Calbert Cheaney

ST. LOUIS -- Indiana coach Bob Knight likes to say that when Calbert Cheaney is at his best, the All-American forward is "hard to guard." Given Knight's penchant for perfection, that doesn't happen often.But it happened last night against Louisville in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal at the St. Louis Arena. Cheaney wasn't just hard to stop; he was virtually unstoppable, hitting 10 of 12 from the field and the foul line for 32 points in Indiana's 82-69 victory.The victory put the top-seeded Hoosiers (31-3)

Every year it's the same thing with the Washington Bullets, who open their NBA season at the USAir Arena tomorrow night against Orlando."Are you going to be any better this year?" they're asked."Oh, sure, we'll be improved," has been the perennial answer, no matter whom you ask -- owner, coach, GM, player.They pointed to draft picks such as Calbert Cheaney and Gheorghe Muresan last year and Tom Gugliotta two years ago and they said, "Of course, we'll be better."But the Bullets don't get better.

Their images reside at opposite poles, and are as starkly different as a blue work shirt and haute couture. Indiana's Hoosiers are the ones pictured always in that down-home garb, and inevitably they are portrayed as successful testaments to sweat, callouses, skinned knees and the discipline drilled into them by Bob Knight. Michigan's Wolverines are the ones pictured always in designer dress, and inevitably they are portrayed as successful testaments to precocity, impetuosity, inherent skills and gifts granted by a generous god.Their images, surely, reside at opposite poles, yet viewing these teams only through that popular prism is the sheerest kind of folly.

SAN ANTONIO -- It was supposed to be better than this.With their blockbuster moves, the Washington Bullets were supposed to go on road trips and be competitive. Maybe win a few games.Instead, the Bullets came into the Alamodome last night and gave their best impersonation of the Los Angeles Clippers, losing to the San Antonio Spurs, 122-101, their most embarrassing effort of the season.The Bullets (6-10) could neither score effectively nor stop anyone. They were blown out in the third quarter when the Spurs (9-9)

The chances are good that a free agent will win a spot on an NBA roster, but history gives the 10 contenders competing at the Washington Bullets' minicamp starting Wednesday at Bowie State more hope than usual.The past three years, four free agents -- guards Larry Robinson, Haywoode Workman and Doug Overton and forward Larry Stewart -- impressed coach Wes Unseld enough in training camp to open the regular season with the Bullets.Stewart, Overton and two other veterans who were drafted last season -- forward Don MacLean and guard Brent Price -- will participate in the four-day camp, leading to a round-robin exhibition series against five Eastern Conference rivals at the New York Knicks' training complex in Purchase, N.Y., July 16-25.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The NBA's ugliest and most public of feuds came to an emotional ending several hours before the New York Knicks' 110-88 win over the Washington Bullets last night in their NBA preseason opener at North Charleston Coliseum.New Knicks coach Don Nelson called Chris Webber at his hotel yesterday and the two talked about the conflict that began two years ago and ultimately led to Nelson's being fired as Golden State Warriors coach and Webber's being traded."I felt like the situation had been over for a long time, but us talking gave it some clarity," Webber said.

LANDOVER -- It was early in the fourth quarter at a time when not much was going right for the Washington Bullets when a fan just behind the team's bench offered coach Wes Unseld some sympathetic words."

MILWAUKEE -- It is not a basketball game anyone would have expected to be exciting.After all, the Washington Bullets (8-27) and the Milwaukee Bucks (14-23) have less than impressive records.Milwaukee was trying for a fourth time this season to extend a winning streak to three games. The Bullets were looking to tie its season-high winning streak at two games for the third time.L It was the Bucks who won the battle of the streaks, 120-115.Milwaukee made 16 of 18 free throws in the final period to win three straight for the first time since Feb. 27 through March 5, 1993.

LANDOVER -- In the end, those that remained in the sellout crowd at the USAir Arena stood up, and applauded loudly. They got their first glimpse up close of the 1995-96 version of the Washington Bullets, and they liked what they saw.The Bullets got solid point guard play from Robert Pack. They got offensive support from forwards Rasheed Wallace and Juwan Howard and guard Calbert Cheaney. And they got key reserve minutes from Mitchell Butler on the way to a hard-fought 100-89 win over the Detroit Pistons before a crowd of 18,756.

LANDOVER -- It appeared to be a tough way to end the first half of the season for the Washington Bullets, already approaching the midway point with a limp -- no Chris Webber, no Mark Price, and going against the two-time champion Houston Rockets.So who could have expected Hakeem Olajuwon to be totally neutralized by Gheorghe Muresan? Or Clyde Drexler to look totally defenseless against a gimpy Calbert Cheaney? Or the Rockets to trail by as many as 39 points on the way to a 120-85 loss to the Bullets last night before a sellout crowd of 18,756 at USAir Arena?