Beyond the Arc : Final Four (2009)

Returning to school paying title dividends

Mike Miller — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:26:00 GMT

Thinking about the NBA draft? Take some advice from Mr. T: Stay in school.

Just ask North Carolina, Kansas or Florida. There’s never been a better time to come back and win a title.

Gregory Shamus/Getty

From left, Wayne Ellington, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green

“We came back to accomplish something,” UNC senior Danny Green said after beating Michigan State on Sunday. “We had to make some sacrifices. We had to give up a lot of individual things to make this work. I think we did a great job the whole season of being selfless and sharing the ball with each other and sacrificing.”

The Tar Heels’ quartet of Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Green were just the latest group of players to put their professional careers on hold and have it result in NCAA glory. If college coaches are smart, they’re gathering their players and telling them that they too could win it all.

Prime examples for next year:

Wake Forest
James Johnson says he’s going pro, but Jeff Teague and Al-Farouq Aminu are thinking about staying put. Convince Johnson to do the same and the Deacs will have one of the most talented rosters next season.

Purdue
JaJuan Johnson is a future star, while Robbie Hummel and E’Twaun Moore could be serviceable pros. All three should stay put.

Kansas
Cole Aldrich could be a lottery pick. If he returns, the Jayhawks could be the preseason favorites. KU coach Bill Self is one guy who’s seen the benefit of guys returning to school – even if it took a lucky break.

Brandon Rush was set on entering the 2007 NBA draft when he tore his ACL. He withdrew, rehabbed his knee and helped the ‘Hawks to the 2008 crown. And he loved every bit of it.

“It just feels good right now, just coming from what I had, ACL surgery, coming back and giving my teammates a Final Four — I mean a championship,” Rush said.

Florida made big headlines the year before when its core – Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green – made a group decision to try and make history as repeat champs. When they pulled it off, it cemented that Gators group as one of the NCAA’s great teams of the modern era.

“We’re a team. We always stick together. It’s what we came back to do. We won back-to-back,” Brewer said.

Maybe the hardest part of returning to school is dealing with expectations.

Carolina entered this season ranked No. 1. It dominated early on, raising the possibility of going undefeated. That kind of pressure isn’t easy to handle.

“A lot of outside people were saying we have to win it all or it’s going to be a failure,” Hansbrough said Monday. “Well, you know what? It’s not a failure. We came back to win a championship. We did and we got the job done.”

And just think, all it took was passing on the NBA for a year.

Team of the decade? We'll find out tonight

Mike Miller — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:50:00 GMT

Michigan State and North Carolina will play for the NCAA men's championship on Monday night -- duh. But there's another honor at stake when the two schools take the floor: team of the decade.

The first one’s official. You’ve probably seen the trophy.

But the second carries bragging rights that aren’t associated with just one tournament. It’s excellence over an extended period of time, using different sets of players and sometimes different coaches.

OK, it’s also fodder for pundits and fans to argue about. Consider the fan debate regarding Duke and Kentucky about which team ruled the ‘90s.

Both teams won two NCAA titles. The Devils went to five Final Fours, the Wildcats four. Kentucky sported a better overall record (282-63) to Duke (271-78). If you love college hoops – or just like to argue – it’s a fun one to debate. (Throw in North Carolina or Kansas if you’re feeling feisty.)

Paul Sancya/AP

Kalin Lucas, left, and Ty Lawson

As for the 2000s, I’d say it comes down to Monday.

Since 2000, They’ve both been to four Final Fours, more than any other school. UNC’s won five regular-season conference titles; MSU three. Both have two conference tourney titles. Sparty went to the Big Dance each season this decade; the Heels missed two. They’re both among the top 15 winningest teams of the decade, have sent at least 8 players to the NBA.

And they each have an NCAA crown this decade. The 2009 title will be the tiebreaker.

The other team with an argument would be Florida.

The Gators won back-to-back titles and lost the 2000 title game to the Spartans. They’ve logged 261 wins, three regular-season conference crowns and two tourney titles. They’ve been to eight of 10 NCAA tourneys in the decade.

Other schools like Kansas, Duke, UCLA and UConn would be in the discussion. They’ve all been to multiple Final Fours, while the Jayhawks and Huskies each have a title. But overall, I’d say they fall short of UNC and Michigan State.

