College basketball coach Pete Bell (Nick Nolte) knows his squad of underdogs can't win without an infusion of fresh talent. After starting a nationwide search for players, Bell promises the moon and the stars to up-and-coming hoopsters. Though he hates his ethical compromises, the new cagers soon prove to be worth every under-the-table payoff. Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh and Ed O'Neill costar in director William Friedkin's morality play.