Lute Olson retiring

[fustercluck]

Twas a sad day in Tucson. Lute was a great coach and a class act all the way. Although not a huge shocker that he retired.

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

Olson produces many great NBA players. Off the top of my head: Steve Kerr, Sean Elliot, Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Jason Terry, and Andre Iguodala.

In 34 seasons he compiled a 781-280 record

Led Arizona to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons

Arizona's 24 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances under Lute Olson is the longest current streak in college basketball and is second longest in NCAA history (behind North Carolina's 27)

All very impressive.

Now the question is, who will coach the team this year? I'm hoping to see a big name fall into place. Anyone wanna throw some possible coaches into the mix? Even though the team is pretty depleted this year, Arizona is a prime coaching position.

 

[zinfamous]

He beat fucking UNC.

I'll give him 10 :beer:s for that. I remember that day, watching with my UNC-loving neighbors, Wallace and Jamison kissing the floor.

props to Lute

:beer:

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

Well for starters, they were the only team to beat 3 number 1 seeds since the tournament went to 64.

Punks, indeed.




P.S. A 64 team tournament is tougher, since each team plays more games, right?

 

[daveymark]

a sad day

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

I was just guessing (I said "I think"), not comparing anyone.

 

[Sukhoi]

A class act? rofl

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: feralkid

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

Well for starters, they were the only team to beat 3 number 1 seeds since the tournament went to 64.

Punks, indeed.




P.S. A 64 team tournament is tougher, since each team plays more games, right?

Not necessarily. The talent is more diluted: more scrubs allowed in to the big dance. back when it was 32, and even 16 teams, only the best of the best were allowed to participate. No "gimmie" opening weekend games.

Games are only 2/week anyway....so it's not that exhaustion would be a factor. Tougher than the NCAA is the week before: conference tournaments, where the eventual champion does play up to 4 games back-to-back.

Arizona was great and fun to watch that year, no doubt. Just remember that the Cardiac pack not only beat the top 2 teams in that tournament (Phi Slamma Jamma AND Ralph Sampson's UVA), they had to beat UVA and UNC in the ACC the week before just to qualify for the tournament....

Go further back to when only 16 teams were allowed--ONLY the conference champions. So many great teams never got to participate as they do today. I'd even advocate giving UCLA a big fat * next to their string of championships; as they had no conference tournament (even the Wiz of Westwood railed against the idea complaining that it would exhaust his poor Bruins too much in preparation of the tournament), and were thus the only team that never had to qualify.

....what if the supposed "greatest dynasty in sports" was actually put through the high standards that every other program in their class had to endure? ...why did they get the freebie?

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: wankawitz

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

I was just guessing (I said "I think"), not comparing anyone.

I know. Just messing.

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: wankawitz

The greatest month I enjoyed in sports was when Arizona won the national championship in 97, beating all 3 number 1 seeds (I think Zona was a number 8 seed that year). One of the best runs in sports history.

FYI: Arizona was a #4 seed. (out of 4 x 16 seed) How dare you try to compare those punks to the 1983 #6 seed Wolfpack!! (in an 8-seed tournament) :|:|:|

I was just guessing (I said "I think"), not comparing anyone.

I know. Just messing.

I guess the 3 mad smileys should of tipped me off.

Still haven't heard any names for the coaching position. Doesn't sound like the interim head coach is too thrilled about being the head coach. Would like to have got Mike Montgomery but he's coaching Cal now. He's a great college coach.

 

[PepePeru]

hmm.
shitty timing to announce your retirement to try and get a new HC with the b-ball season kicking off in ~1 month.

seems like a good way to kind of screw your team over.

BOBBY KNIGHT'S COMING TO ARIZONA.

get ready!

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: G Wizard
hmm.
shitty timing to announce your retirement to try and get a new HC with the b-ball season kicking off in ~1 month.

seems like a good way to kind of screw your team over.

BOBBY KNIGHT'S COMING TO ARIZONA.

get ready!

Hell yeah, I'd be up for that - What is Knight's current status though? Wikipedia and yahoo sports told me nothing.

 

[PepePeru]

Originally posted by: wankawitz

Originally posted by: G Wizard
hmm.
shitty timing to announce your retirement to try and get a new HC with the b-ball season kicking off in ~1 month.

seems like a good way to kind of screw your team over.

BOBBY KNIGHT'S COMING TO ARIZONA.

get ready!

Hell yeah, I'd be up for that - What is Knight's current status though? Wikipedia and yahoo sports told me nothing.

he's an analyst for ESPN...one of the networks.
his son took over for him at Texas Tech.

 

[IronWing]

Now if we can just get the rest of the over-the-hill, divorced, white-haired guys in Arizona to throw in the towel.