IN THE PAINT WITH DICKIE V IN THE PAINT WITH DICKIE V All Non-Big Mac Squad

(Stars who were not McDonald's All-Americans) Nick Fazekas, Nevada: Mr. Consistency in rebounding and scoring

Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech: Multitalented perimeter performer

Drew Neitzel, Michigan State: Ambidextrous catalyst

Joakim Noah, Florida: The bigger the stage, the better he performs

Alando Tucker, Wisconsin: Making a run for national player honors Gone, gone, long time no see

(Schools trying to get into the tournament after a long absence)



Cal State-Fullerton: 1978. Made the Elite Eight that year.

Akron: 1986. Bob Huggins coached them to their last NCAA trip.

Washington State: 1994. Now under Tony Bennett's leadership.

Loyola (Maryland): 1994. Skip Prosser was coaching then.

Virginia Tech: 1996. Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon are a dynamite duo for the Hokies. Enlarge By Kody Whiteaker, AP Tony Bennett's Washington State team was picked before the year to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10. But now the Cougars are in the Top 25 and battling UCLA for the league's top spot. Meet the next generation of great hoops coaches, according to Dickie V Hey, for years intercollegiate matchups have given us coaching icon after coaching icon on the gridiron and the hardwood. Who can forget Bear Bryant strutting the sideline in Tuscaloosa, Woody Hayes in Columbus and Bo Schembechler in Ann Arbor? And in basketball, I loved the antics of two of my favorites, Al McGuire and Jim Valvano— boy, I miss them dearly — Jerry Tarkanian chewing that towel and John Thompson with the towel draped over his shoulders like he was the heavyweight champion. Who can forget St. John's Louie Carnesecca doing his dance Baryshnikov style or Michelangelo, Dean Smith, working his magic in Chapel Hill. Well, college hoops still has many a superstar in the coaching fraternity. At the head of the class of the active Hall of Famers, the creme de la creme is Texas Tech's Bob Knight, the winningest men's coach in Division I; three-time NCAA champion and current Olympic mentor Mike Krzyzewski; 1997 national champion Lute Olson; and the dynamic duo in the Big East, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and Jim Calhoun of Connecticut. So the question for you hoopaholics is who are the coaching stars of tomorrow? Let me give you five names who are PTPers, Prime-Time Performers and rising superstars: John Thompson III of Georgetown, Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, Sean Sutton of Oklahoma State, Tony Bennett of Washington State and Billy Gillispie of Texas A&M. Hey, baby, when I assess coaches, I ask three questions: •Can they recruit? The bloodline of any success is attracting the star players. •Do they have communication skills? Can they deal with players, alumni, faculty, administrators, fans and the media? •Can they manage a game and handle the preparation and organization of a daily practice session? When I pop this quiz for the above five, they grade out on my VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index) with honors. Yes, honors. Thompson has resurrected the Hoyas program at Georgetown. His coaching tree of course includes his pops, John Thompson, who guided Georgetown to the 1984 title. JT III played under Princeton's Pete Carril, one of the brightest minds to ever work the sideline. What did JT III learn under Carril and his dad? That discipline, shot selection and defensive toughness are a formula for success. This year Georgetown's inside duo of Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green could take the Hoyas a long way in the tournament. They're riding an eight-game winning streak after blowout victories Saturday against Marquette and Monday against West Virginia. At Pittsburgh, Dixon, a former child actor, made the right choice when he headed into coaching. He has been brilliant since inheriting the Panthers job when Ben Howland left to become the leader at UCLA. After Pitt flirted with many other coaches, the Panthers realized what a gem they had in front of them. Dixon, in his own style, has created something special with his players. His Panthers understand how to play on both ends. The only gap on the résumé is the team's inability to get past the Sweet 16. Something tells me this squad is ready to make a serious run this year. Pitt has a terrific combination in Levance Fields, a real creator, and the big guy in the middle in 7-foot Aaron Gray. I suspect this team will bring a smile to the Pitt cheering section known as the "Oakland Zoo." When you talk about Tony Bennett and Sean Sutton, you realize how valuable it is to grow up in a home talking hoops as a way of life. Like John Thompson III, Bennett and Sutton had the luxury of playing and coaching under their dads, Dick Bennett and Eddie Sutton. Sean learned the game in every way possible watching his dad win 798 games in a career that warrants Hall of Fame consideration. Tony started bouncing the ball the day he walked under the tutelage of his dad, Dick, a mastermind who led the Wisconsin Badgers to the 2000 Final Four. This year the experts picked the Cougars at the bottom of the Pacific-10, but they are nationally ranked and battling UCLA for the league's top spot. Both are using concepts their dads created while incorporating their own leadership and personality. My friends, it is unbelievable what Gillispie has achieved in College Station. I thought it was coaching suicide when he left Texas-El Paso to go to Texas A&M to try to compete in the Big 12. The Aggies were 0-16 in conference play the year before he inherited them. How wrong I was. The team is 21-3 and on top of the Big 12. They have had three consecutive 20-win seasons, for the first time ever in school history, and are trying for the first time to get a second consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament. Gillispie has been a miracle worker. If these five coaches already have their doctorates in hoopology, who else is ready to make a name big time? Some names to keep in mind: Karl Hobbs, George Washington; Mark Turgeon, Wichita State; Jim Christian, Kent State; Chris Lowery, Southern Illinois; John Pelphrey, South Alabama; Jeff Capel, Oklahoma; Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State; and Todd Lickliter, Butler. •Al Skinner of Boston College has quietly done an outstanding job in Chestnut Hill. A man of conviction, he suspended shot blocker Sean Williams, who did not adhere to the rules of being a BC student-athlete. Skinner has to wield his magic as Duke comes to town Wednesday and the Tar Heels of North Carolina arrive Saturday. The Eagles are 9-2 and first in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina is 8-2. Oh baby, the Conte Forum will be rocking. I can't wait to get courtside. •Has anyone noticed that Kansas has become the cradle of coaches? Jayhawks assistants now strutting the sidelines as the head guy: John Calipari, Memphis; Matt Doherty, Southern Methodist; Norm Roberts, St. John's; Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt; Mark Turgeon, Wichita State; Neil Dougherty, TCU; and current Kansas head man Bill Self. •Over the last decade, Duke has dominated the all-ACC first-team selections. The last time they didn't have a first-team selection was in 1996, which is also the last time before this season that they lost four consecutive games. My five early choices for this year's ACC team are Sean Singletary, Virginia; Jared Dudley, Boston College; Al Thornton, Florida State; and Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright of North Carolina. For Duke to be represented, versatile Josh McRoberts must elevate his game to superstar status during the stretch drive. •Everybody is asking who will be this year's George Mason. Three to keep a keen eye on: Southern Illinois, Winthrop and Davidson. Do they have the potential to journey to the Final Four? Probably not. But they do have the ability to surprise several teams early and make it to the Sweet 16. •Billy Donovan has made an incredible impact in Gainesville. He and Urban Meyer were the perfect hires by athletics director of the year Jeremy Foley. Donovan has the premier starting five in the nation. Taurean Green is the director of the Gators attack; Lee Humphrey can flat-out shoot the trifecta; and the front court of Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer is the best in the nation. ESPN and ABC analyst Dick Vitale writes regularly for USA TODAY. He also writes for ESPN.com. Enlarge By Keith Srakocic, AP Despite a blowout loss to Louisville, Dick Vitale still loves Pitt's Jamie Dixon.