Lineup

THE SWEET 16

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Hoops Heaven

Isaiah Thomas and 11th-seeded Washington's defeat of No. 3 New Mexico was just one reason why the first two rounds were to die for

By Tim Layden

• HOW BUTLER DID IT, BULLDOG STYLE

• A LION LEADS THE BAYLOR BEARS

PAGE 28

40 | PRO BASKETBALL

Pau Gasol

The Lakers power forward has a game that is as refined and varied as his tastes away from the court

By Lee Jenkins

46 | HOCKEY

Drew Doughty

The finest of a new wave of gifted defensemen, the Kings prodigy may be on his way to greatness

By Michael Farber

52 | SPORTSWRITING

True Confessions

After nearly 50 years on the beat, one of SI's most prolific writers tells some stories on himself

By Frank Deford

Departments

4 Letters

6 Leading Off

12 Scorecard

Ron Washington's almost perfect apology

17 Just My Type

Curt Schilling has no love for the juicers

by Dan Patrick

18 Faces in the Crowd

20 Inside ...

• Baseball

Last rites of spring

• The NBA

Darren Collison time

• NASCAR

Kurt gets a stabilizer

• MLS

New year, new tests

64 The Vault

Brett Hull's heyday

68 Point After

MJ is back—right where he belongs

by Selena Roberts

Joe Mauer stays in Minnesota—for $23 million a year (p. 21).

ON THE COVER

A victorious Ali Farokhmanesh of Northern Iowa, photographed by Greg Nelson

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PHOTO

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH

PHOTO

TOM DIPACE (MAUER)

THREE PHOTOS