RIP Bobby Knight

Knight of course was a big disciple of Woody Hayes, whose coaching style was quite similar.

The fire breathing dictator coaching style has always been popular; feeds fans' dictator fantasies, along with revenge subtexts of pampered egotistical superstar jocks (frequently uppity ones) getting put in their places.

 

First I've heard of this. Good for Roy. Good for the kids in Chapel Hill.

 

So ... is he going to be buried upside down, so the whole world – and plenty on this board who have no use for him – can kiss his a_s?

RIP to a complex, flawed man. To his credit, I know he helped a lot of his former players out after they had played for him in Bloomington. Doesn't make him a saint, but - like many of his world viewpoint - wasn't terribly interested in having the world laud him as a result.

 

I think Knight cared what people thought about him. He used his acolytes in the the press very skillfully. He certainly worked Bob Hamill very carefully but also had some other guys like Billy Reed that served as his PR staff.

 

The prevailing sentiment among the IU diehards that are family and friends of mine seems to be that Woodson views himself as a caretaker there to right the ship, and that he will hand the reins off relatively soon once he feels that's accomplished. I have no idea the accuracy of it. I just know that I've heard that same idea from several IU fans. And none of them know each other as far as I'm aware.

 

Bird came out before recruiting services gave stars. But he would not have been considered a five star. He was not a Mr. Indiana Basketball in high school. He was basically just a recruit to fill out the roster. I wonder if he had been more highly regarded his departure would have been met with the same indifference.

 

Well, the idea was that Dane Fife would come back as lead assistant and successor. Fife was gone after a year.

I don't think Woodson really knows at this stage. He inherited Trayce Jackson-Davis and was able to improve the team over what Archie had put on the floor.

Woodson also a "Knight" guy and a link to the glory days. It has been 40 years since I left IU but I suspect the culture in Bloomington is very insular and very respectful of the past (that applies to many more areas than the basketball program.)

So I think so far Woodson has had a good time and he is making a lot of money, But with Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifinio gone I wonder how good this year's team will be. If the program regresses I think Woodson might start think about his retirement.

 

Who knew this would be the last one.

 

Keith Smart hitting that shot was both the end of an era the beginning of a new age for Knight and IU. Smart was a juco transfer and the the first class of junior college transfers Knight accepted. The recruiting was already starting to slip at IU by 1987, During the rest of Knight's tenure the Hoosiers did not recruit as well. While the teams were still good they were not as dominant and IU only went to one more Final Four.

 

Several years ago I had a chance to do a lot of research on Bird's high school career and from what I could tell him not being Mr. Basketball or not thought of as a top recruit was solely the fault of the media folks who liked to ignore the happenings in southern Indiana or didn't think the ball was as good (and overall of course it couldn't compare with the Andersons and New Castles, etc.). He averaged 30 and 20 as a senior and was already known for his passing as well and a sportswriter in Jasper named Jerry Birge spent the entire season telling his media cohorts that there wasn't a better player in the entire state. Then the AP released its all-state team and named 15 players and Bird wasn't one of them and Birge was absolutely dumbfounded and said it was ludicrous.

I talked with a prep coaching legend named Norm Held who said Bird was co-Mr. Basketball but should have won it by himself. Actually no. There were co-winners but Bird wasn't one of them! So I think folks in Indiana started thinking Bird got more accolades than he did once he became LARRY BIRD.

It is fun to think about Bird with that '76 team. Not that they could have somehow been even better (and gone more undefeated or something?) but with his passing and shooting...

And one more minor Bird prep tidbit: In a big game his senior year he scored in the wrong basket but it was disallowed because he had, luckily, traveled right before it.

 

That's generally true, but they were awfully good in 92 and 93 - the Final Four loss to Duke in 92, and in 93 they were 17-1 in what was a very strong Big Ten and probably had a chance to win it all if Alan Henderson doesn't hurt his knee.

 

Knight was fine basketball mind and a tremendous jackass.

Another handsy, tyrannical Big 10 sports lunatic - think Woody Hayes - I wouldn't want within a mile of my children.

It says a lot more about us than it does about him that we tolerate head cases like this, and put them in charge of our children's afterschool activities.