After taking Oklahoma to its first women's Final Four last season, Sooners coach Sherri Coale had a chat with Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, the coach who helped her land a job in Norman, about avoiding the pitfalls of success.
Auriemma certainly has a handle on the subject, having won three titles, two of them with teams that had perfect seasons. And his advice to his protege was certainly sage.
"He told me not to hide under my desk," said Coale, with a laugh recently. "And I haven't been under my desk one time. I want that on the record."
Coale's Sooners, who were the final victim in Connecticut's unbeaten title run last year, won't be able to hide from anyone this year, now that they've made it to the national semifinals for the first time.
"When you make it to a Final Four, there's a stamp on your program," said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, whose Lady Vols have won six titles and made 12 Final Four appearances since 1982. "People look at your program as Final Four caliber, so you can't hide. You become a target, whether you like it or not."
But now that they've arrived, the Sooners, who lost four senior starters from last year, have the challenge of proving that they belong and can stay.
"I've said time and time again, be it fair or unfair, that the season following the season you first go to the Final Four is probably the one that defines your program," Coale said. "We understand what's on the line this season and how important it is for us to put a great product on the floor and to win a bunch of games, and to go ultimately through the NCAA tournament again."
History suggests that it may not be as simple as wanting to do it.
In the past 10 years, 13 schools have made their first NCAA Final Four appearances (though Rutgers, which went to the 2000 national semifinals, won the final Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women title in 1982).
Of that group, only three (Purdue, Notre Dame and Duke) have gone back.
"I do agree with the old adage that it's twice as tough to stay in the top echelon as it is to get there," said Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp, who led the Lady Raiders to the 1993 title, but hasn't returned to the Final Four, despite reaching the regional final three times.
So, how do you get back atop the mountain after you've climbed it the first time? The answer is simple: You get a good group of mountain climbers.
"What you do to stay there is what you did to get there. That is recruit great kids," Coale said. "Not just talented kids, not just skilled kids, but great kids, who are selfless and believe in working hard and want desperately to be at the University of Oklahoma. That's how we got there, and that's how we'll stay there."
The Sooners are likely to be in the hunt for the Big 12 title, but aren't expected to make another NCAA title run. Nor are the defending champion Huskies, who, like Oklahoma, lost four seniors, who were taken in the first six picks of the WNBA draft.
More likely, the road to Atlanta's Georgia Dome, the site of this year's championships, will go through either Duke or Tennessee.
The Blue Devils, the preseason No. 1 team, return all five starters, including consensus national Player of the Year Alana Beard, to a team that reached the Final Four last season, only to lose to Oklahoma in the semifinals.
Duke did take a big hit when sophomore guard Monique Currie suffered a season-ending tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of her left knee in an exhibition.
Meanwhile, even with transfers and other offseason turmoil in Knoxville, the Lady Vols, who were swamped by Connecticut in the other national semifinal last year, have enough returning talent and even more McDonald's high school All Americans to push for a seventh title.
Many eyes around the country will be fixed on new Louisiana Tech coach Karl Budke, who takes over in Ruston for the retiring Leon Barmore, who left as the winningest coach by percentage (.869) in all of college basketball - men's or women's.
"I feel like I've worked very hard to get to this spot and why not me?" Budke said. "I don't think you're going to see a lot of difference in our play. We're going to get up and down the floor. We'll play as good a defense as we can and apply pressure offensively. It's a concern replacing Leon Barmore, but to be honest, I don't have time to worry about it right now."
Fans around the country will notice big changes in the women's game come tournament time when the first two rounds are played at predetermined sites, rather than automatically awarded to the top four seeds in each region. Most of those top-seeded teams, however, have already applied for, and received tournament sites, and Tennessee, should it last that long, can go to the Final Four without leaving Knoxville, as it will host first- and second-round games and the Mideast Regional.
The other major changes involve the time of the Final Four, which will be played on Sunday and Tuesday, rather than Friday and Sunday, and the telecasts, as all 63 games in the tournament will air on either ESPN or ESPN2, rather than a few selected first- and second-round games and the regionals and Final Four.
Sweet 16
Sun staff writer Milton Kent ranks the top teams.
1. Duke Third Final Four trip could be the charm.
2. Tennessee Can talent overcome turmoil on Rocky Top?
3. Louisiana State Has nation's best freshman, Seimone Augustus.
4. Texas Tech Best Raiders squad since the 1993 title team.
5. Stanford Nicole Powell might be the best player in the country.
6. Notre Dame Realizing recruiting benefits from 2000 championship.
7. Connecticut Restocking before making another title run.
8. Purdue Needs a little more offense to contend for Final Four.
9. Georgia Great frontcourt might help Bulldogs make a run.
10. Kansas State Last year's surprise team brings back lots of offense.
11. Minnesota Brenda Frese left behind a lot of talent in Gopherland.
12. North Carolina Is there enough discipline to challenge Duke?
13. Vanderbilt Chantelle Anderson is a lock to be the first WNBA pick.
14. George Washington Should dominate Atlantic 10; tournament prospects iffy.
15. Penn State Nation's leading scorer returns with a solid supporting cast.
16. Louisiana Tech Even with a new coach, winning continues in Ruston.