But hey, the more the merrier. Check out the numbers of the schools below. (League titles are regular-season/tournament; *denotes leader in that category)

Team   NCAA titles   FFs   Overall     League titles  NCAA berths
UConn       1             2      253-85          4/2               8
Duke         1             2      291-60*        4/7*            10*
Florida       2*           3      261-85          4/2               8
Kansas      1             3       282-69         7/3              10*
Maryland   1             2       225-110        1/1               7
Mich. St.   1             4*     248-95          3/2              10*
UNC          1             4*     250-94          5/2*             8
Syracuse   1             1       250-95          2/2               7
UCLA         0            3        227-106        3/2               8

As an added measure, Sweet 16 appearances shake down like this: Duke 8; Kansas 7; Michigan St. 6; UCLA 6; North Carolina 5; UConn 5; Syracuse 4; Florida 3; Maryland 3.

So yeah, the Michigan State-North Carolina winner would have the best claim to team of the 2000s, but the decade's been pretty close.

Duke and Kansas have really racked up the regular-season wins and conference titles, but it hasn't resulted in as many NCAA tournament victories. And it's amazing that every time the Gators reached the Sweet 16, they also went to the title game.

So what about the 2000s? Who’s your outstanding team of the decade?

Player matchups for Carolina-Michigan St.

Mike Miller — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:11:00 GMT

On paper, North Carolina should run Michigan State out of the building during Monday’s national title game.

The Heels have more NBA-caliber players, a more experienced team and the game’s most potent offense.

Yet a big, big part of me thinks the Spartans are going to win Monday. Not sure who I’m picking just yet, but I do know that in working up these player matchups for the title game, I found myself unable to choose between Ty Lawson and Kalin Lucas and which roster has the superior bench.

Plus, there’s the whole home crowd thing. Ford Field’s a cavernous space, but of the 72,000 fans expected to be in attendance, the majority will be wearing green. That’s no small thing.

But I could be wrong. After all, the Heels already ran away from the Spartans once this season … but check out the player matchups and cast your vote. I’ll be back with more tomorrow on the title game.

Don't dismiss Spartans; they're redefining elite

Mike Miller — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:17:00 GMT

Only a rube would doubt Michigan State’s place among college basketball’s elite programs. Recently, it ranks among the top 5. Maybe better.

The Spartans may not have the name recognition to casual fans as Duke or North Carolina, but anyone who’s filled out a bracket in the last 10 years knows you ignore Tom Izzo’s team at your own risk.

Since 1999, Michigan State’s been to five Final Fours, more than any other school. Among active coaches, only Mike Krzyzewski (.763) and Billy Donovan (.759) have higher NCAA tournament winning percentage than Izzo (.750).

Throw in the 2000 NCAA title and five regular-season Big Ten titles, and Sparty has the résumé to match any team around.

Yet every year, Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten are ripped for their slow-it-down, bruising, aesthetic-less style of play. But why is that? Doesn’t its record speak for itself?

Consider the league’s NCAA tourney record since 2000.

League      FF apps.   Overall record   Win %
ACC                9                  85-46          .649
Big Ten            8                  82-52          .612
Big 12             6                  85-53          .616
Big East           5                  96-54          .640
SEC                 4                  68-53          .562
Pac-10          4                   70-60          .538

This video captures Izzo at his best, defending his league and pointing that Michigan State isn’t that different from its Final Four opponent, Connecticut, both in terms of style and scoring.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo defends Big Ten's style of play

The Huskies are a lot like the Spartans. They focus on rebounding and defense. They’re balanced offensively, but don’t have any scoring superstars.

“We're tough and physical, we do the same things they do," senior Travis Walton said Thursday. "I think it's going to be a football game without pads."

That may be. The quote (hat trip: Spartans Weblog) sums up Michigan State’s approach to the game – be physical, be tough, don’t get beat on defense – and doesn’t help its cause when it comes to any naysayers. But don’t let it fool you.

The Spartans feature an athletic, talented roster that can run with just about any team in the country.

In a slow league like the Big Ten, they just don’t get a chance to run that often. They average about 67 possessions a game, which is right on the D-I average, according to kenpom.com. (UConn’s at 68.1. Villanova, 69.2, UNC, 73.8.) They do play faster than any other Big Ten team. And they win.

Yet … it seems respect for Michigan State lags behind the traditional powers.

