Middlemen take center stage // Laettner run has Duke on last leg of title bid

INDIANAPOLIS There's no shortage of things to mention aboutChristian Laettner, Duke's 6-11 junior center who has been called theperfect college basketball player.

Like most of the Blue Devil players he's bright, industrious,appears freshly scrubbed and is more than happy to live up to theschool's spit-and-polish image on and off the floor.

He's rapidly become one of the best big men in the country. Hewas named first team all-ACC, first-team All-America by BasketballTimes and a second-team All-America by AP and UPI.

He's also the one player UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian keptmentioning over and over as creating the most problems for theRunnin' Rebels during Duke's stunning 79-77 upset Saturday. Thatvictory, of course, vaulted the Blue Devils into tonight's title gameopposite Kansas in the Hoosier Dome.

Laettner, who was named after the Marlon Brando character in themovie "The Young Lions," had 28 points vs. Vegas, including the winning free throws with12.7 seconds remaining.

But the one thing you mustn't fail to mention about Laettner, whohails from Angola in upstate New York, is that he's a leg man all theway.

It seems that Laettner's favorite pursuit these days, besidesputting his tremendous talents to good use on the basketball court,is a biology class he's taking that involves the lower extremeties.

"What we're doing right now is dissecting a human leg," Laettnersaid. "That has been the most fun I've had in a class since I'vebeen at Duke.

"I can tell you about every muscle, every nerve, every artery inthe leg. It's really been good."

Laettner has been cutting up most every opponent with equalpanache, leading Duke in scoring (19.6 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rbg),steals, blocked shots and field goal percentage (.577).

Plus, as Laettner himself points out, he's able to move his feet,run the floor, dribble like a guard and find open teammates with theball.

On the eve of Duke's second straight appearance in the titlegame, Laettner is feeling a tad grumpy.

Seems that in the locker-room celebration that ensued followingthe slaying of Vegas, Laettner had to leave early to fulfill theNCAA's drug-testing requirements. He also had to fill a bottle, and,as a lyrics from a hit song once suggested, "You know it don't comeeasy."

One hour and 15 minutes later, Laettner finally met hisobligation. But by that time the bus carrying his teammates back tothe hotel had also left.

"I couldn't be in the atmosphere, I couldn't be in the shower, Icouldn't really be part of any of it," Laettner said. "I wanted tobe there and I missed it. It made me mad."

This is the same Laettner who was once accused by his teammatesof being too somber, too emotionless, too much of a robot. Laettnerhas learned that his exuberance rubs off on his teammates.

"I thought all they cared about were my scoring and rebounding,"Laettner said. "But Coach (Mike Krzyzewski) told me it went beyondthat, that it was my enthusiasm, my excitement on the court, that gotthe team into the game."

That revelation came to Laettner just after the Blue Devils hadbeen eliminated in the second round of last year's ACC postseasontournament.

"Now, I know it's my responsibility," he said. "I must beexcited out there."

Being pumped should be no problem tonight, although Laettnerinsists a loss wouldn't be the end of the world because Duke is soyoung.

"It's sitting right there for us," Laettner said. "We're theteam that's been there."

Which, you could say, gives Duke a leg up.