N.C.A.A. Men’s Basketball: Final Four

Watching Hubert Davis coach North Carolina tonight, I keep thinking about when he spoke to reporters last Sunday in Philadelphia, after the Tar Heels clinched their Final Four berth. Or, more accurately, I keep thinking about the 14 seconds he waited before he answered a question about Bill Guthridge, an assistant coach at North Carolina during his playing days.

The question, from another reporter, was this: “The symmetry of sports is pretty random, and you’re the first rookie head coach since Bill Guthridge to take his team to the Final Four. What are some of your memories of Coach Guthridge?” From my seat in the second row, I saw Davis trying to gather himself, trying to hold back the…