Tarkanian was a winner, a big winner at every stop of his coaching career. He was a great Juco coach at Long Beach Community, he won big at Long Beach State, and had a powerhouse at UNLV, a powerhouse that won it all. And he had many great teams there besides the team that won it all. Plus he won at Fresno State, a place that has had no success since he has left.
More than this, I know he would have been a great NBA coach. However, when he had his brief stint on the bench at San Antonio, the Spurs could not sign Rod Strickland and two other starters, so Tark was forced to play shorthanded in a league where the players make the difference. Great players would take time out of their warmups to talk to Tark when he was in the NBA, that's how much respect he had. UNLV basketball was a sold out event with stars at courtside and the games were televised live to Channel 5 in LA and were broadcast by legendary announcer Chic Hearn. They were a Hollywood Production!
What is the real reason a John Chaney can get in and Tark cannot. Is it because Tark was at constant war with the NCAA. Tark is said to have paid well. In fact it was reported that Reggie Theus took a pay cut to go to the NBA. HOWEVER, most of the big schools pay...yes the reputable ones. If you don't believe it go to an AAU summer event for about 5 minutes and you will feel it. There is a saying that a kid in Chicago knows what he is worth at a young age. Was he excluded because people never wanted to see UNLV win against a pristine Duke? Who knows, but go down the list of some of the coaches in the Hall and Tarks' teams would beat a majority of them.
The second coach that is being hosed is Guy V. Lewis who led the Houston Cougars to 4 Final Four appearances. Coach Lewis started modern day big attendance basketball when he had UCLA play Houston in a sold out Astrodome in the late 60's. At the time this was unheard of. There was a packed house and Houston beat a great Bruin team led by Lew Alcindor, aka Kareen Abdul Jabbar. Houston had the best team to never win a title with the Phi Slamma Jamma group led by Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajawon. This was the original ESPN highlight reel high flying modern basketball pioneers. When I tell kids today that being offered to play for Houston was at one time as high as it got they cannot believe it. The fact is that Houston was a big time powerhouse for about 25 years and got the shaft when they were left out of the Big 12. And it was built by Coach Lewis. And again, not picking on coach Cheney...he is a great coach and he belongs...but his teams would fall way short of most of the Houston teams. The players in the pros from Coach Lewis is a very long list. Plus he brought African American players into the South way before most schools in that part of the country had done so. So let's summarize: many pros, revolutionized the game, 4 Final Fours and a great winning percentage. A no brainer. A don't give me the NC State game. There are fluke wins in many NCAA tournament games, the best team does not always win that tournament as anything can happen in one game. That is why the NBA playoff usually does not leave any doubt because you have a seven game series.
I have heard many coaches say if this player was in New York, wow would you have really heard of him even more. I hear the chant big time here in Houston and also when I visit LA. There is no doubt in my mind that these two coaches would be in the Hall if they would have been at an East Coast school. Oh, and if they did pay the players good, Bless them. But don't be surprised if your favorite school that is in the top 25 does not pay real good money to their players. It's a way of life and since their name is not UNLV, the NCAA looks the other way. But become an upstart school that comes out of nowhere like Jacksonville in the 70's or UNLV, and believe me the NCAA will stack the deck against you to keep successful and will generally slap a team like that with a convenient little suspension.
____________________________________________________________________
It's tournament time soon. How will the Big East fare. No doubt it is tough top to almost the bottom. Georgetown is having a tough year but I often wonder how they would do in an easier league. Speaking of easier, the SEC is as soft as I have ever seen. Billy Donovan needs to get his money man to get him some bigs. Auburn is a real small club, but they remind me of a Don Nelson Milwaukee team of the 70's with their small 4 guard set. I like South Carolina...I think Coach Horn has done a great job and the Gamecocks are fun to watch. I saw LSU play in Houston in a 4 team tournament and at the time they did not even look like a top 100 team. Now they have caught firel A team that could be real nice is UW- Green Bay...however, they may not make the tournament if their league does not get 2 teams, as they have to go through Butler. Watch for them if they get in, they could upset a few teams. The Big kid from Pittsburgh, Dejuan, is as strong a player in college as I have seen in awhile. Sometimes, it is hard for me to believe Pitt ever loses. They have a nice package and when Coach Dixon let's them play they are very nice to watch. Wake has a long athletic team that could go far, but they seem to lack a shooter at certain times and have had a few problems when teams pack in a tight zone. How did Western Kentucky beat Louisville? I could see it on some of their past teams but not this years bunch. I could not see it happening at this time of the season. In fact, I can't see Western within 20. But maybe that could be one of those games that may show a chink in the armor of the Big East. Personally, I think it was a fluke. So March Madness is coming and I say bring it on! College B-ball will finally have some relevance.
No comments:
Post a Comment