November 15, 1999 | Volume 91, Issue 19

The Blue Devils' Q rating got a big lift when their star unexpectedly spurned the NBA

With a new coach laying down the law, the Hoyas are looking like a powerhouse again

Mihm's the word as the Longhorns unveil their new, improved and imposing front line

Frankly, all the Illini need to succeed is some stellar play from their new point guard

Thanks to Eastern Europe, Valpo could make a racket in the bracket at the NCAAs

The talent-depleted Boilermakers hope to have better results from better chemistry

A bigger lineup should help the Cowboys showcase their already stellar backcourt

Even with two stars gone to the NBA, the Storm is hoping for another shocking year

The following are the 39 other schools that SI projects will fill out the NCAA tournament field. Of the 64 invitations to be awarded on March 12, Selection Sunday, 30 will be automatic bids to...

Forced to leave his home in war-torn Sudan at age nine and raised in Egypt and England, 6'11" freshman forward Ajou Deng is bringing a world of talent to Connecticut

With the national championship really up for grabs for the first time in years, Georgia figures to pull down the crown

1. Georgia2. Connecticut3. Tennessee4. UCLA5. Rutgers6. Iowa State7. Louisiana Tech8. North Carolina9. Notre Dame10. LSU

Chain ReactionDetroit Red Wing Brendan Shanahan bounces a shot off the post and Chicago Blackhawks goalie Steve Passmore scrambles to cover it while the Blackhawks' Brad Brown belatedly dives to...

Who has the fairest backcourt of all? Georgia, whose identical twin guards, Coco and Kelly Miller, are double trouble for opponents

PRO FOOTBALLJaguars doing it with DRavens' Billick has last laughBears' Robinson finally catches on

Cut LooseThere's no more holding back in the Jaguars' new attack defense

1. Revivals Two of the league's most maligned quarterbacks had good games. The Bucs' Trent Dilfer bounced back from his benching the previous week to throw for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a...

There's no denying that it has been an intriguing season, with all the upsets and fantastic finishes, but there just aren't many division races that turn me on. The Redskins, who can't stop...

After two wasted seasons, wideout Marcus Robinson is the Bears' go-to guy

Minnesota's upset of No. 2 Penn State added luster to Glen Mason's reclamation record

•Kansas State (9-0,6-0) at Nebraska (8-1,5-1)The Wildcats can establish themselves as the alpha males of the Big 12 by beating the Cornhuskers in Lincoln. Two stout defenses against two young...

Should No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 Virginia Tech and Nebraska run the table, and the other powers play to form for the remainder of the regular season, we predict a Bowl Championship Series lineup...

Adalius Thomas is the Golden Eagles' best player since Brett Favre

Back in FrontFlamboyant rider Frankie Dettori redeemed himself at the Breeders' Cup

Shopping DazeJuan Gonzalez goes to the Tigers, presaging other stunning deals

The Giants were considering a deal to acquire third baseman Vinny Castilla, 32, from the Rockies but lost all interest when they heard whispers that he would demand either a trade after next...

Walter Payton is dead. Payne Stewart is dead. Wilt Chamberlain is dead. Joe DiMaggio is dead.

What happened on the 17th green that Sunday afternoon is called home field advantage.—JERRY LESAK, Ambridge, Pa.

Letters to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED should include the name, address and home telephone number of the writer. They may be mailed to The Editor, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Time & Life Building, New York,...

October 28, 1963

Highlights

What will Paul Gilmartin and Annabelle Gurwitch, the fractiously funny cohosts of Dinner & a Movie, cook up when they present A League of Their Own (TBS, Friday, 8:05 p.m.)? There's no crying...

Teenage boys can download only so many photos of Sarah Michelle Gellar. The NFL, cognizant of that and of the fact that more than 90% of high school students will have Internet access by next...

The pocket-sized ScanZ Scannor could revolutionize the way referees and coaches use instant replay

Instead of admitting that he wanted to flee Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. copped a lame excuse and got away with it

Baseball's hiring MMs-minority managers-makes the game look MM-good

Remember when Ryan Leaf went second behind Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft? "For the next 15 years, he's our man," said Chargers owner Alex Spanos. Then Leaf bailed on the league's...

$1.3 billionAmount the British investment bank Morgan Grenfel will spend to buy up to half the Formula One racing circuit.

Confidence GameWithout reform, boxing's just the same old con

Sniffed out•Marijuana in a sock belonging to Heat rookie Rodney Buford, who ran afoul of drug dogs in Toronto. Canadian customs has been using the dogs on charter flights to crack down on high-end...

