Surely by now you’re aware that although Bob Huggins is not coaching in the Final Four he nevertheless has his fingerprints on a part of it. South Carolina is the story of the 2017 NCAA tournament, and head coach Frank Martin is beginning to look like the star. To hear him tell it, this doesn’t happen without the West Virginia coach doing what he could to shape Martin’s career.

And while that’s true, Martin’s roots go a little further back, when he was a high school coach in Miami and a friendship with Huggins commenced. Martin’s break into college coaching came at Northeastern under … Mountaineers assistant Ron Everhart.

“He’s always understood what makes kids tick,” Everhart said. “And not just in basketball. I always knew he was going to be a great coach. I couldn’t be happier for him.”