Villanova University

Dave Hartman, the 1991 state champion in the 3,200 meters for Canyon High, has withdrawn from Villanova University and will run cross-country for Texas San Antonio in the fall. Hartman, 21, said a lack of progress in track was his primary reason for transferring. "I haven't been real pleased with the way things have been going in track during the last couple of years," Hartman said. "I had some pretty good cross-country seasons (at Villanova), but I never ran like I felt I should have in track.

What a shock: The school everyone said was No. 1 at the beginning of the season has earned the chance to prove that it's No. 1 at the end. Getting from November to now wasn't as easy as it sounds, but North Carolina Coach Roy Williams' team is one game from almost living up to its incredible hype. North Carolina used its considerable height, power and point guard Ty Lawson advantage to defeat Villanova on Saturday, 83-69, to advance to Monday night's national title game against Michigan State.

The stage was set. With 14 points against No. 3 Connecticut in a nationally televised game on Sunday, Kerry Kittles would have become Villanova's all-time scorer in his final college game in Philadelphia. But because of some improper telephone calls, the senior swingman won't get that curtain call. Kittles, leading scorer for the fourth-ranked Wildcats and 1995 Big East player of the year, has been suspended by the NCAA for three games for unauthorized use of a university telephone credit card.

Scottie Reynolds of Villanova joined Tyus Edney of UCLA in the annals of NCAA tournament last-second dribble-drives toward camera flashes and forever. Reynolds' floater with 0.5 seconds left Saturday lifted Villanova to a 78-76 victory over Pittsburgh in the East Regional final at TD Banknorth Garden. "Oh man," the junior hero said afterward, "there's so many emotions going through my head. It's something you think about as kid."

The deepest-freeze years of the Cold War were not a good time for America's Youth--as we were collectively known--to look about us and think hopefully of the future of humankind. For that, we had to look upward, into the night sky, to the stars, where new incarnations of iron men in wooden ships rode steel and fire into the stratosphere, bearing the banner of the wonder and rigor of science.

Rollie Massimino, fresh from another Nevada Las Vegas booster luncheon, another session of glorified show-and-tell, walks into his half barren office and heads directly to his desk. From nowhere a plastic tub of spaghetti and meatballs appears, as well as a loaf of garlic bread big enough to serve as a fraternity paddle. Massimino is smiling now. Italian food . . . Italian anything does that to him. "Look at this," he says, the sweet smell of marinara sauce filling the air.

Lloyd Mumford, a former backup guard at Villanova, says he is transferring to UC Irvine to join the basketball program. Mumford, a 6-foot point guard, played in 24 games for Villanova last season, averaging 3.2 points and totaling 33 assists. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season as required by NCAA regulations. Mumford was a redshirt freshman last season, after missing the previous season with a broken leg.

Villanova delivered the inspired performance it needed Friday night to challenge formidable North Carolina in a Syracuse Regional semifinal. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, however, the Tar Heels were still better, barely. North Carolina withstood Villanova's furious rally down the stretch, and benefited from an official's controversial call in the final 10 seconds, holding on for a 67-66 victory in front of 30,916 at the Carrier Dome.

Kerry Kittles, the top scorer for fourth-ranked Villanova, has been suspended for the team's final three regular-season games because of unauthorized use of a university telephone credit card. Kittles has averaged 20.3 and 7.3 rebounds for the Wildcats.

Steve Lappas, the coach at Manhattan the last four seasons, was hired Tuesday to succeed Rollie Massimino as basketball coach at Villanova. Lappas, 37, was at Villanova as an assistant from 1984 to 1988 and was a member of Massimino's staff when the Wildcats upset Georgetown for the NCAA championship in 1985. Massimino left Villanova two weeks ago to replace Jerry Tarkanian at Nevada Las Vegas.

Randy Foye was in no mood to celebrate when he returned to Villanova's hotel about midnight Friday. He didn't want to eat, didn't want to hang out with teammates, didn't even want to flip on the TV to check out highlights of the victory that had just propelled his team into the Elite Eight.

Sean Marshall lay on the court with both arms outstretched in agony. It seemed like so long ago that the Boston College forward had scored the game's first seven points for the fourth-seeded Eagles, who looked like they would stomp undersized Villanova after jumping out to a 16-point lead in the first half. Even when the top-seeded Wildcats clawed back to force overtime Friday night in the Minneapolis Regional semifinal at the Metrodome, Boston College still was primed for the upset.

Villanova delivered the inspired performance it needed Friday night to challenge formidable North Carolina in a Syracuse Regional semifinal. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, however, the Tar Heels were still better, barely. North Carolina withstood Villanova's furious rally down the stretch, and benefited from an official's controversial call in the final 10 seconds, holding on for a 67-66 victory in front of 30,916 at the Carrier Dome.

It wouldn't quite be Chaminade beating Virginia. It would be like David beating Goliath, only Goliath has a stress fracture in his left heel and has been in NCAA trouble over improper use of a telephone access code. Villanova, a one-time NCAA champion, is playing the University of Redlands on Saturday morning in the Bulldogs' 930-seat Currier Gym. Throw in a madcap schedule -- Villanova will open its season against Temple in Philadelphia at 12:01 a.m. Friday, play Redlands at 10 a.m.

Brian Finneran's college career has been nothing less than eventful. There have been NFL scouts, records, a national No. 1 ranking, awards . . . Together, they have provided quite a landscape for Finneran, 21, a wide receiver from Santa Margarita High. Finneran has established himself as one of the nation's best receivers despite playing in Division I-AA. At Villanova, outside Philadelphia, Finneran is the man. So too, in his personal life, where a wife and two children made him grow up quickly.

"I think he's a visionary." DeLonne Kelly, who played football at El Dorado High, is talking about Andy Talley, his coach at Villanova. Visionary? "This team was basically made up of players from Pennsylvania and New Jersey," Kelly said. "He got a clue. He said, 'What about California?' " And so Kelly is part of Villanova's California connection. Nineteen players from California are on the Wildcats' 90-man roster.

Manhattan College Coach Steve Lappas, a Villanova assistant under Rollie Massimino from 1985-88, will return to school to take over his Massimino's job, a source told the Associated Press. The announcement is expected to be made today.

Arkansas won its fourth men's NCAA cross-country championship in seven years Monday, and Villanova's women won their second in a row in a meet at Knoxville, Tenn. Arkansas placed two runners in the top 10 and finished with 68 points, beating defending champion Iowa State by 28 points. Iowa State's Jonah Koech was the men's champion, covering the 10,000-meter course in 29 minutes 5 seconds.

The deepest-freeze years of the Cold War were not a good time for America's Youth--as we were collectively known--to look about us and think hopefully of the future of humankind. For that, we had to look upward, into the night sky, to the stars, where new incarnations of iron men in wooden ships rode steel and fire into the stratosphere, bearing the banner of the wonder and rigor of science.

The stage was set. With 14 points against No. 3 Connecticut in a nationally televised game on Sunday, Kerry Kittles would have become Villanova's all-time scorer in his final college game in Philadelphia. But because of some improper telephone calls, the senior swingman won't get that curtain call. Kittles, leading scorer for the fourth-ranked Wildcats and 1995 Big East player of the year, has been suspended by the NCAA for three games for unauthorized use of a university telephone credit card.