Pat Knight thinks he’s found the right place to carve out his own coaching legacy.

Mike James scored 26 points, Devon Lamb added 12 and Lamar defeated McNeese State 70-49 in the Southland Conference tournament championship on Saturday, sending Knight into the NCAA tournament for the first time as a head coach.

Lamar (23-11) will return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000. And Pat Knight will take a giant step out of the formidable shadow of his father, Bob, the Hall of Fame coach who won three NCAA championships at Indiana.

Bob Knight, now a color commentator for ESPN, did not attend the game. Pat was eager to talk to his father on the phone later Saturday.

“He gets emotional after wins now,” Knight said. “I look forward to talking to him. I owe him. Everything I do and I am, I learned from him.”

via Associated Press