Duke and Carolina are routinely on ESPN. UCLA has 11 NCAA championship banners hanging from the roof at Pauley. Kansas has Naismith and Phog Allen in its corner.

Most of the Big Ten hoops awe is reserved for Indiana. Yet the Hoosiers have just two NCAA tournament wins since their Final Four berth in 2002. More telling? They’re now coached by a former Izzo assistant, Tom Crean.

Kentucky turned to John Calipari to restore its luster, but Izzo made news when he didn’t explicitly dismiss the idea of coaching in Lexington. He likely had ulterior motives; it’s doubtful he’ll ever leave East Lansing.

Izzo just keeps winning, and winning in March. And the more he does that, the more we all might have to change our long-held notions about the truly elite programs.

Hansbrough's legacy tied to this Final Four

Mike Miller — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:29:00 GMT

The next few days will ultimately determine Tyler Hansbrough’s college basketball legacy.

Accolades aren’t the issue for the North Carolina senior. Few players can match being national and ACC player of the year, a consensus first-team All-American three times (and second-team as a freshman) and the career scoring leader at UNC and in the ACC.

Hansbrough’s been the face of college basketball for nearly three years, as the best player on one of the sport’s most storied programs. He’s led the Heels in scoring and rebounding for four years, the only player to ever do so. UNC’s won nearly 85 percent of its games – 122-22 in the last four years – a mark only a few players in NCAA history can surpass.

"People talk about legends," UNC senior guard Bobby Frasor told the Raleigh News & Observer. "I think [Tyler] is going to have a legend quality about him. The stories are going to build up and build up. People talk about [him eating] sushi now; in 20 years, it's going to be Tyler ate a live cow or something."

Paul Sancya/AP

Tyler Hansbrough

He’ll surely go down as one of the best players of his era, perhaps even of the last decade. But without an NCAA tournament title, will Hansbrough’s legacy be remembered as really good, but not elite?

Does Hansbrough need a trophy to be considered an all-time great?

"His career is bigger than that," Dave Odom, the former coach at Wake Forest and South Carolina, told ESPN before the tournament. "There's always one more thing he can accomplish ... but if [his career ended] today he's one of the greats in all ACC history. He plays every possession as if it was his last and conducted himself as the ultimate student-athlete."

Odom’s view takes into account the larger picture regarding Hansbrough.

Today’s athletes rarely live up to the massive expectations heaped upon them, whether by the media or by fans. It was true of Tim Duncan, a national player of the year who never could take Odom’s Demon Deacons into the Final Four during four stellar seasons.

In that sense, Hansbrough’s already surpassed some of the greats who finished their college careers without winning it all.

Pete Maravich was a scorer nonpareil and three-time All-American, but never even played in the NCA tournament. Wayman Tisdale was a force for Oklahoma in the ‘80s, garnering All-America honors three times, but couldn’t get to a Final Four.

Others dominating players like Jerry West, Elvin Hayes, Wilt Chamberlain and Ralph Sampson all reached the Final Four, but fell short of a title. They’re considered among the game’s all-time greats.

Would Hansbrough ever be considered among their class? Perhaps.

"He stands for what's good about college basketball," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said before the tournament. "He didn't run and take the money. He's good for athletics, period. It's how hard you work and how hard you focus, and that's what he stands for in college basketball. That's why he'll be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play [in college]."

Of course, Williams may be a little biased. Hansbrough’s a rare breed in today’s game – an star player who stays all four years, stays out of trouble, wins games, all that good stuff.

Still, Williams probably isn’t alone in that regard. People’s reasons for choosing their best player of all-time usually vary, and it doesn’t always include winning a title. These Sports Illustrated writers didn’t pick the best scorer (Maravich) or the guys who won the most (Alcindor, Walton and the rest of John Wooden’s unstoppable Bruins), but focused on other aspects.

Perhaps they were supremely gifted players overwhelming opponents (David Robinson), or got the most out of limited abilities (Chris Mullin) or were simply … cool (Jimmy Walker).

Surely Hansbrough, a player lauded for his unceasing effort and ferocious style down low, would be lauded one day as a great.

If a guy like Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin – the likely No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft and the player likely to prevent Hansbrough from winning a second straight national player of the year award – can give Hansbrough some props, how long until opinion sways in favor of the UNC star?

