Would you hire B.J. Smith to coach your basketball team?

It's a not-so-rare dilemma facing Casper College's search committee this week.

They want a coach that wins. They want a coach that plays by the rules. They want a coach the community and team can root for, cheer for and play for.

But do they want B.J. Smith?

The former SEMO women's basketball coach interviewed for the vacant job Monday at the Wyoming junior college. The school is a proven winner just like Smith, who showed his junior college abilities in Oklahoma, then took SEMO to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.

But it wasn't long before the bottom fell out for Smith and, in turn, Southeast. The school trudged through a lengthy NCAA investigation that turned up a laundry list of violations that, barring a successful appeal, will wipe out all 79 wins under Smith, along with that NCAA Tournament trip.

And now it's gut-check time for those with the hiring power at Casper, including athletic director Bill Landen, whose comments to the Casper Star-Tribune were complimentary of Smith, but short of glowing.

"No question, B.J.'s resume just pops out," Landen said. "He's obviously coached at a very high level."

True on both points, but not entirely in a good way.

By the time the NCAA is finished with Smith and SEMO, there could be more asterisks than wins on Smith's resume. They'll have to buy Bic Wite-Out by the gallon to cover up all the wins and accomplishments over that four-year stretch. He'll join Ron Shumate in the "Let's Just Pretend He Was Never Here" section of the media guide.

If you're Landen, and if you're looking down the road at making the best choice for Casper College and its women's basketball program, is Smith your man?