Close Contests: NCAA Championship Could Be Decided by Pressure Cooking
April 3rd, 2015 - 19:47
Close likely will determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. All four Final Four participants won a regional final or semifinal by fewer than eight points. Wisconsin's Bo Ryan has one of the five best marks among active coaches in tight tilts decided by fewer than six points.
Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. Following is how the 2015 Final Four coaches have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
| Final Four Coach | School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Ryan | Wisconsin | 2000-15 | 11-10 | 16-8 | 19-14 | 13-13 | 17-10 | 76-55 | .580 |
| John Calipari | Kentucky | 1989-2015 | 18-16 | 17-18 | 19-15 | 19-11 | 17-10 | 90-70 | .563 |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | 1996-2015 | 7-10 | 17-23 | 25-13 | 18-13 | 24-16 | 91-75 | .548 |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | 1976-2015 | 41-31 | 40-35 | 33-22 | 25-36 | 34-22 | 173-146 | .542 |