Saluki Sports Update
Hail to Villanova’s Wildcats. Hail to their coach Jay Wright.
And, don’t forget their so-called sixth man, Donte DiVincenzo.
College basketball fans might as well get acquainted with the NCAA’s splendid new champions. They’re likely to retain their title next year.
Perhaps it’s just because of our advanced age, but we don’t recall a year when the new college champion was so dominating.
Villanova rules over the college basketball game and left no doubt about its program.
Fans enjoyed this year’s tournament. It had a few highlights that not all previous tournaments have offered.
Particularly for Missouri Valley Conference fans who became temporary Loyola supporters. It simply was an enjoyable few weeks.
Of course, while all the banging, long-range shooting and superb defensive play was taking place, coaches were getting fired and hired.
Some of the happenings were to be expected. Like to our good friend Paul Lusk at Missouri State. But hardly like to Marty Simmons at Evansville.
The Bears, pre-season choice to win the MVC, struggled through another disappointing season.
The Aces, meanwhile, hardly established records, but had their impressive moments/games, like the embarrassing blowout of SIU’s Salukis in the final regular-season game.
Dana Ford, who for the past few years has been at Tennessee State, is replacing Lusk, while former Boston Celtics’ assistant Walter McCarty will be Evansville’s new leader. He’s a one-time Evansville resident.
Drake, too, will have a new leader on the sidelines although for a different reason.
Milo Medved, who turned the Bulldogs’ season around in just one year, resigned to accept a similar position at Colorado State, where he will be replacing the controversial Larry Eustachy.
The firings and the hirings are all over the place, but you can bet your lifetime savings that if there’s any moves at either Villanova or Loyola, it will have been decisions by the present guy in charge.
That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Only major difference is that it would be their decision, not that by a person occupying a top administrative chair like at SIU that cost the Salukis a competent coach or two many, many years ago.
It’s all part of the game.