Detroit Free Press

The Free Press' college basketball writers reveal how they see the Road to Minneapolis. Last year, they didn't see the Road to Indianapolis too clearly. No one predicted Duke would win the national championship.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- So here is what the 1991 Masters came down to: the final hole, the final round, three of the biggest names in golf tied for the lead -- and all three totally disgusted with themselves. Jose-Maria Olazabal was scowling in the sand, already his second bunker of this hole. Tom Watson, playing behind, had just watched his tee shot sail into the pine needles off the 18th fairway. And Ian Woosnam, all 5-feet-4 1/ 2 inches, had followed Watson with a blast into the crowd, so far left of the fairway, he needed a traffic cop get him to his ball.

Gerald Henderson was at the computer in his Philadelphia office Saturday when the phone rang. The Pistons. They needed a guard. Fast. Henderson, who had only been playing pick-up basketball three times a week, shut off the computer, packed a bag and got on a plane for Detroit. The next morning he was at the Beverly Hills Racquet Club, shooting hoops -- just hours before the Pistons would play the Lakers on network television. "Don't hurt yourself," one of the surprised pick-up players there told him. "They need you today."

NEW YORK -- You know what I always say. People. People who need people. They're the luckiest people in the world.So I had to come to the Big Apple to check out this rumor about two lucky people who have been -- and you're not going to believe this -- romantically linked at the U.S. Open.Andre Agassi and . . .Barbra Streisand.Go ahead, take a Maalox. I'll wait.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Who you calling young? Who you calling freshmen? The team that was supposed to show its immaturity, the team that was supposed to have a squeaky voice, the team that was due to get its comeuppance when it finally faced a "real" challenger in this tournament, just sent that real challenger on a very real summer vacation, it now has three victories under its belt in college basketball's biggest tournament -- supposed to be for big boys only -- and tomorrow it will play Ohio State for the right to go to the promised land, the Final Four.Who you calling young?