Some college basketball fans still remember "The Four Corners," legendary UNC basketball coach Dean Smith's infuriating tactical response to having a team with little or no talent, facing ACC opponents not suffering the same disadvantages.

Smith's response? Hold the ball. Use up the clock. Draw fouls. Shoot only free throws or easy layups. And win . . . nearly always in games in which ten points or less were scored . . . total . . . no kidding.

The tactic led to fan outrage . . . and to rules changes that transformed modern basketball.

Both before and after the release of the long-anticipated Mueller report, Donald John Trump found himself in a nightmarish analog to Smith's position at UNC, with formidable foes and even less talent of his own on the court.

His answer, like Smith's, was, is, and will be, to stall.

Like Smith, he will infuriate fans (read "voters") including some of his own.

Like Smith, his behavior will lead to transformative changes in the rules (read "laws") governing Presidential behavior.

Unlike Smith . . . he will lose . . . a lot.

Trump's "four corners" began well before Mueller was appointed with clumsy lies, efforts to get others to lie, and efforts to install "referees" (read "judges" and "attorneys-general") with pro-Trump prejudices.

Sworn testimony outlined in Mueller's report documented, confirmed and re-confirmed a dozen of the most egregious examples of Trump's stalling tactics, known outside of basketball circles as "obstruction of justice."

Trump's new Attorney General played the role of prejudiced ref to perfection, only seeing what his President wanted him to see. Only in this case "charge," "block," and "foul" will lead either to impeachment (while Trump sits in the Oval Office) or conviction of obstruction of justice after he is turned out.

And the Mueller game is only one of those on Trump's schedule. He, his family and a long list of business associates already have "away" games scheduled on tough federal and state courts, with no doubt more to be scheduled.

Trump and his cronies are stuck in a game with no one to pass to and the clock running down.

Tic Toc