A graduate of the University of North Carolina and longtime friend of Roy Williams, former Kansas University basketball coach Larry Brown definitely is rooting for the Tar Heels in tonight’s NCAA championship game.

“I love that place and have such good feelings for Roy, especially after being with him all summer (as coaches of the U.S. Olympic team),” said Brown, Williams’ predecessor at KU from 1984 to ’88.

“I hate to see anybody lose this time of year. But I love North Carolina,” added Brown, who stresses over and over again that he has an equal love for KU.

In fact, the Detroit Pistons coach, who spoke to the Journal-World early last week from his Michigan home while recuperating from complications from hip surgery, had quite an emotional reaction to KU’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Bucknell.

“I died,” Brown said.

Still, Brown is well aware from his days as head coach at KU and UCLA that the unexpected happens yearly in the NCAA Tournament.

“You’ve got to get lucky,” Brown said, noting protege Bill Self’s second KU team was not lucky on the injury front this year.

“We certainly got lucky in ’88,” Brown added.

He’s not just being modest.

Detroit coach Larry Brown answers a reporter's question before the Pistons' game Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers in Auburn Hills, Mich. Brown returned to the bench after a 10-game absence following a procedure related to his hip-replacement surgery in November.

Brown’s Jayhawks, who stormed to the 1988 NCAA title, barely escaped a similarly shocking tournament loss.

The Danny Manning-led Jayhawks squeaked past Murray State, 61-58, in a second-round NCAA game in Lincoln, Neb. Murray State missed an off-balance four-footer with :04 left and KU up, 59-58.

Had the shot dropped, KU’s national title run would have been stopped in its tracks.

“We were lucky against Murray State,” said Brown, quick to cite some other “lucky” moments during the ’05 event.

“Roy got lucky they called a walk against Villanova and not a foul,” Brown said of Williams’ UNC squad benefiting from a questionable call at the end of last week’s Sweet 16 victory over the Wildcats. “Oklahoma State was unlucky; Arizona unlucky. The tournament is tough.”

As for KU’s one-and-done act, Brown has an explanation.

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“What happened is Langford got hurt,” Brown said of senior Keith Langford, who was hobbled by an ankle injury and the flu the last two weeks of the season.

“When you lose a Langford at the end of the year, it exposes other deficiencies that might be there. Earlier in the year, we were playing great and (Wayne) Simien got hurt. It was amazing we could hold it together like that.

“I thought the fact more people had to accept responsibility would help us. But there’s a fine line.”

Brown, who still refers to KU as “we” and “us,” cherishing his five seasons as Jayhawk coach, went on.

“We lose Archie (Marshall) against Duke (to injury in 1986 Final Four loss) and it’s not the same team, then a miracle happens in ’88,” he said.

“This year I really believe if Langford was healthy, and Wayne makes that shot (from free-throw line before buzzer against Bucknell) it might be KU against North Carolina (in Elite Eight) which I always dreaded unless it was the final game of the season,” added Brown.

Brown said the fact KU went out early shouldn’t make anybody panic.

“Bill’s as good a coach as there is,” Brown said of Self, who worked for him as a grad assistant in the Final Four year of 1986.

“As much as I hated to see Roy leave, we were lucky to get Bill. I watch what he’s doing in recruiting now. We lose four seniors and he’s bringing in a great group. Now he’ll have all his kids.”

Brown said it’s not necessarily a bad thing the seniors are moving on, as talented as they were here.

“I am the foremost authority on this because I’ve moved around and inherited a lot of programs,” the well traveled Brown said. “I think you have a system and sometimes players in the system can’t do the things you are comfortable coaching.

“I took over from Ted (Owens) and wanted to pressure and run. I didn’t think a lot of our players were built to do it. Bill was caught in the middle where we were recruiting some different type kids.

“Some kids did it one way. It’s always tough to get them to play the way you feel comfortable. Still, how many games did we win the last two years? An awful lot of games. We lose four seniors, but now he (Self) will be able to play the way he wants.”

Self’s style, which may include more pressure defense next year, is not to blast KU fans — some who overreact after season-ending losses. Brown was asked about some KU supporters “going crazy” after this one-and-done tournament.

“Coaches go crazy, too. It wouldn’t be KU if we didn’t go crazy,” Brown said. “I really believe it’d be the same if it’s Bucknell or if it’s Kentucky. What’s unique and special is the fans care. The year we won it all, we lost five in a row. We score 49 at Wichita State (in loss during 1986-87 season).

“But we didn’t have talk radio and the Internet back then. I didn’t have to deal with any of that. But our fans are passionate. I wouldn’t want to coach at any place where people don’t care. I know Bill feels the same way. The bottom line is nobody needs to go crazy. I love my profession, and we’ve got the right guy at KU. It’s as good as it gets. In Roy, we had the right guy, too, but he ain’t here,” Brown added.

Brown said it’s possible KU went about as far as it should have considering the injuries and talent level of the team.

“I look back,” Brown said, “Matt Doherty (former UNC head coach) got criticized a lot and look at the kids he left Roy. Roy’s got all those kids who are projected first rounders (while KU has one certain first-round pick).

“The biggest thing is Bill likes those kids. He’s always positive. He loves Lew (Perkins, KU athletic director). Expectations are unbelievable, but he wouldn’t want anything less. My feeling is everybody should want to coach at Kansas, there’s not a better place and we have the best coach we could have. Ask anybody in basketball about that. They’ll agree.”