When it comes to Pokémon cards, you can't catch 'em all before supplies run out. While you're scouring stores for that last pack your eight-year-old has gotta have, keep an eye out for these...

Speed Skydiving is a game chicken with the earth, with daredevils falling headfirst to within five seconds of splatting on the ground before pulling the rip cords on their chutes. The idea is to...

Message in a Bottle

An Ontario court ruled that a man convicted of sexual assault won't have to do jail time partly because the resulting financial hardship would keep his son from playing hockey.

BOBBY BOWDENFlorida State football coach, on his players' recent legal problems: "When it rains, it snows."

A rough NBA initiation left rookie Steve Francis taking stock of himself

Steve Fein, Lenexa, Kans.Cross-countryFein, a senior at Oregon, won the pre-NCAA meet with a time of 24:06.31, the fifth fastest run on the 4.96-mile University of Indiana course. As a junior, he...

When Indiana defensive end Adewale Ogunleye decided last winter to bypass NFL riches to spend another year with the Hoosiers, some fans thought he was nuts. The 6'5", 266-pound Ogunleye...

Texas volleyball star Erin Aldrich has an eye on even loftier goals in the high jump

A horrific car crash couldn't keep Flames rookie Robyn Regehr from the NHL

Dusk has always served as the final buzzer of driveway basketball, the last chance to launch a jumper from beyond the geraniums before darkness covers you tighter than Gary Payton. Playing after...

SLO-MO!by Rick Reilly, Doubleday, $23.95

Australian Aborigines revel in traditional and nontraditional sports at an annual carnival

NFL scouts are intrigued by the skills of Williams quarterback Sean Keenan

With a victory at Valderrama, Tiger Woods put an exclamation point on one of the best seasons in golf history

In a tour de force against Purdue, Ron Dayne of Wisconsin bulldozed his way to the lead in the race for the Heisman Trophy

Heavyweight enigma , gifted but not yet great, has another chance to prove he's a warrior in this week's rematch against Evander Holyfield

Demanding new owner Daniel Snyder has shaken up the first-place Redskins, though their play on defense remains offensive

If you could have just five players for your lineup of the century, whom would you choose? Here are our starters, with a look at them then and now

Hurt by defections to the pros, college teams are now tapping the worldwide talent pool as never before. Meet the top players, from the U.S. and abroad, who will lead the way as our No. 1, Auburn,...

With 11 players back from a No. 1-seeded team, the Tigers have the troops to win it all

A new look caused a stir for the Tar Heels, who hope an old look will serve them well

There's a brutal schedule to endure without a point guard, but hey, they are Spartans

Watch out for the young-gun Gators, who just might have the most talent in the nation

Chat with Rick Reilly on Monday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. EST. To send a question in advance to this chat, go to cnnsi.com/si_online.

The Buckeyes hope to ride their bickering backcourt all the way back to the Final Four

Among those who question whether the Huskies can win another title is their coach

A promising freshman is trying to erase a soft rep at the school of hard knocks

The Owls should have a beefed-up offense thanks mostly to a slimmed-down forward

The Bruins lost one of the nation's top point guards—and may be better without him

A program that's famous for its guards has a new look: A frontcourt that will give foes fits

The Wildcats are contenders thanks to one pivotal player's decision to return to school

Experience, toughness and hunger make the Bulldogs this year's sleeper to watch

Here's the deal with the Devils: Four players left for the NBA, and Duke is still loaded

The inconsistent Orangemen have lots of talent, but winning may be a matter of Hart

Their Finn de siècle star must get tougher if the Utes are to have a happy new year

Last season the Vols showed they were good. Now they have to prove they believe it

There are changes in motion for the Jayhawks, who have a new look on offense

9,200 and CountingHard Core Collector

What do these players have in common?

To pay respects to Payne Stewart, should commissioner Tim Finchem have canceled the Tour Championship?

The low 35 players plus ties will earn their PGA Tour cards at the Nov. 17-22 Qualifying Tournament at Doral, but they'll have a hard time surpassing the first-year showing of last fall's...

Joe Alfieri, Lutz, Fla.Alfieri, 30, won the Florida amateur player of the year award after winning the state's mid-amateur, mid-amateur four-ball and all-age four-ball titles—the latter two with...

This year you can find me at the course with my family, but beware of my slap shots

Don't Look Back, Byron