A Last Look Back

Classiest Move of the Year: Utah coach Rick Majerus's flying to El Paso to be with UTEP coach Don Haskins when Haskins underwent triple-bypass surgery. Majerus, who had a septuple-bypass operation in 1989, said, "I've been there. I know about the doubts. I know about the apprehensions. I didn't care when the surgery was going to be, I was going to be here."

Dumbest Move of the Year: Maryland's senior guard Duane Simpkins, who accumulated approximately $8,000 in campus parking lines and then tried to remain eligible by making a down payment of $2,000 with a check from his former AAU coach. When Maryland told him that under NCAA rules, it could not accept that check, Simpkins deposited a new check and then wrote his own, thereby still breaking the rules by accepting the loan. He was suspended for three key February games.

Shot of the Season: Arizona guard Miles Simon's 65-foot heave to beat Cincinnati at the buzzer on Feb. 11. The runner-up: Tulane forward Jerald Honeycutt's falling-down, no-look 25-footer from the corner to defeat Florida State 78-77 on Dec. 5.

The Feel-Good Award: After taking over at New Orleans following the death of coach Tommy Joe Eagles two summers ago, Tic Price, Eagles's friend and assistant at Auburn in 1993-94, went 20-11 in his first season but wasn't even invited to the NIT. This year the Privateers took the suspense out of the process by winning the Sun Belt tournament to automatically qualify for the NCAAs.

Quotes Worth Repeating: Louisiana State coach Dale Brown, whose team struggled through a 12-17 season, reflecting on the pressures of coaching: "[James] Naismith invented the thing, and they fired him, so everyone's vulnerable."

Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, explaining the improved play of center Eddie Elisma: "Eddie fell in love. He plays much better when he's in love."