Wooden You Know? Laettner Wins Again : College basketball: Duke star beats out O’Neal in voting for nation’s top player.

Another day, another weightlifting exercise for Duke All-American Christian Laettner.

Monday evening, he helped his Blue Devil teammates hoist an NCAA championship plaque into the Metrodome air. Wednesday, he held another trophy aloft, this one the John R. Wooden Award, presented annually to the nation’s best college basketball player.

Much more of this and he’ll need a truss.

As it is, Laettner could use some sleep. Except for a catnap on the flight to Los Angeles, Laettner hasn’t slept a wink since Duke beat Michigan Monday night for a second consecutive national title. Tuesday was spent celebrating back in Durham, N.C., and Wednesday was spent on another plane and later, on the dais at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, where Wooden announced the results of the voting.

As expected, it wasn’t close. Laettner finished with 4,560 points, followed by Louisiana State center Shaquille O’Neal (3,964), Ohio State guard/forward Jim Jackson (3,381), USC guard Harold Miner (2,916) and Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning (2,710).

UCLA’s Don MacLean was sixth with 2,371 points.

Laettner’s victory margin wasn’t entirely related to statistics. His 21.9-point and 7.9-rebound averages were impressive, but not overwhelming. He didn’t block lots of shots or fill highlight reels with an array of dunks. If selected on numbers alone, O’Neal would have been the logical choice.

Instead, the 1,000 sportswriters and sportscasters who cast Wooden ballots recognized Laettner’s other values, beginning with his ability to dominate games at key moments. Two recent examples: Laettner’s 14-point performance in the decisive second-half run of Duke’s victory against Michigan and, of course, his buzzer-beating 17-foot turnaround jump shot that beat Kentucky in overtime of the East Regional final.

Even non-voters, such as the Buckeyes’ Jackson, said there was little debate.

“I would have chosen Christian,” said Jackson, who attended the noon ceremony, “because of what he’s accomplished, especially this year with leading his team to a national championship.”

It is little accident that Duke has advanced to four Final Fours and won two of them during Laettner’s tenure as a Blue Devil. Blessed with an accomplished coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and a lineup that included Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Thomas Hill and Brian Davis, among others, Laettner took full advantage of a system that ultimately revolved around him. In return, Laettner helped lead Duke to 21 NCAA tournament victories in 23 tries.

“And the coaches probably screwed up the (other two),” said Duke assistant Pete Gaudet, who accompanied Laettner to Los Angeles for the presentation.

This is Laettner’s second trip here in the last three months. In February, the Blue Devils beat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Now in April he collects what will surely be one of many postseason awards.

Of course, he said, none will be more meaningful than the Wooden.

“This means a great deal,” Laettner said, “mainly because of the person it’s named after.”

Wooden, as always, was equally gracious. At ceremony’s end he made simple request to Laettner: Could the Duke center please sign Wooden’s name placard?

Laettner couldn’t jot the autograph fast enough.

With one NCAA championship ring in his possession (he never wears it, though) and another on the way, Laettner has found himself the unofficial spokesman for dynasty inquiries. After all, Duke became the first team in 19 years to win back-to-back titles. It is a feat last accomplished by Wooden’s Bruins, who won championships from 1967 to 1973.

“There’s definitely some type of comparison that can be made because no other team has done it since then and we finally did it,” Laettner said. “But beyond that, I would say it’s not safe to make any other comparisons. They played in a totally different era than we are right now. They did things five, six, seven years in a row.”

Despite the effects of jet lag and the lack of sleep, Laettner was smart enough to acknowledge the accomplishments of the three other finalists who were in attendance Wednesday. In fact, he said there were no other players he would rather watch more than Jackson, Miner and O’Neal.

But O’Neal earned special attention because of his recent decision to forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft in June, where he will probably push the rookie pay scale to new heights. Said Laettner, who is bound to be drafted among the top five players: “I think Shaquille’s going to help everybody else across the board.”

Laettner and O’Neal have played their last college games. Still to be determined are the careers of Miner and Jackson.

Miner received some useful news last week when USC Coach George Raveling, who was considering a job offer from the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches, decided to sign a new five-year contract with the school. “That definitely makes things a little more clear,” Miner said.

Still, Miner said he hasn’t made a final decision on his status and won’t until he talks with Raveling and several other advisers.

Jackson, also a junior, is waiting for Miner to make an announcement. Were Miner to leave early, it could affect the wish lists of assorted NBA lottery teams. It could also affect Jackson’s standing on those lists.

Jackson said he is physically prepared for the NBA. Now he has to determine if he wants to leave Ohio State.

“It probably won’t be for another week or so,” he said of his decision timetable.

Laettner has no such choices. He returned to North Carolina on a Wednesday night red-eye flight. But he’ll be back next Monday. Not for another award, but for something that requires less lifting and more sitting.

His Monday appointment? An interview with basketball fan Arsenio Hall.