College basketball`s road from here to the Final Four is long and full of multiple choices.
1. The Great Midwest is (a) De Paul`s last chance to get a championship trophy; (b) an amusement park; (c) a surprise to several geography teachers in Birmingham.
2. Nevada-Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian is often called (a) The Shark;
(b) The Towel Sucker; (c) The Plantiff.
3. Being the preseason No. 1 basketball team means (a) you get to use the foam finger first; (b) you have friends in North Carolina; (c) you must have dinner with Dick Vitale.
4. Georgetown`s Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo are (a) larger than life; (b) not going to avoid being drafted by the New Jersey Nets; (c) the same person.
5. The reason Oklahoma likes to run up the score on opponents is (a) it is a desperate cry for attention; (b) coach Billy Tubbs can only count by 10s; (c) Pepperdine gets to go back to Malibu and the Sooners have to stay in Norman.
6. Even though college basketball has a championship tournament, it continues to have weekly polls because (a) America loves lists; (b) it`s free; (c) Duke has a chance to be No. 1.
7. The eight teams on probation and not eligible for this year`s national title are (a) very, very sorry; (b) the usual suspects; (c) not all using aliases.
8. Basketball`s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy is (a) The Wooden Award; (b) The Naismith Prize; (c) the seven-figure pro contract following the sophomore year.
9. The difference between the Big West and the Big Sky is (a) most of Idaho; (b) indoor plumbing; (c) only Billy Packer knows for sure.
10. The team of the `90s will be (a) Ball State; (b) from the Big Mid-Sun Valley Conference; (c) on probation at least twice.
11. Freshmen to watch are (a) Eric Montross of North Carolina and Damon Bailey of Indiana; (b) on the Illinois bench; (c) the ones driving the new Pathfinders.
12. Shaquille O`Neal of LSU is (a) the center of tomorrow; (b) still eligible to play; (c) Dale Brown`s real name.
13. The most obscure Division I contender is (a) Coastal Carolina; (b)
Coppin State; (c) Pacific something or other.
14. Student cheering sections show good sportsmanship by (a) not playing the tuba during free throws; (b) throwing only dead rodents onto the floor;
(c) using blanks.
15. Bobby Knight`s sweaters are (a) hand-knit; (b) recyclable; (c)
embarrassed.
16. The three-point shot is the best thing to happen to college basketball since (a) the 20-minute half; (b) the zone defense; (c) Jim Valvano.
17. The possession arrow (a) always points north; (b) confuses Al McGuire; (c) is not as dangerous as the possession bullet.
18. The consensus All-American first team is (a) Mourning, Smith, Anderson, Johnson and Owens (b) O`Neal, Macon, Mayberry, Augmon and Laettner
(c) Harpo, Groucho, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo.
19. The Maui Invitational and the Great Alaska Shootout are (a) previews of things to come; (b) packed for differently; (c) two senior titles not won by Lee Trevino.
20. The Final Four is (a) just before the Final Two; (b) in Indianapolis; (c) only 4,395 games away.
