SOMETIMES THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKS. I have had nothing but scorn for visions of higher education that blend open admission with athletic success. That Central Connecticut State have earned a tournament bid (their third in seven years) while the Connecticut men's team is watching ESPN changes nothing. By the end of March, Central Connecticut will still be perceived as a safety school. (As if MooConn isn't?)

The approach of Central coach Howie Dickenman merits mention.

Dickenman requires his players to wear ties to games. No cell phones are allowed in the basketball facilities. Detrick Gym, he says, is a workplace. He asks his recruits what they think of their high school coaches. If they say something disrespectful, the recruiting process is over.

"Coach works us to maximum of our abilities, and prepares us for life," [guard Tristan] Blackwood said. "He works us like we're in last place, and that pays off. We work for each other, and it's paying off."

That approach deserves consideration and implementation by the faculty, safety school or selective institution alike.