“He seems like he never gives up and he's always ready to go," Griffin said. "And just also the consistency he's played with over four years. I don't know how many he's averaged over his career, but obviously if he's the ACC-leading scorer, he's done a great job."

Don’t ask Hansbrough what he thinks of all this. He’s always been a humble star, reluctant to offer sweeping opinions on topics, let alone his place in the game’s history. He hasn’t even thought about life after the NCAA tournament, let alone out of school.

“I’m not gonna let that affect me right now. I’ll think about it in a couple weeks when I’m done,” Hansbrough said this week.

“I guess I’ve prepared myself mentally to leave, but I still think when you’re gone you’re gonna miss the silly things being in the locker and things like that.”

A trickier question: If the Tar Heels do cut down the nets Monday, yet Hansbrough is largely ineffective, what then?

He took just four shots and finished with eight points in Sunday’s showdown with Griffin. If it’s Ty Lawson or Wayne Ellington or another Heel who makes the big plays in Detroit, what then? Will Hansbrough’s legacy be hurt because he wasn’t the driving force behind a championship?

Maybe. But it’s doubtful Hansbrough would care – especially since he’s crucial to Carolina’s success.

If he’s on the court, opposing defenses’ primary concern is stopping Hansbrough. If his presence creates opportunities for teammates, then he’s one of the reasons behind a victory. If he carries the load and the Heels win, even better.

Williams has coached plenty of stars during his 21 seasons, including Paul Pierce, Drew Gooden, Scott May and Kirk Hinrich. But Hansbrough may be better than all of them.

“He’s a unique young man. That’s the best way I can describe him. To me when something is really unique, that means you can’t find many of them. And I don’t think you can find many Tyler Hansbroughs,” Williams said. “I’ve said before, and I’ll say again, I’ve been awfully lucky.”

Perhaps we’re the lucky ones. It’s not every day you get to watch an all-time great.

Point guards will be key to Final Four victories

Mike Miller — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:05:00 GMT

Final Four teams never lack for talent, and this year’s no exception. Connecticut, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova all feature deep, balanced roster sprinkled with future NBA players.

The coaches read like a who’s who in college hoops. Jim Calhoun, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams and Jay Wright all have won national coach of the year awards. Combined, they have 16 Final Four berths and four NCAA tournament titles.

But the real driving force behind these teams is at the point. Kalin Lucas, Ty Lawson, A.J. Price and Scottie Reynolds comprise four of the game’s best floor generals. They score, pass, defend (to varying degrees) and are all touted as true team leaders.

Even better? They’ve been at their best in the Big Dance.

Lawson made like Willis Reed against LSU, shaking off a bum toe to score 21 of his 23 points after halftime in what’s been the Tar Heels’ biggest scare of the tournament. Price has been the Huskies’ leading scorer in the tournament; his 20 points per game is nearly 6 points better than his season average. Lucas was clutch against defending champ Kansas, scoring seven points in the final 49 seconds.

And Reynolds? Well, no one’s hit a bigger shot in March than the Villanova’s guard game-winner against Pitt. It’s already being touted as a classic March Madness moment.

Here’s a closer look at each player’s strengths, weaknesses and what it means for the Final Four.

Ty Lawson, North Carolina
It seems the only thing capable of slowing the 5-11, 195-pound junior is a toe injury. Nothing else has worked this year. The ACC player of the year notched career highs in points (16.3), assists (6.5), steals (2.0) and had a career-low in turnovers (1.8).

Jerry Broome/AP

Ty Lawson

Part of it is because Lawson improved his shooting. He hits 54 percent of his field-goal attempts and nearly 49 percent from 3-point range. His speed has always made him tough to guard, but his improved shooting makes it even tougher.

"Ty Lawson is a great college point guard,” said Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel before the Sooners were trounced by UNC in the Elite Eight. "I don’t know how that will translate to the pros, but especially when he’s doing now this year, and especially when he’s been healthy over the past few months.”

Even with that irritating injury – he jammed the big toe on his right foot near the end of the season and missed the ACC tournament and UNC’s NCAA tourney opener as a result – Lawson hasn’t missed a beat in the Big Dance. He’s averaging 20.3 ppg (1.43 PPWS for tempo free fans) and has a 10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, unheard of for a point guard during the March pressure cooker.

