After 40 years of coaching college basketball, the last 26 at Connecticut, Jim Calhoun is announcing his retirement on Sports Center, even as we type. He won 3 national championships and groomed countless NBA players, including Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie, who will succeed him as UConn head coach. Calhoun is also leaving a Huskie program that is banned from post-season play for 2012-13 because of poor academics. I think Jim Boeheim may follow Calhoun into retirement after the upcoming season.
Not only is he responsible for the NCAA sanctions which will wipe Conn off the map for the next 5 years but last year his coaching was as bad as it gets. He had the returning NCAA championship team except for Kemba and added Andre Drumone. Drumone and Lamb would go on to be top 12 NBA draft picks but with all that talent Conn struggle to beat anyone.
On talent alone Conn was a final four team-Calhoun just could not figure out how to get these guys to play together.
But I will give him credit for beating Duke's most talented team in the NCAA finals. He put together a double on Elton Brand that Duke never could solve and Conn with one great player and a bunch of average players beat a Duke that went undefeated in the ACC and dominated opponents.
that was beaten by Calhoun and UConn in the NCAA finals was its most talented ever-There were 5 guys that played-some very briefly-in the NBA-Brand, William Avery, Corey Maggette, Trajan Langdon and Shane Battier-Sadly, I was there and saw it all. I have to blame Coach K for this one-and though I love the guy, he's blown some before-In the last minute, K had Langdon bring up the ball with chances to go ahead and win not once, but twice-and UConn's best defender took it away from him both times-''Tragic'' Langdon, as I've referred to him ever since, was a great spot up shooter but certainly not a ball handler-Avery. wjp was lightning quick, should have brought it up and the outcome easily could have been different-K was 'going with his senior' but was asking him to do something he was ill prepared to do-It was the most disappointing defeat given the power and talent that I've had in over 50 years as a Duke fan. That was ''one that got away.'' But I'll look forward to more titles....as soon as we get rid of the Plumlees...smile But kudos to Calhoun, who I wish the best. Have a great weekend. 1rob.....out
been given the ball. Although Trajan was a great spot up shooter, he did not have a penetration game nor quickness like Avery.
Avery in fact had a tremendous freshman year and would have been a star had he not rushed to go pro where he was soon out of the league. Still remember the Arizona game at the beginning of the year where Duke beat Mike Bibby and returning starting five. Wojo outplayed Bibby for that one game. (sign).
Obviously, great minds travel in small circles--smile. Avery, who was a great ball handler, could easily have gotten the ball up the floor, penetrated and if he didn't have the shot as UCONN would have collapsed on him, could have tossed out for the 3 and Duke had some great shooters, especially Langdon. Duke went into the game with one close loss and I think if the teams had played 10 times, Duke would have won 9. Calhoun had studied them for several weeks before the game and had a great plan; K was clearly outcoached in this one. Have a great week-
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