Dontae’ Jones Doesn’t Do Everything Right

Dontae’ Jones of Mississippi State, unanimous choice as the most outstanding player in the Southeast regional tournament, isn’t always the most disciplined player.

When the Bulldogs were running some time off the clock against Cincinnati, Jones saw a shot he simply couldn’t pass up and took it.

A moment later, he was lifted and lectured by coach Richard Williams.

Jones was apologetic for letting his emotions get the best of him. “I have no choice but to play hard,” he said, “or I’ll be sitting over there with the coach.”

Boeheim bashing

For a coach who has won 75 percent of his games and who has posted 482 victories in 20 seasons at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim is seldom mentioned among the top coaches in the country.

Boeheim took one team to an NCAA championship final in 1987, losing to Indiana, yet his petulant posture and his bluntness off the court have denied him the high profile granted many less successful coaches.

“I definitely haven’t heard of another coach who gets as little respect as Jimmy does,” Kansas coach Roy Williams said. “Today, Syracuse outplayed us and outcoached us.”

Asked how he would respond to praise for his coaching after Sunday’s win, he said, “I’ll listen to it about as much as I listen to the other stuff.”

Five for the show

Mississippi State is the first No. 5 seed to advance to the Final Four since 1980. That year, Iowa advanced through the East region before losing in the semifinals to Louisville, which went on to the national title.

Successful Southeast

With Kentucky and Mississippi State in the Final Four, this is the second time in three years that two SEC teams have advanced that far.

In 1994, Arkansas and Florida made it with Arkansas winning the national championship.

Wallace watcher

Syracuse guard Lazarus Sims might be the ultimate authority on his teammate, second-team All-America forward John Wallace.

Sims has played with Wallace since they were AAU teammates in the eighth grade.

“I don’t think anyone can stop him,” Sims said. “The only one who can stop John is John.”

Overcoming overtime

Until its 83-81 overtime win over Georgia in Friday night’s semifinal, Syracuse had been eliminated from the NCAA tournament in overtime games in its previous three trips.

The Orangemen lost in overtime to Arkansas in last year’s second round, to Missouri in the first round of the 1994 West Regional, and to Massachusetts in a 1992 sub-regional.