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Post by TheGoodMan19 on Feb 17, 2024 18:09:40 GMT
CBB HOF coach Charles "Lefty" Driesell passes at 92. Coached four schools, Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State to 100+ wins. Made Maryland, joke program before, into the "UCLA of the East". Not quite, but those Terps teams were good. His 1973-74 team, John Lucas, Len Elmore, Tom McMillian was the 2nd best team in the country and one of the best ever. Never made the NCAA because the best team, undefeated NC State, won the NCAA, in the days of one bid per. Next year, the NCAA expanded the tourney and started the at large bids. Also started Midnight Madness, having open practice at 12:01am on the first legal day. Kicked upstairs because, somehow, Len Bias' coke binge was his fault.
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Post by tristramshandy on Feb 18, 2024 21:48:01 GMT
I was at JMU when he was coach (89-93). Won at least 19 games each year and would take on all comers. While I was there, we played North Carolina, UNLV (THE UNLV teams), Oklahoma, Georgetown, Florida, Auburn, etc. Our old Convo Center was always packed - - called the Electric Zoo back then. Always first in the regular season but would get upset in the conference tournament. The year after I graduated, they finally went.
He took Davidson to the Elite Eight in back-to-back years in the late '60s, beaten both times by UNC. At the time (it may still be), Davidson had the smallest enrollment of any Division 1 schools (it still has fewer than 2000 today). Great, great coach who just couldn't get to the complete mountaintop.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Feb 19, 2024 13:05:33 GMT
Vitale used to bring up that "UCLA of the East" comment so much that I started to wonder if he was taking a passive/aggressive shot at the guy. Had to chuckle at something I read the other day.
I never would have guessed. Always love generic nicknames like 'Lefty' or 'Red.' They don't bother with those anymore, though nicknames haven't gotten any more creative. Now it's 'KD' or 'AD' or whatever the guy's initials are. Anyway I digress.
RIP. Hell of a coach with a proven trach record at multiple schools.
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