Countdown 2 Craziness?

[devildeac]

I like Lefty (now) and share your pride, but I chuckle at the thought of Lefty and his brain getting credit in a public Duke forum. While he was coaching, he took a lot of hits for being, shall we say, "not bright"...the faux fuel tank indicators permanently set to "E" (Empty) attached to some crazies' bald heads was a clear statement of conventional wisdom regarding his intelligence!

The reference:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-...67--ncaab.html

The quote:


"The Lefty Driesell scullcaps: Since longtime Maryland coach Lefty Driesell was nearly bald, Duke students used to mimic his likeness by attending games against the Terps clad in skullcaps. What made the gag fun was Driesell would inevitably poke fun right back at the Cameron Crazies. One year Driesell showed up wearing a wig. Another year he rubbed the "bald" head of a Duke student behind his bench for good luck. When a Duke student asked Driesell to sign his skullcap, Driesell, a Duke alum, famously signed only an X. Said Driesell afterward, "I told 'em that since I went to Duke, I never learned to write."

[plimnko]

i always found it funny when lefty would stand up and feign combing his hair.

[sagegrouse]

I like Lefty (now) and share your pride, but I chuckle at the thought of Lefty and his brain getting credit in a public Duke forum. While he was coaching, he took a lot of hits for being, shall we say, "not bright"...the faux fuel tank indicators permanently set to "E" (Empty) attached to some crazies' bald heads was a clear statement of conventional wisdom regarding his intelligence!

Don't under-rate the Lefthander. Here's his career track:

Granby HS JV (after giving up a good job elsewhere following graduation from Duke in '54)
Granby HS
Newport News HS, 1957-1960 (57-game winning streak)
Davidson College, 1960-69 (Davidson was a below-average SoCon team, not having a winning record in the previous ten seasons; he coached ten years there and only had one losing season [his first]; in his third year he beat Duke [with Heyman and Mullins]; he lost close games to UNC in the NCAA Elite Eight in '68 and '69)
Maryland, 1969-1986 (made Maryland a nationally ranked program, while never really dominating the ACC; won only one ACC championship and never made a Final Four)

Lefty would have coached Maryland for his entire career if he hadn't panicked after Len Bias tragically died from a cocaine overdose. Lefty, who had no involvement or responsibility in the drug incident, sent his assistants over to Bias's dorm to check for (and get rid of) evidence. No, Lefty! Call the police and offer to help. It's not the only time a head coach thought he had god-like powers. In the aftermath, he was dismissed as Head Coach.

He later coached successfully at JMU and Georgia State, making the NCAA'S with both teams. He reached the NCAA tournament as coach at four different colleges and is the only coach to have 100 wins at four different schools.

[Bostondevil]

The Lefty quote I always use, "Ain't no flies on Duke."

[Olympic Fan]

I like Lefty (now) and share your pride, but I chuckle at the thought of Lefty and his brain getting credit in a public Duke forum. While he was coaching, he took a lot of hits for being, shall we say, "not bright"...the faux fuel tank indicators permanently set to "E" (Empty) attached to some crazies' bald heads was a clear statement of conventional wisdom regarding his intelligence!

The big knock on Lefty's intelligence actually happened at a Duke-Maryland game. I believe it was in 1973, when a terrible Duke team upset No. 3 ranked Maryland (with McMillen, Elmore and Lucas) as Gary Melchionni had the game of his life and Bucky Waters threw the "Mongoose" offense at them.

Late in the game, Duke is up three and Maryland scores to cut it to one (no 3-point basket in those days). Lefty jumps off the bench and calls a timeout that Maryland didn't have. Technical foul -- Duke shoots a free throw and keeps the ball. On the inbounds, Duke is fouled, makes two free throws and wins 85-81.

Afterwards, Lefty was crucified for calling a timeout that he didn't have. He defended the move and uttered the words that a generation of ACC sports writers would use to mock him: "Ah, kin coach!"

But you know what, Lefty was right. In those days, the clock didn't stop after made baskets in the final minute (that rulr was changed before the 1993-94 season). Had Lefty not called his illegal timeout, Duke would have never inbounded the ball, the clock would have run out and Duke would have won. His illegal timeout was the only a chance Maryland had -- a slim one, yes, but at least a chance.

Lefty could coach.

[TerpsInACC]

I miss Coaches like Lefty Driesell as he had charisma but also joked back when the Cameron Crazies gave him a hard time. I remember he would be outraged in the 1970s and early 1980s when UNC (did people call them UNCheat back then?) would go into their "four corners" and Phil Ford had no attention of having the Heels score to stall out the clock. I feel the shot clock happened because of Dean Smith's four corners stall tactics. We are going from a 35 second shot clock last year to 30 seconds this year which should increase the offense.

[Olympic Fan]

I miss Coaches like Lefty Driesell as he had charisma but also joked back when the Cameron Crazies gave him a hard time. I remember he would be outraged in the 1970s and early 1980s when UNC (did people call them UNCheat back then?) would go into their "four corners" and Phil Ford had no attention of having the Heels score to stall out the clock. I feel the shot clock happened because of Dean Smith's four corners stall tactics. We are going from a 35 second shot clock last year to 30 seconds this year which should increase the offense.

Except the last time we reduced the shot clock (from 45 to 35 seconds), scoring actually went down.

[OldPhiKap]

Except the last time we reduced the shot clock (from 45 to 35 seconds), scoring actually went down.

Exactly. If you can't get a good shot in 35 seconds, all this means is that you take a bad shot sooner.

I think the biggest statistical difference will be in rebounds, which should go up.

As for Lefty, he was a great coach and a true character. Not sure they make 'em like that anymore.

