THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 27, 1996 TAG: 9603270549
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Mississippi State's Richard Williams may be this year's Lon Kruger, a coach enjoying his 15 minutes of fame at the Final Four.
When Florida unexpectedly reached the Final Four in Charlotte two years ago, Kruger was widely acclaimed as a coach on the move.
Which has turned out to be true. The other day, he moved from Florida to Illinois.
And what of the Florida basketball program that appeared to be on the ascent in '94? It is barely visible, even on Dick Vitale's radar screen.
So much for the importance of playing on the season's final weekend.
Considering the excitement it creates, and the amount of publicity that is pumped into it, what may be most remarkable about the Final Four is how relatively little lasting impact it has on a school's basketball reputation.
For every Duke team that became a household name at the Final Four, there have been plenty of ``wildcards'' that popped up at the big showcase, then almost as quickly fell back into the pack.
Rutgers. North Carolina-Charlotte. Notre Dame. Penn. Indiana State. Louisiana State. St. John's. Providence. Seton Hall. Illinois. Florida. Oklahoma State. All have appeared in the Final Four over the last 20 years.
Houston had a great run in the '80s with three consecutive Final Fours. Remember Phi Slamma Jamma? Now ask yourself how long it has been since Houston mattered.
What I'm saying is, the Final Four is a lot of fun and a great party. But as a barometer for where a program is going, it is highly overrated.
Kentucky is Kentucky, a brand-name school, even when the Wildcats don't reach the Final Four. North Carolina is North Carolina, a Fortune 500 program, even after a relatively tame tournament showing.
Indiana is a lightning rod for the media because of Bobby Knight. Georgetown, which hasn't reached the Final Four in 11 years, gets more attention than Oklahoma State, which was there 12 months ago.
So what about Mississippi State? Well, it could win the whole thing and still remain a hoops outpost.
Of the Bulldogs' coach, very little is known. This week, there will be a spasm of attention directed Williams' way. Then he will return to media-resistant Starkville. Or he'll leave to take another job, something he was rumored to be doing even before his team won the Southeast Regional. Either way, the clock is ticking on his 15 minutes.
The Final Four is not enough, all by itself, to bestow greatness upon a coach. Otherwise, LSU's Dale Brown, a two-time Final Four participant, would be dusting off a niche in the Hall of Fame.
For the most part, coaches and schools leave the Final Four with the same reputations with which they arrive.
You think just because image-impaired Jim Boeheim led a 300-1 shot into the Meadowlands, people are drawing up plans for a monument to his coaching genius?
The monkey jumped off Jim Harrick's back when UCLA won the title last spring. But when Harrick was outcoached by Princeton's Pete Carril this year, the usual carping started again. Harrick's honeymoon is over.
The Final Four may recognize visiting royalty, but it rarely changes perceptions or creates new traditions.
Kentucky is Kentucky, North Carolina is North Carolina, Duke is Duke, and basketball in Mississippi is something you do between football and spring football. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Richard Williams, who coached Mississippi State into this weekend's
Final Four, is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.
by CNB