Basketball History

Q&A w/ Billy Shepherd: Butler's All-Time Leading Scorer

Jon Teitel — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:01:16 -0800

Billy Shepherd is Butler University's all-time leading scorer, a former Indiana Mr. Basketball, and former professional who got to play with Dr J & George Gervin. CHN's Jon Teitel was lucky enough to spend some time with this Indiana basketball legend:

Jon Teitel: You played at Carmel High School for your father: what was it like to play for your dad, and what did you learn from him?

Billy Shepherd: If you play for your dad in high school and, it usually works out well. At the time it was a small high school that had not experienced much winning, so it was a neat time to play there and have the community rally around us.

Teitel: In 1968 you scored 70 points in a game vs. Brownsburg, and you were selected as Indiana's Mr. Basketball: what are your memories of the 70-point game, and what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

Shepherd: The 70-PT game really put me on the map. Back then we did not really make a college choice until our senior year, so it put my name among the most elite names. It was big news around the state, and probably helped me get the Mr. Basketball award, which is the greatest honor ever bestowed on me. In this state they remember how you played in high school: I never played the game to win that award, but it was tremendous.

Teitel: You turned down a chance to go to UCLA and play for John Wooden in the middle of his streak of winning 7 straight NCAA titles: how close did you come to heading west, and how big a factor was the fact that your Dad is a Butler alum?

Shepherd: UCLA was 1 of my final 4 college choices. I never visited their campus, but I got to meet Coach Wooden and his players during a game they played at Purdue. I chose Butler because I wanted to play for Coach Hinkle (as my dad had also played for him). Coach Hinkle was getting old, so I thought that my dad might eventually take over for him.

Teitel: Your original coach at Butler was Tony Hinkle, who introduced the orange-colored basketball (it had been dark brown for the 1st half of the 1900s): what was it like to play for Coach Hinkle, and what did you learn from him?

Shepherd: I attended many Butler games growing up, and Coach Hinkle was legend: he was the Bob Knight of his time. I had thought about eventually becoming a coach, and Coach Hinkle was well-known for having players who became coaches. We ran the Butler system in high school, so it was an easy adjustment for me. He was a great man, and I learned more life lessons from him than basketball lessons.

Teitel: In your 1st year on the varsity you averaged 27.8 PPG, which is still a school record: how were you able to come in and contribute from the start, and how high were expectations for you the following season?

Shepherd: I knew that I would have an opportunity to play as a sophomore, as we beat the varsity during our freshman year. I knew they had great supporting cast, but I could visualize the chance to become their leader, so I could not wait for my freshman season to be over. It was a great group of team players, and I ended up scoring at least 21 PPG in every single game that season.

Teitel: In 1970 you scored a career-high 49 points in a loss to Arizona: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

Shepherd: It was a fast-paced up-and-down game, so I got to take about 30 shots. If we had played with a 3-PT line back then, I probably would have had finished with about 63 PTS.

Teitel: In 1970 you scored 38 points in a seven-point loss to Notre Dame (Austin Carr had 50 points): was Carr the best opponent you ever played against in college, and could you tell at the time that he was going to become a star?

Shepherd: He was a tremendous player, and a big guard. We played 9 of the Big-10 schools that season, so we had a tremendous schedule. Carr was great, but we also played against guys like Jim McDaniels, Rick Mount, etc.

Teitel: You career scoring average of 24.1 PPG is still the highest in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

Shepherd: Not really: it was the same with my high school career. When you are playing, you are not going for records: I did not read the sports section to see how I was doing. I was just blessed to play in an era where you were expected to shoot when you were open. I was hurt almost my entire senior year, otherwise I would have scored even more.

Teitel: In 1972 you played for Virginia in the ABA with Dr. J and George Gervin: how did you even get on the court with those legends, and which 1 were you more impressed by?

