Growing up in the Midwest in the ‘60’s, UCLA was the only representative of West Coast basketball, and an overly large one at that, that I had any awareness of. I remember reading in Sports Illustrated about an exhibition game between the UCLA Freshman and Varsity (Freshman were still ineligible) where Lee Alcindor’s frosh beat the defending National champions by something like 25 points. During the stretch from 1964 to 1973, they were so much better than any other team that the term dynasty seems inadequate.
I also remember when I moved to California and was looking at where to settle in the Bay Area, touring houses for sale in the Moraga area with a realtor who, from conversation, was a real college basketball fan. I asked him about the various local teams and which places were fun to watch a game and he told me that he liked to go to McKeon Gym on the St. Mary’s campus because, even though the team was terrible, the gym was “close, cozy and cheap.”
At that time, I don’t think my brain could have imagined a tournament match up between UCLA and St. Mary’s, much less one with a 3 point spread. A few years after moving to the East Bay, a year before NU hired Carmody, St. Mary’s hired Randy Bennett after a dismal 2-22 season. I have often wondered what Wildcat basketball would be like if the Cats had had the good fortune to hire Bennett, as he has methodically built an under resourced program with a tiny fan base into a consistently good team.
A month ago, before NU confirmed another year for Chris Collins, I mentioned that I thought Todd Golden, who took USF to the tournament before losing its first round game in OT, would be a good choice. Golden played at St. Mary’s under Bennett. Unfortunately, I see that we won’t have the chance as he was named coach of Florida last night.
Every year there is talk of sleeper teams. This year, SMC might be it.
I also remember when I moved to California and was looking at where to settle in the Bay Area, touring houses for sale in the Moraga area with a realtor who, from conversation, was a real college basketball fan. I asked him about the various local teams and which places were fun to watch a game and he told me that he liked to go to McKeon Gym on the St. Mary’s campus because, even though the team was terrible, the gym was “close, cozy and cheap.”
At that time, I don’t think my brain could have imagined a tournament match up between UCLA and St. Mary’s, much less one with a 3 point spread. A few years after moving to the East Bay, a year before NU hired Carmody, St. Mary’s hired Randy Bennett after a dismal 2-22 season. I have often wondered what Wildcat basketball would be like if the Cats had had the good fortune to hire Bennett, as he has methodically built an under resourced program with a tiny fan base into a consistently good team.
A month ago, before NU confirmed another year for Chris Collins, I mentioned that I thought Todd Golden, who took USF to the tournament before losing its first round game in OT, would be a good choice. Golden played at St. Mary’s under Bennett. Unfortunately, I see that we won’t have the chance as he was named coach of Florida last night.
Every year there is talk of sleeper teams. This year, SMC might be it.
