HOUSTON-The story broke last week. Former Connecticut recruit Nate Miles - who never played a minute for the Huskies - accused UConn coach Jim Calhoun of lying about his knowledge of wrongs done by UConn during Miles' recruitment.
Those violations led the NCAA to impose a variety of light penalties on the Huskies on Feb. 23 of this year, including the loss of one scholarship for each of the next three seasons, shortened recruiting periods and a three-game Big East suspension for Calhoun next winter.
But those sanctions were based on Calhoun supposedly not knowing, even as the NCAA cited him for, "Failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance."
If it was later found that he lied - sound like any other coach we've known in the Tennessee Valley of late? - the NCAA could presumably re-open the case.
So what did Calhoun think of the Miles story?
"I put a statement out, the university put a statement out, that I accepted all responsibility as a head coach," said the 69-year-old Hall of Famer who will attempt to win his third NCAA title tonight against Butler.
"If anybody wants to drag up an experience that happened two years ago, bring it back up that's their choice. I'm going forward because I'm going forward with my life."
This is the Calhoun that's tough to embrace. Think Bruce Pearl without the painted chest and tears. Maybe Miles is telling the truth or maybe he's a broke 23-year-old hoping to cash in on another sordid chapter in college basketball.
No one knows for sure.
But many believe tonight will be Calhoun's final game, win or lose. They believe the stress of two bouts with cancer, the ongoing questions about his program's integrity and the storybook ride the current Huskies have been on in reaching tonight's title game are just too many factors to ignore.
Even ESPN analyst Dick Vitale noted late Saturday evening that he expected UConn to win it all and Calhoun to then retire.
If that happens, it will almost certainly close the book on both his good moments - NCAA titles, four Final Fours, numerous players in the NBA - and his bad ones (NCAA trouble).
But as with most of us, it won't necessarily paint an accurate picture. After all, as Calhoun was quick to point out on Sunday, he's on the board of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, he's raised $7 million for the Calhoun Cardiology Center, he's run in 12 marathons
He also came home from a baseball game at age 15 to discover his father had died. He told his mother that day that, "I'll take care of you," as well as his five brothers and sisters.
So he did everything from pumping gas to making ribbon candy - "They called it Peachy Candy," he said - to being a stonecutter at a granite quarry that required him to make 100-pound grave markers, put names on them and carry them to trucks.
"I've had some really interesting experiences in my life," he said. "I'm still not sure I know what, 'I'll take care of you,' means, but I've been on that journey to take care of all my families, including my basketball family for most of my life."
So maybe it's more complicated than we'd like to think. Life's like that.
Even Butler boss Brad Stevens, the seeming anthithesis of Calhoun in every way, said of his opposing coach tonight, "I really appreciate the way he takes up for his guys, no matter what. You can see that in the way his teams play."
No coach wins multiple championships without his team playing well, without his team loving their coach.
And should he win tonight, Calhoun will become one of only five coaches to win at least three crowns, the others answering to Wooden, Rupp, Kryzewski and Knight.
So will this be the end?
"I've [weighed my options] every spring for the last five, six, seven years," said Calhoun. "I'll do it again this year. But I also told my wife I would retire when I was 50. I lied."
If it's ever proven he lied about Nate Miles, his legacy will be as tied to the rules he broke as to the titles he won. Not that he'll necessarily care. He'll be moving forward with his life by then.