FINAL FOUR NOTEBOOK From San Antonio

Coach K closes in: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski could assume a place in NCAA tournament history with a win against Connecticut on Saturday. Krzyzewski has won 64 tournament games, one fewer than North Carolina's Dean Smith. The Hall of Fame coach is in the Final Four for the 10th time. That ranks third in college basketball history, trailing UCLA's John Wooden with 12 and Smith with 11.
Elder returns: B.J. Elder returned to practice for Georgia Tech on Thursday, a promising sign for the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer. Elder didn't score last weekend after spraining his right ankle early in the regional semifinals against Nevada. Even so, Georgia Tech won two games at St. Louis, advancing to its first Final Four since 1990. Elder insisted he would play Saturday against Oklahoma State.
Lessons learned: Duke junior Daniel Ewing is playing in his first Final Four -- a little later than expected. Ewing was a freshman on the Blue Devils' 2001-02 squad that featured Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy. That talented trio helped lead Duke to the 2001 NCAA title, and the Blue Devils were a favorite to repeat. But Indiana upset them 74-73 in the round of 16. Williams, Boozer and Dunleavy left school early for the NBA, and the Blue Devils lost in the round of 16 in 2003.
Hoops vs. class: The NCAA tournament always seems to raise questions of academics and whether players sacrifice classroom learning for glory on the court. Later this month, the NCAA will consider a final vote on an incentive and punishment approach to improving graduation rates, president Myles Brand said Thursday. If approved, schools could lose scholarships for a year if a player flunks out. Further sanctions, such as keeping a team out of the NCAA tournament because of poor academic records and graduations rates, would take longer to develop, Brand said. Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson, president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said coaches are committed to academics.
Rupp awards: Saint Joseph's didn't make the Final Four, but the Hawks swept the Rupp awards, announced by the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky. Senior guard Jameer Nelson won the Rupp Trophy as the nation's best player after leading the Hawks to an undefeated regular season and into the East Rutherford Regional final. Hawks coach Phil Martelli won the inaugural Rupp Cup.
-- Associated Press