humility in Wolters' game. He plays with a confidence that borders on reckless, approaching each possession with the knowledge that he can blow by you or shoot over you. He is both bulldozing and balletic, running directly at defenders until they stumble, freeze, or simply move out of his way. When a team spreads its defense to defend shooters, like IUPUI does tonight, Wolters darts through the gaps and assumes total control.

A native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, Wolters didn't receive a Division I scholarship offer until SDSU approached him just before his senior year. Although he later picked up an offer from Colorado State, Wolters nearly chose to play at Division II Augustana College. "I always thought I was a D-II guy," he says now. "I just didn't see myself as a Division I player." Now a junior, Wolters is eighth in the nation in scoring, with 21.3 points per game. He's also 16th in the country in assists and second in the conference in steals. Nagy says he regularly fields calls from "NBA people" about his star, and another Summit League coach told reporters he'd recently discussed Wolters with Celtics general manager Danny Ainge. A basketball obsessive, Wolters often goes to the Jackrabbits' gym around midnight to shoot alone for a couple hours. Sometimes during team meetings, he sits on the front row with a ball in his lap, rotating it in his hands while Nagy speaks. "It really is like he has an addiction," Nagy says. "It's compulsive with him. He doesn't feel right if he's away from the basketball."

Tonight, Wolters helps the Jacks assert control early, leading them to a 12-point halftime lead. Things look good as the players retreat for rest in the locker room, but when Nagy addresses the team, he preaches caution. "That's a team full of seniors over there," he says of IUPUI. "They are not going to go quietly."

Actually, the Jaguars go down with a whimper. Young continues to struggle, Wolters continues to dominate, and Carlson and Prince both hit double figures to cap a 77-56 win. Afterward, there are a few isolated whoops and good jobs in the locker room, but the mood is mostly subdued. "I love where we are defensively," Nagy says. "We whipped 'em. We took a guy who's supposed to be in the NBA and held him to 10 points."

"Now we just have to go play," he adds. "The first game is the hardest."

Sunday, March 4, 10:56 p.m. — Film room, Sheraton Hotel

After watching no. 6 seed Southern Utah eliminate no. 3 Oakland and Reggie Hamilton, the nation's leading scorer, the SDSU players walk back to the hotel amid celebrations by their fans. Oakland handed SDSU one of its three conference losses this season, but the Jackrabbits swept SUU. To the fans, at least, the road to the NCAA tournament looks like it just got a little easier.

Nagy and the assistants corral all 10 active players into a meeting room for a late-night film session. They had expected to play Oakland, but Nagy decided against breaking down the Golden Grizzlies earlier in the day, fearful that if Southern Utah won, the lopsided prep time would send a bad message to the team. He was prescient, it turns out. So with the Southern Utah scouting DVDs ready and the fans still cheering outside, Nagy asks an assistant coach to close the door.

"I've gotta be honest — I'm pretty annoyed right now," he says. "Out there, we've got fans celebrating like the whole thing is over. I'll tell you the truth: I wanted to play Oakland. Now I'm trying to get you guys away from the fans, because they're out there acting like this is a party."

Assistant Rob Klinkefus speaks up: "It just got a hell of a lot more physical." Each of the three assistants is assigned to scout various teams throughout the league, and Klinkefus is the SUU expert. The Thunderbirds are efficient and slow-paced brutes. They're never pretty, but the team is among the best rebounding and defensive teams in the league.

The Jackrabbits run few set plays. Nagy's philosophy is to recruit talented offensive players, teach them motion offense principles, and then trust that they will score. Typically, 80 percent of preparation time is spent on defense. Tonight, the Jackrabbits re-watch the entire Oakland-SUU game, Klinkefus breaking down the Thunderbirds' many sets, and then around 12:20 they pack it up and head to bed.

Monday, March 5, 6:52 p.m. — Locker room — Semifinal vs. Southern Utah — Pregame

After watching the first half of the semifinal between Oral Roberts and Western Illinois, the players and coaches enter the locker room. "I'm less emotional today," Nagy says, beginning his pregame remarks. "Today is just about basketball. You guys already have enough information in your heads. You know everything you need to know." Like many of his speeches, this one comes in short bursts, each thought buffered by a pause. "Enjoy it tonight," he says. "This is why we play right here, games like this."

When Nagy finishes, the players get dressed. There are gonorrhea jokes and farts — "At least you know they're loose," student manager Austin Miller says — and discussion of the fact that a fan mentioned betting $250 on the game. "What's the spread?" someone asks. The Jackrabbits are favored by 12.5. One player speaks up: "That's going to look really dumb when we win by 30."

Meanwhile, Griffan Callahan, the team's lone senior, sits in the back corner, eyes fixed on the wall, his expression showing a combination of excitement and dread. Callahan's nerves are not of the vague, pit-in-your-stomach variety. No, his jitters center around something tangible and easily named: Jackson Stevenett. Every night, Callahan is charged with stopping the other team's best player. For the Thunderbirds, that's Stevenett. An undersized forward, Stevenett is nimble and skilled, capable of scoring against bigger defenders in the post. When Stevenett gets the ball on the block, Callahan knows, he will never pass. It's Callahan's job to make sure he doesn't score, either.

Callahan plays a game of pure sadism, all predicated on his ability to punish opponents for their mistakes. Leave him open behind the arc, he'll make you pay with a 3. Forget to box him out, he'll fly by you to the glass. Have the nerve to drive against him, and he'll force you to places you'd rather not go, whether to your weak hand or directly into the help defense. Last night, he shut down Young, the supposed future pro. There is joy in defense, Callahan feels, a certain satisfaction in bending someone's will to match his own. Callahan claims to be the school's all-time leader in fouls, though that stat can't be confirmed. "He has a meanness to him," Nagy says of Callahan. "There's a certain nastiness on the court that you just can't teach." Callahan grew up with older brothers. "I was the brunt of a lot of force as a kid," he says. "I started...