Review of Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four

Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein

Review by C. Douglas Baker

Last Dance is a behind the scenes look at the NCAA Final Four. The book is mostly built on reminisces and interviews with coaches, players, and even some announcers about what it’s like to get to the Final Four and win a championship. 

The primary theme of the book is how important getting to a Final Four and winning a National Championship is for the players and coaches. It’s something that for many players is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of team that puts its stamp on college basketball history. 

Whether a marginal player seeing little action or a star player going on to a successful NBA career, a Final Four appearance, and a National Championship are lifetime achievements. And the bitter disappoint of losing in the Final Four lasts a lifetime as well.

For the most part this book is well written and interesting as we hear from players, coaches, and others involved about their experiences in the Final Four. It paints a well rounded picture of what participants go through during the course of the season, but especially during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

While Feinstein does not go into great depth on the history of the Final Four, its history is told throughout the book. 

The one criticism this reader has of the book is it appears to be very Duke and North Carolina centric. While maybe that’s because they have been to the Final Four so often, it’s a bit off putting to be constantly hearing about these two schools at the expense of others who have made the Final Four. 

And while hearing different perspectives on the Final Four were interesting, there really wasn’t anything new here either. 

My two favorite sections of the book were about UCLA coach John Wooden and his wife getting a spontaneous standing ovation from the coaches in the lobby at a Final Four and Bill Bradley’s thoughts on his Final Four appearance (Bradley was a Princeton and NBA star, later a Senator and presidential candidate). 

The most interesting philosophical discussion was the impact of the tournament and a Final Four appearance or winning a championship on coaches.

Would great coaches like Roy Williams of North Carolina have an incomplete legacy if they never won a championship? Fair or not, the answer is yes, even though the coaches don’t like to say it. 

The pressure to win and win big is just as hot in college basketball as it is in professional sports, and coaches with great talent at big schools feel the heat.  The impact of this pressure on coaches was well done in this book. 

Finally, the hype and hysteria that surround the Final Four today compared to years ago is also interesting to note and how this sea change in attention and hype have affected players and coaches and those gathering for their Final Four appearance is well done.

This was definitely a book worth reading if you are a college basketball fan.

Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four