Maple hardwood, the very foundation of the Final Four, is ingrained with basketball’s rich history
[caption id="attachment_11223" align="alignnone" width="800"] (AP News/Eric Gray)[/caption] BY AARON BEARD (AP NEWS) Down on hands and knees in the Alamodome, workers lurched forward to generate enough leverage to slide one large wood panel alongside another. Nearby was a 15-pound sledgehammer at the ready for a few swings into the panel sides - a plastic block absorbing the impact and providing protection to the precious wood - to wedge them into place.