Part of it’s because Lawson has a wealth of talent around him – the Heels feature nine McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster – but also because he’s comfortable as a team leader. Before, he’d just play.

"When I came to college I wasn't much of a talker on the court," Lawson told the Winston-Salem Journal. "I just try to lead off example, but now I'm talking to the other players.”

If North Carolina (32-4) expects to claim its fifth NCAA crown, it needs Lawson to continue his impressive performance against Villanova on Saturday. The guard-heavy Wildcats rotate different defensive stoppers on opposing point guards, which puts most of the pressure on Lawson’s shoulders.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Lawson’s counterpart Saturday also can play fast (ask Pitt), but he’s more known for his hot-or-cold tendencies. As a freshman, he could go from a 0-point, 7-turnover game to a 40-point performance the next. He was a little more consistent as a sophomore, while his junior season marked career-lows in turnovers.

Chris Mcgrath/Getty

Scottie Reynolds

Still, don’t think Reynolds is gun shy. He’ll still do whatever he thinks is best.

"He gets a little out of control, and it's going to look bad," coach Jay Wright told a teleconference on Monday. "But most of the time he's making plays that people say, 'Wow'.

"He's making a lot of plays that other people are afraid to make. And he's got a great inner confidence. He really is a special kid. He never ceases to amaze me."

Reynolds averages 15.2 points a game, but his 1.13 PPWS is more in line with that of volume scorers like Allen Iverson. Sure, he’ll still score 40 (like against Seton Hall in Jan.) or he’ll finish with 2 points while playing 38 minutes in a loss to Louisville.

Not that Wright or Reynolds’ teammates care. They trust the 6-2, 190-pound guard to do big things and make the big plays.

"I can get a little crazy out there sometimes. But it's all for the right reasons. I'm trying to make a play, get us going. It might not always work out, but it's always for the right reason,” Reynolds told the Philadelphia Daily News after the Pitt game.

"When I hugged coach Wright afterward, he said, 'Your teammates respect you 100 percent. They're 100 percent behind you.' My freshman and sophomore seasons, I don't know if they respected me, as a man and as a basketball player, as much as they do now."

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
That philosophy also sums up Lucas, the Spartans’ 6-foot, 180-pound blur. The Big Ten player of the year leads the team in points per game (14.6) and assists (4.6), though his scoring has dipped slightly in the NCAA tournament.

Andy Lyons/Getty

Kalin Lucas

Not that Lucas minds. As teams have keyed on him, center Goran Suton and guards Travis Walton and Durrell Summers have thrived. All three have boosted their scoring in the last four games.

"It's kind of fun to see somebody box-and-one (a player), and somebody else scores 18," coach Tom Izzo said before playing Kansas. "That's the kind of team we have."

Yet it’s still a team that runs through Lucas.

Lucas hits just 39 percent of his field-goal attempts -- his 1.04 PPWS is the lowest among the four point guards -- but he also takes care of the ball better than most point guards. His turnover rate (15.6) is right behind Lawson’s, and far better than Reynolds or Price.

He hit the big shots against Kansas and was instrumental in breaking down the Louisville defensive pressure in the Elite Eight. Without his ball-handling skills, the Spartans (30-6) are probably headed home instead of just down the road to Detroit and the Final Four.

"He's a big-time player," Spartans senior Travis Walton said of Lucas. "He wants the ball in his hands. He showed that to you all last year when he made big plays against Pittsburgh. When he plays another big-time guard, Sherron Collins, he wants to kind of prove himself to the nation. [Friday], I think he took it personal."

A.J. Price, Connecticut
It’s been an eventful career for the Huskies’ 6-2, 182-pound senior. He’s dealt with a life-threatening brain aneurysm, a season-long suspension for his role in the theft of laptop computers from a campus dorm, and a wrenching ACL injury in last year’s NCAA tournament.

Chris Carlson/AP

A.J. Price

Yet Price has thrived through it all. He led UConn in scoring and assists this season. He burned Texas A&M for 27 points in a second-round rout and dished 7 assists in a Sweet 16 win against Purdue.

If the Huskies need a bucket, Price is their guy. He’ll either hit the shot or find the open man.

"I think his ability to create for them is very important, whether that's for himself, with 3s or pull-ups or drives to the basket, or it is for the other guys, kickouts for other shots or post moves or dumps,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter.

