Illinois coach finds himself among an accomplished group at Final Four

Area coaches say lack of experience on big stage shouldn't hurt Weber.

An argument about which of the Final Four coaches is the best could go on longer than the Final Four itself.

An argument about which coach has the lightest resume wouldn't last long at all.

But area coaches who went to the high school version of the final four this year say Illinois coach Bruce Weber's lack of Final Four experience shouldn't be a factor this week when he hooks up with Louisville's Rick Pitino and then either North Carolina's Roy Williams or Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

Weber is in his first Final Four, which begins today in St. Louis with the national semifinals. Pitino, Williams and Izzo have combined for 14 Final Four appearances and two national titles.

"Once the ball is tossed, you can throw all that out," said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy, who led the Indians to a Class 2 runner-up finish in his first final four appearance. "It's the players who play. The coaches have to have them prepared, but the players shoot the ball and play defense."

The coach's role in preparing for big games is to find a way to maintain normalcy and deal with the 2,000-pound elephant in the locker room -- pressure.

"The closer you get to championship, each step along the way, you put more pressure on yourself," said David Heeb, who led Bell City to Class 1 state titles in 2002 and 2004 and a fourth-place finish this year. "As a coach, you've got to convince them it's going to be fun. The pressure comes from the excitement of what happens when you win.

"The pressure is real, and I've seen it crush a good player, but if you make it work for you, you can play well."

Notre Dame coach Paul Hale agreed that keeping a team loose is important. He said his Notre Dame team that had no pressure after a 9-16 regular season was able to reach this year's Class 4 final four without the burden of expectations.

"We felt fortunate and loose the whole time," Hale said. "There are more important things than a basketball game, and you've got to convey that to them."

He thinks Illinois, which has a second life of sorts after its miraculous15-point comeback to beat Arizona in the regional final, may be loosest and most blessed team.

"It's fate," Hale said. "It looked like they were done. After Illinois won that game, I don't think they'll be tight at all."

Illinois also has players who have been in the spotlight all season while suffering just one loss. All the teams are pretty much on the same level in regard to a lack of Final Four experience.

"A veteran group wouldn't have to have a coach with experience," Heeb said, "but if you have a young group, it really helps to have someone who's been through it before.

"I don't think Bruce Weber is at a disadvantage because his team is a smart, cohesive group."

Still, Heeb and Valleroy are tabbing North Carolina, while Hale likes the Illini's chances.

"This may be their year," Valleroy mused. "Once the ball is tossed, it's all about who matches up that night."