THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING
NCAA Notebook

Stevens, Krzyzewski forming their own book club

By Bob Ryan
Globe Staff / April 5, 2010

E-mail this article

Invalid E-mail address
Invalid E-mail address

Sending your article

Your article has been sent.

  • E-mail|
  • Print|
  • Reprints|
  • |
Text size – +

INDIANAPOLIS — Butler coach Brad Stevens was asked yesterday about his stature, as compared to the likes of Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, and tonight’s counterpart, Mike Krzyzewski.

“The best way I can put it is that they write books and I get to read ’em,’’ Stevens said.

In fact, he did read Coach K’s “The Gold Standard,’’ the story of the 2008 US Olympic basketball team, while en route to Italy for a summer trip with his team.

Shot back Krzyzewski, “Well, I’ve already put in a pre-order for his book.’’

On a more serious note, Coach K offered this appraisal of his young coaching rival: “I think he’s terrific. I hope he becomes one of the leaders in our profession because he’s going to be amazingly successful, and has been . . . He’s very smart. He’s composed. You know, what a great representative for his school.’’

Private matters
Tonight’s game represents only the fourth time in the tournament’s 72-year history that two private institutions will be playing for the title. The others:

■ 1942 Stanford over Dartmouth;

■ 1954 La Salle over Bradley;

■ 1985 Villanova over Georgetown.

Can there also be any doubt that with an estimated combined enrollment of 12,000, Duke and Butler are the smallest schools to compete for the title in a long, long time?

Howard sits out practice
Butler center Matt Howard was held out of practice with what team trainer Ryan Galloy called “the mildest of mild concussions’’ and could miss tonight’s game. Howard will be reevaluated this morning. “I talked to him, and I think he will play,’’ junior guard Zach Hahn said . . . An MRI confirmed West Virginia senior forward Da’Sean Butler tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after a hard collision against Duke. West Virginia sports information director Bryan Messerly said the MRI also revealed a sprain of the medial collateral ligament and two bone bruises . . . Michigan State sophomore forward Delvon Roe will have surgery on his right knee after toughing out the tournament despite meniscus cartilage damaged so badly that playing on it couldn’t make it any worse. “If I was ever prouder of a guy in my life, I don’t know who it would be,’’ Izzo said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.