Who's the best of our coaches?

[NovaCats11]

I really wouldn't count the NIT teams from 75 on. 1975 was the first tournament where more than 1 team per conference was allowed in the tournament. So like especially for DePaul in '83- there's no way to say that was special. PC in '75 maybe a bit more impressive just because that was the 1st time ever. But by 1983 with 52 teams if you were good you were getting into the tournament.

The NIT's downfall began with the 1951 point shaving scandal. It didn't happen overnight, but I'd say the NCAA tournament had surpassed it by the early or mid 1960's. 1975 I believe was the year David Thompson called the NIT the "loser's tournament".

Incidentally, legend has it our own St Johns was neck deep in that point shaving mess, and it took the intervention of Cardinal Spellman with the New York DA at the time to save the Johnnies from following CCNY and NYU into college hoops oblivion.

[MUBoxer]

Ok I just assumed the NIT became bad when the tournament went to 64. Didn't know there was a 50 team time. But to me making the NIT finals is proof that you make the best of a bad situation.

[jays911]

Creighton's most storied history goes back to the 40s and earlier. But read that Red McManus story. Red was a friend of mine. Not many teams beat a Wooden and UCLA in their prime, much less when it was the third game in three days. Just sayin'.

[Wizard of Westroads]

Sorry for turning this into a Creighton thread, but . . . CU had two HOF coaches, A.A. Schabinger and Eddie Hickey in the '30s and '40s. Hickey got the team to a No. 1 ranking and is credited with popularizing the fast break and the matchup zone. His teams were scoring machines (McDermott's great grandfather didn't play) back when 29-28 games were common. He later coached at SLU (won an NIT title) and Marquette. Would have to be considered CU's best, even if it is ancient history.

[FDS]

With all due respect to Brad Stevens, the Butler icon is and always will be Paul D. 'Tony" Hinkle. He coached at Butler for half a century, coaching baseball, basketball and football.

Hinkle is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the NACDA Hall of Fame and the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame.

Overall Record for Coach Hinkle
165–99–13 (football)
560–392 (basketball)
335–309–3 (baseball)

You left out the fact that he invented the "orange" basketball.

[MUBoxer]

Sorry for turning this into a Creighton thread, but . . . CU had two HOF coaches, A.A. Schabinger and Eddie Hickey in the '30s and '40s. Hickey got the team to a No. 1 ranking and is credited with popularizing the fast break and the matchup zone. His teams were scoring machines (McDermott's great grandfather didn't play) back when 29-28 games were common. He later coached at SLU (won an NIT title) and Marquette. Would have to be considered CU's best, even if it is ancient history.

Where do you see the no1 ranking? And I figured that Xavier or Creighton fans would be upset I couldn't decide on a coach and would hijack the thread.

http://collegepollarchive.com/mbasketba ... u0qLfYijfM

[TrueBlueJay]

CU obviously doesn't have the pedigree of coaches that many of the BE schools have, however CU did finish third in the 1942 NIT tournament, which was generally regarded with higher esteem than the NCAA tourney back then. They also were one of 8 to participate again in 43.

http://houstonsportsteams.com/spalm/NIT1942.html

[ChelseaFriar]

For PC, probably Joe Mullaney (credited by some with creating the match up zone) and Dave Gavitt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Mullaney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Gavitt

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm

[MUBoxer]

I'm not sure anybody understood what I was trying to ask in this thread...

[Loynograd98]

Sorry for turning this into a Creighton thread, but . . . CU had two HOF coaches, A.A. Schabinger and Eddie Hickey in the '30s and '40s. Hickey got the team to a No. 1 ranking and is credited with popularizing the fast break and the matchup zone. His teams were scoring machines (McDermott's great grandfather didn't play) back when 29-28 games were common. He later coached at SLU (won an NIT title) and Marquette. Would have to be considered CU's best, even if it is ancient history.

Where do you see the no1 ranking? And I figured that Xavier or Creighton fans would be upset I couldn't decide on a coach and would hijack the thread.

http://collegepollarchive.com/mbasketba ... u0qLfYijfM

Creighton's #1 ranking was in early 40s and it predated the AP Poll. I believe it was in the Dunkel rating/ index and Creighton didn't finish #1.