Tim Duncan

ATHENS -- For a basketball team that could no longer dress itself properly, bronze doesn't look too bad. In an appropriately bizarre ending, the U.S. men's basketball team won the bronze medal last night, but it did so after a delay of about 35 minutes. The reason: The United States and Lithuania both showed up in white uniforms. According to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), neither team erred. Officials accidentally told both to wear white. But after a summer of four losses (including against Italy in an exhibition game)

Down, not outNine reasons why ACC won't be as weak as people predict:1. Tim Duncan. There may not be many established big men in the ACC, but the best one in the country plays at Wake Forest.2. Mike Krzyzewski's return at Duke. The Blue Devils won't be back at Final Four form, but they'll be back at a very competitive level.3. Virginia's backcourt tandem. Harold Deane and three-point sharpshooter Curtis Staples make up one of the nation's best backcourts.4. Maryland's revival. Coming off two straight Sweet 16 seasons, the Terps are on the verge of becoming a perennial ACC power again.

SAN ANTONIO -- It's Tim Duncan's lack of emotion that stands out most, a personality that never appears to change. Rarely on the court will he smile, yell or display any type of passion. That's true whether he's dunking on Shaquille O'Neal, hitting a jumper from the top of the key or blocking a shot."He's a strange bird in that sense," said San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He's got this natural disposition. I always say he's on island time, where nothing fazes this guy. He doesn't get excited about anything.

As the NBA's regular season comes to a close today, there is once again a debate on who is more deserving of the league's MVP award -- Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, or Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone.Malone won his first MVP award last season and is having a better season now. His scoring average is up (27.0 points going into last night, as opposed to 26.0 last year), he's on target to finish with the best shooting percentage of his career (53.1 percent with two games remaining) and he has carried a Utah team that is competing for the league's best record.

This is how far Maryland's slumping Terrapins have slipped in the nation's conscience:In the current AP Top 25 poll, the Terps did not collect a single vote. Among the 56 teams that did receive votes was George Washington -- a team Maryland beat by 17 in early December.In the more credible coaches' poll, they picked up 12 votes to tie Jacksonville of the mighty Sun Belt Conference for 39th.Starting with Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference crucible against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., the Terps enter XXTC stretch of games that figures to define this season's team.

With the regular season coming to a conclusion this week, it's time to peek at one reporter's ballot for the league's top official honors: Most Valuable Player: The candidates (in alphabetical order) - Tim Duncan, San Antonio; Kevin Garnett, Minnesota; Allen Iverson, Philadelphia; Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers; Chris Webber, Sacramento. This year's race is considerably closer than last year's, when O'Neal captured all but one first-place vote, as he carried the Lakers on his broad shoulders to a title.

Between the Ravens' coaching search, baseball's steroid woes and all things Terps, we don't get many chances to talk NBA in this town. It's a reality that fans of professional basketball have to accept. But fantasy sports, bless them, create a community without boundaries, one that need not be moored to parochial concerns. So, in this space, we're going to look up, realize that the NBA regular season is almost half over and delve into some intriguing story lines. 1. The young point guards have arrived.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - It could have ended for the San Antonio Spurs after five minutes. Not necessarily the NBA Finals, not with a chance for two more games at home to win the championship. But any chance of them blotting out the description that haunted them, the one that had chased them for a week at the Palace of Auburn Hills, was trickling away only five minutes into Game 5. The Spurs' 4-0 start already was a distant memory. They had fallen behind 13-6 in the blink of an eye, the Palace was throbbing with energy and noise.

THOUGH YOUR summer tan may be fading, think of it this way: By the time the NBA season ends, you could be working on a new one. Network television coverage of the regular season begins with a TNT doubleheader Tuesday, starting at 8 p.m. (Houston Rockets-Detroit Pistons, followed by Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Lakers) and then an ESPN doubleheader Wednesday, also starting at 8 p.m. (Miami Heat-New Jersey Nets, followed by the Lakers-Utah Jazz). Joining ESPN this season is an old favorite, analyst Steve "Snapper" Jones.

Army (9-9, 3-3) at Navy (12-8, 4-2)Site: Alumni Hall, AnnapolisTime: 12: 15 p.m.TV/Radio: Ch. 13/WNAV (1430 AM)Outlook: Backed by Junior G Michael Heary's career-high 38 points, Navy beat Holy Cross on Wednesday to move into a second-place tie with Bucknell in the Patriot League. It was also coach Don DeVoe's 400th career win. Heary leads the Midshipmen in scoring (17.2) and is shooting 86 percent (89-104) from the foul line. Army is coming off an 83-71 upset on the road against Bucknell.