LSU-Texas rematch is one more meeting for veteran coaches

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Much has changed since LSU beat Texas last December. Both teams' rosters essentially are at full strength now, and both schools have moved deep into the NCAA tournament.

But there's one thing that hasn't changed at either school in decades: LSU's Sue Gunter and Texas' Jody Conradt will be on the sidelines for Tuesday night's West Regional final, exhorting their teams to one more victory in two of the most prolific coaching careers in history.

Gunter and Conradt have been friends and rivals for decades. They have 1,497 coaching victories after beginning their odysseys in the same dusty Texas gyms in the late 1960s.

``There's probably no two coaches in this whole tournament that are more competitive against each other,'' Gunter said. ``You can't quite have the background that we've had and the way we've been around the game and not feel something special.

``We can go way back to when we filled arenas in Nacogdoches, Texas, and Austin. We were there at the start, when we didn't do it for recognition. We did it because we loved the kids and the sport. That's something that the younger generation of coaches probably can't appreciate.''

After 73 combined seasons and innumerable hours spent building and nurturing the game they love, they'll face each other again when the top-seeded Tigers (30-3) play Conradt's second-seeded Longhorns (28-5) at Maples Pavilion.

At stake is a long-overdue trip to the Final Four either for Gunter, 62, who has never been there, or for the 61-year-old Conradt, who hasn't made it since 1987.

``If I can't be there, I'd pick Sue to be there,'' Conradt said. ``That's the kind of friendship we have, and that's been built over a long period of time. I know how long and hard she's worked. ... For a lot of that time, we were side by side. We did it because we loved it, not because anybody was paying attention to it.''

This season has been among the best in both coaches' long tenures.

Texas has won 16 straight after beating sixth-seeded Minnesota in the semifinals on Sunday night. Led by a season-high 18 points from Stanford transfer Jamie Carey, the Longhorns are riding a wave of momentum into the regional final.

But the deep, resilient Tigers seem to be in perfect position for their first Final Four. They passed a difficult test Sunday night, rallying from a 17-point deficit in the second half for a victory over Louisiana Tech, which hadn't lost since Dec. 4.

``I think they're the best team in college basketball right now, and I would say that even if I weren't playing them,'' Conradt said. ``That's not to slight Connecticut at all, but I don't think there's a team that can match the athletes and the skill that LSU has got.''

LSU beat Texas 76-58 on Dec. 28 but the Longhorns played without star point guard Carey, who had mononucleosis. Conradt puts a premium on guard play during the NCAA tournament, and Carey's outstanding play in her junior season could put the Longhorns back on equal footing.

Carey's matchup with SEC tournament MVP Temeka Johnson might be the most exciting part of the game. Johnson has a black eye after breaking two bones in her face last week, but she catalyzed the Tigers' brilliant rally in the second half of their win over the Lady Techsters.

``There's not a lot they can do that'll surprise us,'' Johnson said. ``They know us, and we know them.''

When asked to handicap the coaching matchup, Gunter firmly grants the edge to Conradt on the basis of Texas' undefeated 1985-86 season and her only national title.

The schools have met just four times since Gunter and Conradt took over, but they've competed side by side for decades, supporting each other and even lending a hand at times when one coach got into a financial bind. They've also played tennis and other sports against each other for years and their natural competitive streaks always show up.

``All the things that we've done and we've been through,'' Conradt said, ``has built a bond that's hard to explain.''

When asked what she'll do if she ever retires, Gunter has a pretty good idea.

``I'm going to harass Jody and play golf,'' she said with a grin. ``That's it.''

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)