"A.J. Price is one of the best points in the country."

He’ll need to be on Saturday. The Spartans will likely use senior Travis Walton, a 6-2 senior who’s a former Big Ten defensive player of the year, to guard Price. They’ll want to limit Price’s open looks at the basket and force him to take bad shots. He’s not an efficient scorer – he makes 41.6 percent of his field-goal attempts, but at just 1.10 PPWS – but can heat up quickly, and he knows it.

"I'm playing with confidence right now," Price told the Hartford Courant earlier in the tournament. "And that's just coming with our swagger, a certain swagger that we talk about as a team. It starts with the point guard. It trickles down."

How Kentucky job rumors help coaches

Mike Miller — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:01:00 GMT

Michigan State’s impressive win against Louisville gives Tom Izzo a chance at the ultimate prize: Coaching at Kentucky.

OK, there’s a little sarcasm in there.

Izzo’s going to be focused beating Connecticut and trying to win a second NCA tournament title. But rest assured you’ll hear Izzo’s name mentioned as possibly the next coach in Lexington more than once this week.

Billy Gillispie’s ouster in Lexington has the rumor mill in full swing. Nearly every big-name coach – except for Billy Donovan – seems to be a candidate. Izzo, Villanova’s Jay Wright, Pitt’s Jamie Dixon, Texas’ Rick Barnes and Memphis’ John Calipari are chief among them.

It makes sense. If you’re a hoops coach, few jobs are better than Kentucky. In terms of tradition, fan base and resources, it’s tough to match the ‘Cats. North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, Duke, maybe Indiana. That’s the short list.

Any time one of those positions opens up, the game’s best coaches are going to be floated as possible replacements.

It even affects coaches like Rick Pitino. He’s re-built Louisville into a powerhouse, yet his name is being floated as the next possible coach at Arizona. If you’re thinking that Arizona is a lateral move for Pitino, you’re probably right. But it doesn’t prevent all the chatter (though Pitino is a master at not addressing rumors; others could take tips).

If it seems disingenuous to be talking about Izzo or Wright in Kentucky – two coaches who are still vying for a title – too bad. College hoops has been all about business for some time. If a coach can’t prepare his team and cope with rumors at the same time, he’s probably not gonna make it in Lexington.

Besides, Izzo hasn’t exactly shot down any Kentucky rumors. Check out this quote:

"I don't think there's a guy on this planet that would ever say he's not going anywhere, not doing anything,'' Izzo said during a Midwest Regional press conference. "I don't think there's anybody on this planet that would ever say, 'I'm here to stay. I'm this. I'm that.' I don't think me, you or anyone else. So I would never do that because I think it would be insulting to you and me.''

Izzo’s already being touted as the ideal Kentucky hire. Rick Pitino said last week that “there’s no one better than Tom Izzo in our game.”

Spartans fans are a little miffed right now. Why would Izzo leave a program he’s taken to five Final Fours since 1999? Well, he probably wouldn’t, but it’s complicated.

This story from Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press is a good example. Izzo isn’t likely to leave East Lansing, but he’d like potential recruits to know he’s good enough to be Kentucky’s prime candidate. And if there’s ever a time when not denying rumors can help recruiting, this is it.

Izzo’s never lacked for top talent, but it sounds like he’s never had an easy time convincing them to come to East Lansing. Rosenberg uses two local players as an example:

[Izzo] recruited Detroit's DeShawn Sims hard. Sims went to Michigan, which had not been relevant on the national scene for years. Izzo recruited Cleveland's Delvon Roe like crazy, and Roe clearly loved Michigan State more than any other school, and he ultimately signed with the Spartans -- but I think Izzo felt that landing Roe should have been easier.

Fair enough. Roy Williams usually had the same complaint while at Kansas, and doesn’t have any trouble stocking North Carolina with McDonald’s All-Americans. The Heels have nine on their roster. (Bill Self has plenty of NBA-caliber players at Kansas, so read into that what you will.)

Bottom line: Coaches like Izzo and Wright – who says he’s happy at Villanova – will never get to fully enjoy a Final Four week when a prime program like Kentucky has an opening.

But don’t feel sorry for them. They’re smart enough to turn rumors to their advantage, whether it’s added exposure to recruits or more money from their current school. It’s all part of the game.