TODAY’S MEN’S GAMES : Knight and Brown Ready to Square Off Again

It’s been almost five years since Louisiana State Coach Dale Brown called Indiana Coach Bob Knight “a bully” after Knight launched a sideline tirade that inspired his team to victory over LSU in the 1987 Midwest Regional final.

The two coaches will face each other for the first time since then when their teams play tonight in the second round of the West Regional at Boise, Ida.

LSU (21-9) is coming off a 94-83 victory over Brigham Young, during which center Shaquille O’Neal scored 26 points and had 13 rebounds and a tournament-record 11 blocked shots.

Indiana (24-6) routed Eastern Illinois, 94-55, behind Damon Bailey and Alan Henderson, who helped the Hoosiers take a 31-point lead in the opening 18 1/2 minutes.

In today’s other West Regional game, Florida State (21-9) will be without point guard Charlie Ward against Georgetown (22-9).

Ward suffered a dislocated shoulder during the Seminoles’ first-round victory over Montana. Sam Cassell, who led Florida State with 23 points during the opening round, Bob Sura, the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year, and Chuck Graham will try to fill the void left by Ward.

Georgetown is led by center Alonzo Mourning, who scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds and six blocked shots during the Hoyas’ 75-60 opening-round victory over South Florida.

EAST REGIONAL

Last year, Duke defeated Iowa during the second round of the Midwest Regional en route to the national championship.

Tonight, the Blue Devils (29-2) will play an Iowa team that features most of the same players from last season.

Center Christian Laettner scored 22 points during Duke’s 82-56 first-round victory over Campbell. The Blue Devils are attempting to become the first team in 19 years to win consecutive titles.

Acie Earl scored 25 points and James Moses had 22 points and 16 rebounds as Iowa (19-10) beat Texas.

Seton Hall (22-8), which had to rally in the closing minutes to beat La Salle, will face Missouri (21-8), which ended a four-game losing streak by beating West Virginia, 89-78, during the first round.

MIDWEST REGIONAL

Arkansas (26-7) will get a chance to avenge last month’s 92-88 defeat to Memphis State (21-10) when the Razorbacks play the Tigers at Milwaukee.

Arkansas defeated Murray State, 80-69, during the opening round as center Oliver Miller made 10 of 11 shots and scored 21 points.

Todd Day, Arkansas’ All-American guard, played only 25 minutes because of foul trouble and scored nine points, ending a streak of 25 games during which he scored at least 10 points.

Sophomore forward Anfernee Hardaway scored 21 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists during the Tigers’ 80-70 victory over Pepperdine in the first round.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL

Ohio State (24-5) was never challenged during its 83-56 first-round victory over Mississippi Valley State, but the Buckeyes will be in for a much tougher contest against Connecticut (20-9).

Connecticut beat Nebraska, 86-65, despite the absence of Rod Sellers, who was serving a one-game suspension. Sellers, the Huskies’ leading rebounder, will play against the Buckeyes.

North Carolina (22-9), which beat Miami of Ohio during the first round, will play Alabama, an 80-75 winner over Stanford.