Coach X heads a top NCAA hoops program, with many March Madness appearances under his belt. This is his third column.

IT'S THE END of the line for a lot of players, and I'll admit it, some of them are guys I never want to see leave. Relationships like the ones between Big John Thompson and Allen Iverson or Coach K and Steve Wojciechowski, those are special bonds that don't happen often. Jim Calhoun has had that with Kemba Walker -- a teacher with a talented student who wants to know more. Coaches have a soft spot in our hearts for that kind of player. But we know we can't have that connection with every guy. I keep in touch with about half of my former players. Usually, they're the guys who visited my office often when they were on the team. Mostly, we e-mail, but sometimes one of them will stop by practice, for old times' sake.