Final Four: Krzyzewski, Izzo join elite coaching company

Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo moved into some pretty elite company.

Duke's Coach K will take a team to the Final Four for the 11th time, moving him into a tie with Dean Smith of North Carolina for second place on the all-time list, one behind UCLA's John Wooden. Krzyzewski's first Final Four was in 1986 and his most recent was in 2004.

Michigan State's Izzo moved into a four-way tie for fourth-most appearances with Denny Crum of Louisville, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky and Roy Williams of Kansas and North Carolina.

"It's incredible, the consistency and obviously the expectation," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said of Izzo, who has made all his appearances since 1999.

"You know, I thought that — the accomplishment certainly speaks for itself. And to do it with numbers of different teams. And it's obviously a great accomplishment. Tom Izzo is probably as accomplished and outstanding a coach as there is in our profession."

DOUBLE NICKEL: This will be the first Final Four with two No. 5 seeds in it, and they will meet in one of the semifinals.

Michigan State, the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Regional, and Butler, who held the same position in the West, will play Saturday.

Five other No. 5 seeds have reached the Final Four since seeding began in 1979: Iowa in 1980, Mississippi State in 1996, Florida in 2000, Indiana in 2002 and Michigan State in 2005.

None went on to win the national championship.

FAMILY FINAL FOUR: Duke junior guard Nolan Smith will get to experience a Final Four like his father did 30 years ago. In the same city, no less.

Derek Smith was a sophomore starter on Louisville's national championship team in 1980. He died in 1996 at age 34, apparently of a heart attack. He played nine seasons in the NBA.

OLD RIVALRY: Saturday's Final Four meeting between Duke and West Virginia will be the third time the schools meet in the NCAA tournament and the first two were both in the second round.

Duke won in 1989, while West Virginia prevailed in 2008.

The other Final Four matchup between Butler and Michigan State will be the first time those schools meet in the NCAA tournament.

SUMMERS' RELIEF: When Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles' tendon in Michigan State's second-round win over Maryland, all eyes fell on his replacement at point guard, Korie Lucious.