What's a little thing like graduation?

Recommended reading: Leonard Shapiro’s Washington Post piece on the Final Four. The headline? “At Final Four, coaches' integrity and graduation rates will be swept under rug”

Shapiro points out the recent firing of St. John’s basketball Norm Roberts, who restored the program’s honor and credibility but was still fired for — guess what? — not winning enough games. Reading between the lines, fired perhaps for not trying hard enough (read cheating) in order to win.

Shapiro points out West Virginia coach Bob Huggins’ dismal record at graduating players — going back to his days at Cincinnati — and writes, “Maybe this is a new, improved Bob Huggins. But it's far too soon to throw him a parade, even if his team does win on Monday night.”

When Huggins was canned in Cincinnati, the school president cited a “lack of character” in the coach. But if he wins Monday — a day after Easter — watch for most stories about him to concentrate on his career resurrection. not his character.

If we wins, they’ll do more than throw him a parade in West Virginia; they’ll deify him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033002074.html