Harvard talking with Amaker

With coaches, players, and officials arriving in Atlanta today for this weekend's Final Four, the undercard to Saturday's games (UCLA-Florida and Ohio State-Georgetown) kicked in: the scramble for coaching openings.

At the coaches' hotel, the greeting beyond hello was: "What do you hear?" What will become official today is the hiring of Connecticut assistant coach Tom Moore at Quinnipiac. "It's a done deal," said one UConn official.

Moore was 24 in 1989 when he became the youngest head coach in New England, taking the helm at Worcester State. He spent five seasons there, compiling a 76-59 record, before being hired away by Jim Calhoun.

The only other New England job open is Harvard, and that search is picking up speed, with former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis in the mix. Harvard, which fired Frank Sullivan this month, is scrambling to hire a black coach. The university has been embarrassed by its lack of a black head coach in its 41 varsity sports.

While Jarvis has been the early focus of attention, former Michigan coach Tommy Amaker has emerged as a contender. Amaker, a former Duke All-American and assistant to Mike Krzyzewski, began his head coaching career at Seton Hall and moved to Michigan before being fired at the end of the regular season.

A Amaker associate said he was scheduled to meet Harvard officials yesterday and a decision could be made by the end of the week. But with Final Four festivities in full swing, early next week seems more likely.

Freshmen Greg Oden of Ohio State and Kevin Durant of Texas are among the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, presented to college basketball's outstanding player. Others invited for the April 7 presentation at the Los Angeles Athletic Club are North Carolina sophomore Tyler Hansbrough, Texas A&M senior Acie Law, and Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker . . . N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe asked Wolfpack fans for "support and understanding" after his son was charged with crimes ranging from armed robbery to drug possession. "This is a difficult time for my son, myself, and my family," Lowe said in a statement. "We appreciate the support and understanding of the Wolfpack family." On Tuesday, University of North Carolina-Greensboro police said 21-year-old Sidney R. Lowe Jr. was charged with nine counts, including a felony of aiding and abetting attempted armed robbery in connection with the shooting of a man in a campus dorm Saturday. Locke Clifford, Lowe Jr.'s attorney, said Greensboro police also filed 13 charges against his client in connection with an incident March 16 . . . Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme of Massachusetts have been added to next week's Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational All-Star Tournament.

Duke women's basketball coach Gail Goestenkors was interviewed by Texas officials for the Longhorns' opening. Goestenkors said she did not expect to make a quick decision. "It's going to take some time," Goestenkors said as she walked from the Texas athletic department offices toward the football complex. "I have to go back and talk to my people [at Duke]." Goestenkors would not say whether she was leaning toward taking over the Longhorns or staying at Duke. Goestenkors has been considered the top candidate for the job since Jody Conradt announced her resignation March 11. Conradt earned $550,000 a year . . . Oklahoma center Courtney Paris became the first women's player selected in her first two years for the Associated Press All-America team. North Carolina senior Ivory Latta also is a first-team repeater from last year. Tennessee sophomore Candace Parker, Duke senior Lindsey Harding, and Ohio State senior Jessica Davenport round out the team.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.