Williams, Howland win top APawards

ATLANTA -- Duke's Jason Williams and Pittsburgh's Ben Howland were honored Friday as The Associated Press college basketball player and coach of the year.

Williams, the only unanimous All-America selection this season, is the second straight Duke player to be selected national player of year and the fifth Blue Devil to win the Adolph Rupp Award.

Shane Battier won last season. The other Duke players to be honored were Elton Brand in 1999, Christian Laettner in 1992 and Art Heyman in 1963.

Howland led the Panthers (29-6) to the most victories in school history, their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in nine years and their first berth in the round of 16 since 1974.

Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard, received more than double the votes (38) than the runner-up, Drew Gooden of Kansas (18), in balloting by the 72-member national panel that selects the weekly AP Top 25. Howland received 16 votes, followed by Bob Knight of Texas Tech (11).

Williams, a junior also voted to the All-America team as a sophomore, averaged 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the defending champion Blue Devils (31-4), ranked No. 1 for all but four weeks this season. He shot 45.7 percent from the field, including 38.3 percent from 3-point range.

OKLAHOMA: One player calls his team's practices among "the most brutal in America," and indeed, the Sooners have a reputation as one of the toughest teams around.

So a minor ankle sprain isn't about to keep starting point guard Quannas White out of the Final Four.

White hurt his left ankle in practice Thursday. Twenty-four hours later, he was sure he would be available when the Sooners play Indiana in the first semifinal Saturday.

"This time of year, you want to play in this game," White said. "This is what little children dream of -- getting to the Final Four and winning the national championship. So, I am going to play."

He needed crutches to leave the practice gym Thursday, but he went through Oklahoma's shootaround at the Georgia Dome on Friday with no more than some heavy tape on the hurting ankle. He moved effortlessly, although the Sooners were practicing at far less than game pace.

NEW MEXICO: Oregon State coach Ritchie McKay was hired as the new basketball coach at New Mexico.

McKay, 22-37 in two seasons at Oregon State, will replace Fran Fraschilla, who resigned March 17.

New Mexico athletics director Rudy Davalos and senior associate athletics director Bill McGillis met with McKay at least twice a day for the last week.

McGillis confirmed that McKay was offered a five-year contract worth $500,000 a year, including incentives. McKay's base salary will be $175,000 annually.

ARKANSAS: Stan Heath passed on a chance to ask for patience from Razorbacks fans.

Hired Thursday as the Arkansas basketball coach, Heath inherits a team that had a losing record for the first time since 1986. The two best scorers were seniors, there is no proven point guard, no reliable big man and the best young player is probably headed for Ohio State.

"We're going to be in a transition period," Heath said. "I think it's too early to put a finger on where we are. I'm sure there are other schools in our conference that lost key players or will be losing key players."

-- From wire reports