Basketball from a fan’s perspective

The Machine

Watching UConn dismantle a particularly good Purdue team Monday evening it was evident, Dan Hurley has produced a machine. After the 75-60 victory over Purdue he said post-game, “I want to remain at UConn and create a dynasty.” The coach is on the road although it’s easier to say over the doing. If you witnessed the championship game you saw a back-and-forth effort for most of the first half, UConn held a 6-point lead at the break.

The second half of the game for the most part witnessed “The Machine” in full effect. For me at some point in the middle of the second half I thought to myself, there is no way Purdue comes back. Purdue didn’t shoot badly (44.4%), it was their poor 3-point shooting 14.3% which was a major contribution to the loss. On the UConn side there were plenty of heroic efforts by all, can I say in truth it was a team victory. With the Monday night championship win by UConn the curtain comes down on the 2023-24 collegiate season, the only action remaining is the coaching merry-go-round.

Will it occur

Some are aware Steve Clifford, Hornets coach is being “kicked” upstairs, Clifford will take on a front office position for the team. That move creates a head coaching vacancy and several names have been mentioned. One of those is Lindsey Harding head coach of the Stockton Kings of the NBA, the Hornets were granted permission to interview HER. Harding was voted the 2024 G-League Coach of the Year in leading her team to the Western Conference Finals.

Will it occur, do the Hornets break the “glass ceiling” and hire Harding as their next head coach? For now that remains a question because it appears the Hornets intend to take their time with a final decision. There are three men currently serving as assistants for the Kings, Celtics and Suns also in the interview process. Someone asked the question, why must potential hires of this type be given special media coverage? My response is simple, I wish it weren’t necessary but it represents the world we live in. We must continue efforts to level the playing field all over.

He didn’t want to play pro basketball

Imagine this scenario, a three time All-American, a two-time College Basketball Player of the Year and two-time NCAA rebounding leader. Just a small portion of the accolades of Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas yet he once said, “I had no special desire to be a professional basketball player.” In 1962 Lucas became embroiled in a bidding war between the NBA and the newly formed American Basketball League. The Cincinnati Royals (now Kings) held his franchise rights having drafted Lucas while he was in high school. That’s an occurrence that wouldn’t exist in the NBA of today. Despite the Royals owning his draft rights Lucas turned them down, the history indicates the ABL Cleveland Pipers would offer Lucas a player-business contract.

Another event highly unlikely to occur in the NBA of the 21st Century. Although he would sign with the Pipers financial considerations not directly connected with the Lucas deal caused the team to fail financially. Months later the ABL would go out of business too. After missing a year playing for the Royals in 1964 Lucas was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He was an NBA All Pro 7 times during his career playing for the Royals, San Francisco Warriors and Knicks. Lucas would be one of the keys to the 1973 NBA Championship won by the Knicks. He retired from the game in 1974 after a brilliant NBA career, Lucas is still with us at the age of 84. Honors have come his way by enshrinement in the College and Naismith Hall of Fame. And to think this is person who once said, “I had no special desire to be a professional basketball player.”

If you were aware you are better than me

Dawn Staley has been a winner going back to her playing days at Virginia. She led her team to four consecutive NCAA tournaments and three Final Fours. From there it was on to an 8-year career as a professional basketball player. In the 2000-01 season Staley, with no prior experience, was hired as head coach at Temple. This would prove to be quite successful, for the next 7 seasons Temple had only one losing record, the Owls played in the post-season 6 of the 7. With a 172-80 plus 99-25 won-loss record at Temple the University of South Carolina came calling when they had a coaching opening.

It took Staley two seasons to turn the program around and make South Carolina a perennial winner. From the 2011-12 season onward South Carolina has never experienced a losing record, 7 of those seasons Staley’s team won 30+ games. South Carolina won the NCAA championship in 2017, 2022 and 2024. South Carolina has won 440 games and 199 conference games. Her bio details her words to live by, “The disciplined person can do anything.” It should be of note, all five starters from last year’s South Carolina team were replaced yet Staley was able to mold the holdovers and newcomers into NCAA championship winners. This is but a thumbnail sketch of Staley’s accomplishments, her international record is omitted but strictly for lack of space.