The winners: Smith and Crum match wits for trip to Final Four.(Sports)(Ncaa Tournament)(East Region)

0 Comments | Washington Times, The, March, 1997 | by Wright, Ken

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - They have a combined 106 NCAA tournament wins, four national titles, 17 Final Four appearances and 25 Sweet 16 appearances. They are two of only three active college coaches in the Basketball Hall of Fame. (Indiana's Bob Knight is the other.) They are legends of the game. But only one of these big winners can be a winner today, because Dean Smith's top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels (27-6) will be meeting Denny Crum's sixth-seeded Louisville Cardinals (26-8) in the NCAA East Region final for a berth in the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis.

Louisville may have to play without point guard and scoring leader DeJuan Wheat, who suffered a severely sprained ankle Friday night. Wheat did not practice yesterday, and Crum said it is...