Q: How soon will athletic director Mike Holder make a hire?

A: Holder didn't wait long -- two days after the national title game -- to meet with Bill Self. The search would be over if Self wanted the job. Indications are that Holder will prioritize other candidates on his wish list and get moving, but he would rather win a mini-marathon than finish fourth in a sprint.

Q: OSU is conducting its first search for a head basketball coach in this millennium. What has changed since the last millennium?

A: This is how much the lay of the land is different in Stillwater.

In 1990, after basketball coach Leonard Hamilton departed, then-athletic director Myron Roderick told the Tulsa World that he doubted OSU could afford to hire an established Division I coach or a rising star in the profession.

OSU came out smelling like a rose nonetheless because the Cowboys didn't have to bust the piggy bank to hire established alum Eddie Sutton, who immediately breathed life into the hoops program.

Now, with Boone Pickens and a surplus of basketball supporters as tag-team partners, OSU seemingly has the resources to pursue most anyone it wants. This is not 1990.

Q: OSU's first target was Self, a former Cowboy player and assistant coach. Here's a what-if: Would Self still have found a way to rise to coaching stardom if Oral Roberts University hadn't taken a chance on him in 1993?

A: ORU was Self's first head coaching job. Self took ORU from 5-22 to the NIT in four years, then guided Tulsa and Illinois to Elite Eights before winning a national championship at Kansas.

Self's body of work suggests he would have found a way to a big-time stage even if ORU had gone another direction back in '93. Other finalists for the job Self got were Lonnie Spencer, Tim Carter, Doc Sadler and John Shumate.

Richard Roberts was ORU's president when the hire was made. Roberts chose not to comment last week when asked why he chose Self.

Q: Eddie Sutton told a reporter in San Antonio that Sean Sutton will get back in the game. What should Sean Sutton look for when trying to secure his next job?

A: Sean Sutton spent 17 of the last 18 seasons at OSU as a player, assistant coach or head coach. He spent the "other" season as an assistant at Mississippi. Sutton was once asked what he learned during his year at Ole Miss. He said you need a good homecourt advantage in order to have a good job.

Sean Sutton got the kind of buyout that will allow him to take his time when looking for a new homecourt advantage.

Q: If a strong candidate with OSU ties was on the horizon, might that candidate have a leg up on the competition?

A: Holder is big on the OSU brand. He refers to alums as "one of us." But, other than Self, is there another former Cowboy who has can't-miss credentials?

Master orator and former Missouri State coach Barry Hinson's resume would look considerably better if the NCAA Selection Committee used solely the RPI to select at-large teams for tournament fields. Regardless, Holder is more interested in selecting the right coach than hiring a coach who can "win" an introductory press conference. Holder values the big picture over initial approval.