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Dave Rose, BYU's current basketball coach, was actually in the same game, playing for Houston. When Drexler got in foul trouble, Rose drew minutes off the bench. He only attempted one shot, which he missed.

Although Bailey had a fine NBA career and is now a popular musician and television analyst on Jazz games, Rose, too, has been successful. His Cougars are heading for a second straight NCAA tourney. Some experts are projecting BYU could end up a sixth seed, just as N.C. State was so long ago.

Bailey attended the silver anniversary of the national championship three weeks ago in Raleigh. In the amber light of memory, he says he and former teammates considered how fortunate they were.

"It was a time when these boys were becoming men, making mistakes, trying to learn. But the game of basketball was just fun, no business involved," says Bailey. "You played because you loved it. You learned things that you would carry you throughout your career — any career. So it was a time of innocence and love of the game."

A time of making impractical, unlikely goals.

Strange how that happens when you've gone mad.

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So who knows, maybe some unsuspecting small-fry will win a championship this year. There are a lot of those available: Portland State, Cornell, Mt. St. Mary's, Davidson, Drake, Austin Peay, Siena, San Diego and Belmont have already qualified.

In honesty, there might be more Cinderellas than Goliaths.

Still, it's the type of mystique that keeps the tournament alive. College basketball is mostly boring during the regular season. But then comes the tournament and everyone becomes a fan.

"It's something you'll always remember, something you can tell your kids and their kids — a story that the basketball world will be telling for years and years," concludes Bailey.

Telling them how you never know. Miracles happen.

Pointing out that one of them might even be standing there someday, same as Lorenzo Charles, and find himself exclaiming, "Gee, look what I found."

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com