Personal Items: Few Things You Need to Know About 2018 Final Four Coaches

Did You Know?: Three of this year's Final Four coaches played major-college basketball (all but John Beilein). Naturally, there is a tendency to overindulge at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyone digesting the following assortment of did-you-know facts on 2018 Final Four coaches should find that variety is the spice of this smorgasbord:

• John Beilein (Michigan): Only active mentor in the country to register 20-win seasons at the junior, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division levels. A 22-7 record in 1993-94 in his second campaign at the major-college level with Canisius was the winningest in school history at the time and came just two years after the Golden Griffins incurred an all-time high in defeats (8-22 mark in 1991-92). His uncle, Joe Niland, coached Canisius for five seasons from 1948-49 through 1952-53. They are relatives of soldiers who inspired the best-selling book Band of Brothers and Oscar Award-winning move Saving Private Ryan.

• Porter Moser (Loyola of Chicago): Teammates while playing for Creighton included back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference MVPs Bob Harstad (1990) and Chad Gallagher (1991).

• Bill Self (Kansas): Served as an assistant on the Big Eight Conference coaching staffs of Larry Brown (Kansas) and Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State). Self, an OSU alumnus, played in the Big Eight against Maryland coach (Mark Turgeon) and top two NBA draft picks Steve Stipanovich (2nd selection overall in 1983/Missouri), Wayman Tisdale (2nd in 1985/Oklahoma) and Danny Manning (1st in 1988/Kansas). Self, Oklahoma's High School Player of the Year over Tisdale in 1980-81, directed Oral Roberts to the nation's best winning percentage among independent schools in 1996 (18-9) and 1997 (21-7).

• Jay Wright (Villanova): Worked as an administrative assistant with the Philadelphia Stars football franchise, which captured the 1983 United States Football League championship. He married a former Villanova cheerleader.

Drawing upon all resources including degrees of success to motivate their teams, following are the educational backgrounds of the Final Four coaches:

Close likely will determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Loyola's emergence on the national scene stems from learning how to win close games after the Ramblers went winless in eight close contests decided by fewer than five points in 2016-17. 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 Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points: