Karl Still Bleeds Carolina Blue Sonics Coach Helps Buddy Majerus Devise Plan To Beat Arizona, But Can’t Help Utah Coach Against Alma Mater

Rick Majerus and George Karl won’t be doing dinner again this week. The two coaches will be in different cities on Saturday, which is a good thing, since Karl’s deep and abiding North Carolina loyalty can not be broken, even by his best friend and most enthusiastic dining partner, Majerus.

The Sonics play the Knicks at home Saturday, while Majerus will be in San Antonio. It’s a little unexpected business trip for the Utah coach; a little basketball matter called the Final Four, where Majerus’ Utes will play the Tar Heels.

“If Rick calls and asks me anything, I’ll have to tell him, ‘Sorry,”’ Karl said. “I root for Carolina, even if I am so happy Rick is going.”

Last weekend things were different. Karl and Majerus just happened to be in California at the same time. The Sonics had the Lakers in L.A. The Utes had a date in Anaheim against Arizona.

The two friends had dinner together, and while both share an intense love of anything edible, on this important night, food took a backseat to basketball.

Majerus and Karl animatedly mapped out a strategy that would, as it turned out in Utah’s 76-51 annihilation of the top seeds, lead to one of the most completely inspired coaching clinics ever demonstrated in the NCAAs.

“It was a clinic. He pushed every one of Arizona’s buttons,” Karl said.

This is how Majerus devised the awesome game plan that took down the ‘Cats:

“We both agreed strongly that you don’t let (Mike) Bibby beat you,” Karl said. “You take Bibby out. And then we argued about who was next. He wanted to take out (Miles) Simon. I kind of like (Michael) Dickerson, because he’s from Seattle and I know him a little, so I thought maybe you go after him.

“But we talked about the Diamond and Two (zone) and Rick was right about shutting down Simon. It worked.

“Then he asked me, ‘When do you start to cover their big guys?’ I said when you go down by 10,” Karl said.

But the Utes never had to worry. They never did go down by anything, especially confidence, since they took their coaches’ word and game plan and attacked Arizona with the knowledge they could win.

“I told Rick: ‘Deal a lot of cards,”’ Karl said. “Throw a bunch of stuff at Arizona and get them disorganized. Make Lute Olson the reactor and mess with his players’ confidence. Your team has to know you believe they can win. And Rick’s team believes in Rick. I don’t know if that (Arizona) team believes in Lute.”