"Pistons coach John Kuester said he wants a serious effort from the team against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but practice Monday ended on more of a light-hearted note when talk turned to the NCAA Final Four.

Kuester and forward Tayshaun Prince spent time with reporters chatting about Saturday's semifinals in Houston, when Connecticut plays Kentucky and Butler meets Virginia Commonwealth.

Kuester, a native of Richmond, Va., where VCU is located, played four years at North Carolina (1973-77). The Tar Heels were beaten by Kentucky, 76-69, on Sunday in the East Regional final.

Prince played at Kentucky (1999-2002), where he was a three-time team MVP and scored a career-high 41 points against Tulsa in the 2002 NCAA tournament.

Asked if he would bench Prince after Kentucky took care of his alma mater, Kuester said with a laugh: "No, Tayshaun's had a great year. He's doing a wonderful job, and he roots for his Kentucky blue extremely hard."

Prince said he thought Kentucky had stepped up big for coach John Calipari, advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1998 when the Wildcats won the national title."