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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2021 17:20:44 GMT -6
Nov. 26, 1978, the Southern Illinoisan did a feature to accompany the game story of the first UE team following the plane crash. The Aces only trailed by 1 at halftime before losing to the Salooks. After an 0-5 start, a win over Murray and an overall 13-16 record. Biggest win was 74-59 over Xavier in the bandbox Schmitt Fieldhouse in Cincy. Gradual improvement under Dick Walters.  The 1982 team won the MW Cities title and made the NCAA tournament, losing to Marquette 67-62 in Tulsa.   |
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Post by E-Villan on Dec 11, 2021 23:45:34 GMT -6
I've said it many times, but Dick Walters has never been given the credit he deserves for the rebuild he did. From absolutely nothing to a NCAA game in 4 years is remarkable.
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Post by austinace on Dec 11, 2021 23:58:20 GMT -6
I've said it many times, but Dick Walters has never been given the credit he deserves for the rebuild he did. From absolutely nothing to a NCAA game in 4 years is remarkable. I agree; however, I will point out that the NCAA gave Evansville an exception to the rule where transfers had to sit out a year. So that obviously helped. But even with that transfer exception, I agree it was a remarkable feat. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 10:48:39 GMT -6
Beaven's book We Shall Rise does a nice job of tracking Walters during the rebuild. Walters was shrewd, persistent and opportunistic. The sudden end to his coaching career is something of a story in itself. I have an interest in reading that again. I recall meeting Walters the summer before he went to Evansville and he impressed me as somebody who knew who to call, when to call them and what to do with what he learned. It was either the singularly most brillant hire Wallace Graves ever made or one that Walters fully grasped and harvested.
The NCAA waiving the transfers was a help, but Walters knew which kids he could get -- the ones who had everything to gain by transferring. If the transfer portal had existed then, Walters would be pushing Coach K for immortality.
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Post by E-Villan on Dec 12, 2021 10:49:53 GMT -6
I've said it many times, but Dick Walters has never been given the credit he deserves for the rebuild he did. From absolutely nothing to a NCAA game in 4 years is remarkable. I agree; however, I will point out that the NCAA gave Evansville an exception to the rule where transfers had to sit out a year. So that obviously helped. But even with that transfer exception, I agree it was a remarkable feat. That helped the team get competitive out of the gate, but that NCAA team was led by seniors who had spent all 4 years under Walters here, Brad Leaf, Theren Bullock, and Eric Harris. That rule is gone now. Do you see Lickliter fighting for a NCAA berth next season? Walters had an ego, and it rubbed some the wrong way, but you never heard him making excuses. He was always quoted with confidence and expectations. Far cry from the excuse makers we have had over the last decade. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2021 11:02:25 GMT -6
I agree; however, I will point out that the NCAA gave Evansville an exception to the rule where transfers had to sit out a year. So that obviously helped. But even with that transfer exception, I agree it was a remarkable feat. That helped the team get competitive out of the gate, but that NCAA team was led by seniors who had spent all 4 years under Walters here, Brad Leaf, Theren Bullock, and Eric Harris. That rule is gone now. Do you see Lickliter fighting for a NCAA berth next season? Walters had an ego, and it rubbed some the wrong way, but you never heard him making excuses. He was always quoted with confidence and expectations. Far cry from the excuse makers we have had over the last decade. Walters was a consummate recruiter in an era when that wasn't THE way to win at basketball. Obviously, he had a unique chance and didn't blow it. I don't know where he learned it, but the only other guy at the time who pushed recruiting over coaching was Al McGuire. Arguably the legends of the time recruited but nobody said Wooden or Rupp had to work at it. Walters knew he could win if he put some effort into it. Nobody took him seriously, and he was up-front with reporters when asked how he did it. The Aces took themselves seriously and the players Walters brought in were perfect for the time. I agree his reputation has stained his achievements, but that's not something we aren't learning about today as we re-arrange the way we look at our heroes and villains. Not trying to get tooo-toooo SJW on that issue. Even the good guys have a skeleton hiding somewhere. Having Lick in place to hold service has stabilized the university's reputation, which probably is all Kazee wanted out of it. I guess, though, my advice would be -- in tough times, you get tougher, not tamer. |
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