill be Happy for him while that drama plays out us is thinking about the present hoping to continue an unexpected run in a season played in memory of teammate Ryan Francis Francis the us Point guard was gunned Down in a drive by shooting last year in his Home state of Louisiana his Mother Paulette was in Spokane this weekend her son would have turned 20 on Satur Day we wanted his mom Here be cause of that Floyd said we didst want her to have a lot of time on her hands by herself the coaches wives were around her All week Long they enjoy Hershell be around us As Long Asim Here i fld s so get if seed team and scores of first and second round games seeds in bold Florida 9 Purdue 7467 11269 National Champion i butter Friday 4 Maryland 6259 12 old Dominion 5746 Midwest St Louis sunday i Oregon 11 Winthrop 14 Miami orb 7561 5856 Friday sunly 2 Wisconsin 7468 10 Georgia tech 6763 8 Kentucky 16 Niagara la Southern Illinois 5 Virginia tech 13 holy Cross Pittsburgh 8479 or 14 Wright state 7958 real four Atlanta sat March 31 North Carolina Friday 9 Michigan so 16 e Kentucky East East Rutherford 8167 8665 Southern Cal sunday 4 Texas 12 Arkansas 8768 7760 Vanderbilt 3 Wash is 7874 it 11 g Washington 7744 Georgetown real four championship j Atlanta game sat March 31 Mon april 2 7 Bosto cd 6255 8o55 Urcla 7 Indiana 15 Weber state to Ginals Ohio state 9 Xavier 7871 or thursday 1q cent Conn a 7857 Tennessee saturday 4 Virginia 7774 12 lcngbeachai2186 South san Antonio Texas thursday 6 Louisville 7269 14 Pennsylvania Memphis 5449 7042 7 Nevada 15 North Texas 7358 regional source Mcaa a