Coach K adds to long run of Madness memories
- col-aaron-dorksen
- March 31, 2022
- 1049
A few thoughts from the week in sports …
Some of my favorite moments as a sports fan have occurred following the NCAA Div. I men’s basketball tournament.
It’s great for many reasons: The 64-team format provides lots of games, even small colleges have a legitimate chance and the win-or-go-home format generates an incredible array of emotions for players, coaches and fans.
I’ll always remember iconic moments such as Grant Hill’s pass and Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater shot when Duke stunned Kentucky in 1992, Villanova upsetting Georgetown in 1985 and, of course, Jimmy Valvano and his NC State team shocking Houston, aka “Phi Slamma Jamma,” in 1983.
Local legend Bob Knight from Orrville was must-see TV leading Indiana (see Keith Smart game-winner in 1987 title game) and later Texas Tech.
I wasn’t yet into playing or watching basketball for Magic vs. Bird in 1979 or Knight’s first two title teams at Indiana (1976, 1981) but obviously have heard lots about those teams in the years since.
It’s always been extra special to watch the NCAA Tournament if there’s an Ohio connection such as a really good Ohio State team or a Kent State run.
I’d put Cleveland State’s 1986 Sweet 16 trip among my best fan memories in any sport growing up. Some friends and I went to watch two regular-season CSU games that season, becoming big fans of “Mouse” McFadden & Co. We then watched on TV as the Vikings upset Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers and became the first 14th seed to reach the 16 before losing a heartbreaker to David Robinson and Navy, 71-70.
In recent years I haven’t followed March Madness closely, but a couple of Ohio story lines — actually, with Wooster ties — and coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last run at Duke brought me back.
I’m sure glad to have made the time to watch — this has been one of the best NCAA Tournaments ever.
My family didn’t know anything about Chattanooga or Lamont Paris, but after I told them he had played for The College of Wooster in the 1990s, we rooted them on against Illinois.
The Mocs dropped a 54-53 first-round heartbreaker, but Paris was rewarded soon after with a contract to coach South Carolina.
Eric Musselman, son of former Wooster High late great Bill Musselman, led Arkansas on a second straight Elite 8 trip before the Razorbacks were defeated by Duke. Eric coaches with a lot of the same traits — creativity, passion and great intensity — that his dad did at a variety of college and pro stops before dying at age 59 from a rare disease in 2000.
The most fun team to watch this tournament has been St. Peter’s (New Jersey), which pulled off an 85-79 first-round shocker over Kentucky. The Peacocks then proceeded to top Murray State and Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite 8. The Peacocks’ standout guard Doug Edert, who I dubbed “Mustache Man,” looks like he was recruited out of a local slowpitch softball league. He proves you can’t always judge a book by its cover.
North Carolina finally ended the dance for St. Peter’s in the Elite 8.
The eighth-seeded Tar Heels will battle archrival No. 2 Duke in the Final Four while No. 2 Villanova will face No. 1 Kansas.
Coach K’s last run
What can you say about Coach K, except call him the GOAT among college basketball coaches?
Coach K’s longevity is amazing, and so is his ability to adapt as the decades have come and gone. The 75-year-old is the all-time winningest Div. I coach with 1,202 victories including an incredible 101 in the NCAA Tournament. He’s in a record 13th Final Four and trying for his sixth national title.
Understandably, Duke media coverage centers around Coach K, but every time he tries to bring it back to his players.
“This is not about me; it’s about these kids. I’m riding their bus,” he said after the Elite 8 win.
Here’s hoping the Final Four can live up to how good the tournament has been up to this point.
Remembering two Wooster greats
I appreciate when readers contact me and recently had a good phone conversation with Wooster resident Dave Gallapoo.
Gallapoo, who’s 89 years young, told me people should stop and remember former Wooster greats Jim Byrd and Don Balloon, who both passed away within the past year in Florida. I agree.
Byrd died on July 24, 2021, at age 92. A celebration of life for him will be held at 1 p.m. May 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Wooster. In attendance will be Jim’s wife Pat. son Doug, and daughters Kari and Leeanne.
Byrd was a biology teacher at Wooster High School for 32 years and also coached boys and girls basketball over a 20-year period.
“If you talked to people who had Jim as a teacher during his 30-some years as a teacher, I bet he’d be at the top of the list or in the top-three favorites for just about everyone,” said Gallapoo, who also coached and taught at WHS before going into business. “He was just a really inspiring, good guy.”
About five decades ago, Byrd compiled “A History of Wooster High School Basketball 1904-1973.” It’s a guide chock full of information and photos. Byrd led the Generals boys to a 53-45 record from 1955-58 and 71-73.
Gallapoo compiled a 95-69 coaching record from 1958-65. That included coaching area legend Mac Petty, who went on to a great coaching career at Wabash College, and multi-sport standout Balloon.
Balloon passed away at age 75 on Feb. 24 from COVID complications. He graduated in 1964 from WHS after earning a combined 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and track. He earned a track scholarship to Ohio University.
“Don was an outstanding all-around athlete,” Gallapoo said. “He was a halfback in football, one of our leading scorers when I coached him in basketball and an outstanding runner in track.”
Not only did the Wooster High Hall of Famers Byrd and Balloon become successful coaches and businessmen as adults, they also were both devoted family men until the end.
Kudos to Byrd and Balloon on leaving a legacy that’s still remembered by Gallapoo and many others in Wooster after all these years.
Aaron Dorksen can be emailed at aarondorksen24@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronDorksen.