Findlay, Izzo and my passport

Jerry Tarkanian

Monday, April 6, 2009 | 10:11 a.m.

Yep, I made it to Detroit. I said I wouldn’t go, I didn’t want to go, it was all to spread out and there wasn’t a main headquarters for all the coaches to get together and be seen.

And here I am. I couldn’t pass up the chance to see some good friends, and I can’t say enough about Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who got me incredible tickets.

I’m in the same row with Earvin “Magic” Johnson. I’m a row behind ex-Spartans coach Jud Heathcoate. God, Izzo has really taking great care of me and I really appreciate it.

But I have to say something about Findlay Prep. I saw a little bit of their game and then heard the final score, that they beat Oak Hill for that ESPN national invitational championship.

I don’t know coach Mike Peck, but that’s an outstanding job and brings great attention to the Las Vegas area. Congratulations to him, his staff and all those players.

Avery Bradley, their McDonald’s All-American guard, is superb. I saw a little of the McDonald’s game in Miami and I know he won that dunk contest. I am going to make a point to see the Pilots next season and I hope a lot of people recognize their achievement.

Isn’t that something? Las Vegas’s first national basketball champions since we won it! That’s good for them. I am absolutely going to see them play next year.

I got here Thursday and had a great dinner yesterday with Greg Anthony and Anderson Hunt, and my former assistant coach Mark Warkentien and his daughter. We had a great time.

We went out with a group of people from Southern California and it was very special.

Greg is doing so well, and I hadn’t seen Anderson since that golf tournament Lon Kruger put on in October.

Everything is so spread out here, though. I haven’t seen a lot of coaches that I like to see. I always have dinner with Lefty Driesell and Denny Crum, and a few others, but we haven’t done that because everyone is everywhere.

Those guys are staying over the bridge in Windsor, Canada, too, and would you believe I didn’t bring my passport? I didn’t even think about it!

I made an appearance Saturday at the national semifinals for a bunch of CEOs. There must have been about 100 of them. I talked to them before each game and had dinner with them, broke down the game.

They were all basketball junkies. A chemical company was the sponsor.

Today, I’m just laying around. It snowed last night, so no reason to go out. I’m only two blocks from the arena, so that’s good.

I was good with my picks. I thought Michigan State and North Carolina would win.

Ford Field is incredible. I really don’t like the big football fields for basketball games. I think the NCAA does all that just for the money. No question, they’re making a lot of money. But it’s so much better when it’s in a basketball arena.

I think Carolina will win tonight. They’re so loaded. Greg Anthony is picking Michigan State, and he’s really an astute guy.

Carolina just has so many damn great players.

But I also think Michigan State is playing so well. This arena will be electric. It’ll be 90 percent Michigan State fans. It will be rocking, and Michigan State will play their butts off.

I would like to see the Spartans win because Izzo got me these incredible tickets. It was great being in that building on Saturday and will be just as much fun tonight.

I’ve known Tom for a long time. I’ve been to about two or three Michigan State football games and I always see him on every trip.

In the meantime, added congrats to Findlay, have fun watching the game tonight and, next time I want to travel out of the country, someone remind me to bring me passport. OK?