Posted March 26, 1998

Tournament success is a given if these men are on the sidelines:

1. John Wooden, UCLA.
Seven straight titles, and 10 in 12 years. Someone will sooner break DiMaggio's record by hitting in 57 consecutive games.
2. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke.
Two straight titles in an era when repeating is unheard of is remarkable enough; seven Final Four appearances in nine years is even more impressive.
3. Dean Smith, North Carolina.
Let the critics cavil about his winning only two titles in his career. Getting to 11 Final Fours and failing to reach the Sweet 16 only six times in 27 tournaments makes up for championship-game losses to UCLA in '68, Marquette in '77 and Indiana in '81.

Previous 3-Pointers:
March 25 -- Having one of these guys on your team almost guaranteed a win
March 24 -- These schools pulled off the biggest shockers in tournament history
March 23 -- Hitting the greatest shots in tournament history
March 20 -- Taking aim at greatest shooting performances in tournament history
March 19 -- Throwing down the most impressive dunks in tournament history
March 18 -- Blowing the whistle on the biggest mistakes by players in tournament history
March 17 -- Blowing the whistle on the biggest coaching blunders in tournament history
March 16 -- Pulling down the most critical rebounds in tournament history
March 15 -- The most spectacular drives in tournament history
March 14 -- The most dramatic three-pointers in tournament history
March 13 -- Although passing is a subtle art, it can have spectacular results
March 12 -- Introducing the members of our tournament swat team
March 11 -- Pointing out the perpetrators of the greatest steals in tournament history
March 10 -- Tossing up the greatest free throws in tournament history
March 9 -- The greatest games in tournament history