Projo College Hoops

You won't find many Rhode Islanders on the courts for this year's NCAA Tournament, but there are plenty of high-profile Ocean State alumns in the coaching ranks.

Former URI coach Al Skinner has his Boston College Eagles in the second round, where they'll face a brutal matchup with Georgetown tomorow at 5. Former Providence coach Rick Pitino has also made it to the second round; his Louisville Cardinals will play Texas A&M at 3:30 tomorrow. Former Brown coach Glen Miller wasn't so lucky. His Penn Quakers lost yesterday to Texas A&M.

The Texas Longhorns, coached by former PC headman Rick Barnes, play their first game tonight at 7 against New Mexico State. And former Friar star Billy Donovan will coach his defending champion Florida team tonight at 9:30 against longshot Jackson State.

The only former Rhode Island high school player in the Tournament, red-shirt junior guard Abdi Lidonde, from St. Andrew's, is heading home early. His Old Dominion team fell yesterday to Butler. Lidonde had three rebounds and no points.

Two former Ocean State high school stars will play on in the NIT. Demetris Nichols, of Barrington, scored 15 points on Wednesday as Syracuse defeated South Alabama in the first round. Nichols' Orangemen play San Diego State on Monday night. And Hendricken's Joe Mazzulla scored 8 points off the bench as West Virginia won its second-round matchup last night against Massachusetts. The Mountaineers await the winner of tonight's game between North Carolina State and Marist.

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