[tux]

Exactly. If you can't get a good shot in 35 seconds, all this means is that you take a bad shot sooner.

I think the biggest statistical difference will be in rebounds, which should go up.

Obviously, the number of possessions will go up, which is what folks point to in terms of generating more offense. The problem is that the shorter clock actually helps the defense and puts more pressure on the offense to create a good shot out of their primary and secondary actions/sets. (Less time to reset the offense when something doesn't work.)

One consequence may be reduced variability in offensive styles, as some systems will become less practical especially if we're headed toward a 24-second shot clock...

[rsvman]

Agree with the others that the 30-second clock is unlikely to lead to higher scoring games. IMO if it does anything, it will make the game less interesting. I feel that 35 or even 40 seconds is about the right amount of time for a shot clock in college basketball. I hope they quit trying to make the college game be the pro game. I'd like to keep them separate if at all possible.


As for the actual topic of the thread, I've never been to craziness or any midnight madness event. I think it would be fun. This year's even is likely to be really great, what with the banner unveiling and all...

[wsb3]

I like Lefty (now) and share your pride, but I chuckle at the thought of Lefty and his brain getting credit in a public Duke forum. While he was coaching, he took a lot of hits for being, shall we say, "not bright"...the faux fuel tank indicators permanently set to "E" (Empty) attached to some crazies' bald heads was a clear statement of conventional wisdom regarding his intelligence!

Didn't he sign some of the posters you speak of once for Duke fans? I can't prove it but it seems I recall that being said by one of the announcers during a Duke Maryland game..

[devildeac]

Didn't he sign some of the posters you speak of once for Duke fans? I can't prove it but it seems I recall that being said by one of the announcers during a Duke Maryland game..

Please see post #21 above.

[Olympic Fan]

I think over the years, Driesell and Valvano were the two visiting coaches who most embraced the Crazies.

Dean and Norm Sloan were the two who bristled the most.

It was funny, the Crazies used to torture Sloan. One of the best stunts ever was when a male student in drag went out to sing the national anthem as Mrs. Norman Sloan (the real Mrs. Sloan used to sing the anthem before State games in Reynolds). Norm -- long known as Stormin' Norman -- went ballistic. But everything the Crazies did made him ballistic.

Then he was gone and they tried the same things with Valvano -- and he loved it. He used to go up in the stands and join them.

The contrast couldn't have been more pronounced.

Dean, of course, was always holier than thou, always complaining crude behavior -- about the "JR can't Reid" signs or the "Hey, Jeff, have you driven a Ford lately?" sign.

I wish we had known then what we know now -- that underneath the image, he started the worst academic scandal in NCAA history.

[wsb3]

Please see post #21 above.

I missed that..Thank you..

[rocketeli]

The big knock on Lefty's intelligence actually happened at a Duke-Maryland game. I believe it was in 1973, when a terrible Duke team upset No. 3 ranked Maryland (with McMillen, Elmore and Lucas) as Gary Melchionni had the game of his life and Bucky Waters threw the "Mongoose" offense at them.

Late in the game, Duke is up three and Maryland scores to cut it to one (no 3-point basket in those days). Lefty jumps off the bench and calls a timeout that Maryland didn't have. Technical foul -- Duke shoots a free throw and keeps the ball. On the inbounds, Duke is fouled, makes two free throws and wins 85-81.

Afterwards, Lefty was crucified for calling a timeout that he didn't have. He defended the move and uttered the words that a generation of ACC sports writers would use to mock him: "Ah, kin coach!"

But you know what, Lefty was right. In those days, the clock didn't stop after made baskets in the final minute (that rulr was changed before the 1993-94 season). Had Lefty not called his illegal timeout, Duke would have never inbounded the ball, the clock would have run out and Duke would have won. His illegal timeout was the only a chance Maryland had -- a slim one, yes, but at least a chance.

Lefty could coach.

I hate to show my age, but IIRC in 1973 the clock stopped after every made basket.

[Pghdukie]

Gary Williams can be added into the equation also. He tried to be a nice guy and play along, but inside he hated the CC's

[-jk]

I hate to show my age, but IIRC in 1973 the clock stopped after every made basket.

Wasn't that '72 in Munich?

-jk

[devildeac]

I think over the years, Driesell and Valvano were the two visiting coaches who most embraced the Crazies.

Dean and Norm Sloan were the two who bristled the most.

It was funny, the Crazies used to torture Sloan. One of the best stunts ever was when a male student in drag went out to sing the national anthem as Mrs. Norman Sloan (the real Mrs. Sloan used to sing the anthem before State games in Reynolds). Norm -- long known as Stormin' Norman -- went ballistic. But everything the Crazies did made him ballistic.

Then he was gone and they tried the same things with Valvano -- and he loved it. He used to go up in the stands and join them.

The contrast couldn't have been more pronounced.

Dean, of course, was always holier than thou, always complaining crude behavior -- about the "JR can't Reid" signs or the "Hey, Jeff, have you driven a Ford lately?" sign.

I wish we had known then what we know now -- that underneath the image, he started the worst academic scandal in NCAA history.

Yes, he (most likely) started the worst academic scandal in NCAA history, but let's give the guy some positive credit, too. As I snarkily (no, not me) suggested upthread that he must have had some hand in starting Midnight Madness, brevity replied to me privately (and with great wit, of course ) something to the detriment/detraction of Naismith and with the admiration/edification (cough) of the fact (cough, cough) that Dean Smith (must have) invented basketball.

[devildeac]

Wasn't that '72 in Munich?

-jk

That was only after every missed basket/time-out/in-bounds play.

[OldPhiKap]

30 second shot clock will also mean more fouls on late drives, which means more delays, which means the game goes longer . . . .