College Basketball Update
There he was, atop the shoulders of his players after one of college basketball’s greatest upsets.
That’s the iconic portrait of Rollie Massimino, who coached Villanova to the 1985 men’s championship with a stunning 66-64 upset of heavily-favored Georgetown.
“This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me,” Massimino said after the game.
Massimino, 82, died Wednesday of cancer in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was still employed as a coach – at NAIA level Keiser University. His last few days were spent in hospice care, however, not on a basketball court.
Earlier in the week, the basketball world lost Jud Heathcote. He drove Michigan State (with more than a little help from Magic Johnson) to the men’s championship in 1979. That epic title match, won 75-64 by the Spartans, also featured Indiana State and a fellow named Larry Bird. Heathcote was 90.
Massimino spent 19 years at Villanova; Heathcote coached Michigan State for the same number. Massimino employed a bright, young mind at his summer camps during the 1980s, and that’s how Jay Wright came to eventually follow him – replacing Steve Lappas in 2001 as the Wildcats’ coach. Heathcote hired a part-time assistant named Tom Izzo, who took over for him. Each of those students later won a national title.
The beauty of Massimino’s championship was its efficiency. The Wildcats shot 79 percent from the field, hitting 22 of 28 field goal attempts. Imagine, six missed shots against a Georgetown defense anchored in the middle by Patrick Ewing, now Georgetown’s coach.
Massimino collected more than 800 victories and was at Keiser, working almost in obscurity, for the last 11 years. Heathcote retired in 1995 and his program has remained a national power under Izzo.
They were loved by their players and they groomed capable assistants to carry on their life’s work.
They will be missed. Remembered fondly and terribly missed.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
-
Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season. The Big 12...
-
Robert Kraft wants to re-sign Brady just long enough that he can retire as a Patriot. Earlier this week,...
-
The skilled third-baseman will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is one of the most skilled and recognized third-basemen...
-
Brady’s 23rd football season has ended. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys went head-to-head for...
-
Smith has been fired after one season with the team. Over the weekend, the owners of the Houston Texans...
-
Pelé passed due to complications related to colon cancer. On Thursday night, the sporting world received unfortunate news: Pelé,...
-
His return heralded a victory over the Phoenix Suns. On Sunday, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas needed to take...
-
Mayfield will be available on waiver to other NFL teams. After an underwhelming performance in his current role as...
-
Mike White led the team to a decisive victory over the Bears over the weekend. On Saturday, the New...
-
The game has been moved out of New York due to an encroaching snowstorm. This weekend, the Buffalo Bills...
-
Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else. Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in...
-
The Bears got Claypool in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut a deal...