Shepherd: I suffered a knee injury and missed the 1st eight weeks of the season. The ABA was a great life lesson and an eye-opening experience, as it gave me an appreciation for my former teammates who had to sit on the bench and just be a practice player. I cannot separate the 2 legends because they played different positions, but I tell people that I had the best seat in the house. Gervin came to our team late in the season, but I remain friends with them both. Dr. J was the Michael Jordan of his era, and Gervin had a great career with the Spurs.

Teitel: In 1973 you played for San Diego and Coach Wilt Chamberlain: what was it like to play for Wilt, and what did you learn from him?

Shepherd: It was great for me to go to a situation where I was starting and playing 35-40 minutes per night. I think Wilt was misunderstood, as many people thought he was just coaching because it was something to do. He signed with San Diego to be a player-coach, but the NBA filed an injunction that kept him playing. Wilt had a great appreciation for guys who could get the ball inside, and that was the main reason I was able to play pro ball: my best skills were ball-handling and passing.

Teitel: In 1974 you played with Memphis and led the ABA in three-point shooting (42%), ahead of such stars as Louie Dampier and George McGinnis: could you have succeeded in the NBA despite its lack of a three-point line, and what is your secret for three-point shooting?

Shepherd: I think so, but the three-point shot was instrumental to my career. Another reason I went to Butler is because I wanted to play in a town that also had an ABA team (the Pacers). Long-range shooting was 1 of my strengths, but there were not a lot of jobs in pro basketball due to there being so many great players. It was definitely a thrill for me, as it is nice to set a league record.

Teitel: You averaged 5.7 PPG and 3.9 APG in your professional career: how satisfied are you with your career, and how do you want people to remember you?

Shepherd: I am real satisfied: it was always a goal of mine to play pro ball, and accomplishing that was very satisfying. My career turned out about as I expected. I was a scorer in high school and college, but I had pro teammates who were great athletes/scorers, so I was happy to just feed my teammates.

Teitel: After retiring you worked as a scout for Marty Blake: what was it like working for Marty, and who was the best player you ever scouted?

Shepherd: Larry Bird at Indiana State was the best player I ever scouted, but I was lucky to see a lot of great players. It was fun to work for Marty, and I was in charge of college scouting for the state of Indiana. It was a fun organization to work for, and it kept me around the game I loved, but it did not pay all the bills, so I also spent some time working for Converse.

Teitel: You operate a website (www.askbillyshep.com) that helps parents deal with raising a son or daughter who is an athlete. What is the key to dealing with young athletes, and what is the biggest difference between young athletes from your era and young athletes today?

Shepherd: The key is that the passion has to come from that child rather than from the parents. Kids have many more choices today than they did 30-40 years ago, as there is a lot of competition outside the athletic arena. Parents must also be supportive.

Teitel: Speaking of family, yours has a very impressive athletic lineage: your dad coached for 40 years, your brother David was Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1970, your son Scott made it to the Elite 8 with FSU in 1993, your son Jeff was a 3-time All-American basketball player at Huntington University, and your daughter Karli was a 2-time high school state finalist in golf. Is it a coincidence that you have such an athletic family, or do you credit at least some of their success to genetics?

Shepherd: I think genetics has something to do with it, but it is more about being around sports than being born into a sport. My parents were very supportive of me growing up: they were fans of athletics in general rather than just basketball. I was hoping that my kids would turn out to be basketball players, but I just wanted them to have the chance to become an athlete: be part of team, make sacrifices, put forth a lot of hard work, and just compete.

Teitel's List: Horizon League's Best ABA/NBA Products (by school)

Butler: Billy Shepherd (1973)
Cleveland State: Franklin Edwards (1982)
Detroit: Dave DeBusschere (1963)
Wisconsin Green Bay: Tony Bennett (1993)
Illinois Chicago: Sherell Ford (1996)
Loyola Chicago: Les Hunter (1965)
Valparaiso: John Janisch (1947)
Wisconsin Milwaukee: NO ALUMNI IN ABA/NBA
Wright State: Vitaly Potapenko (1997)
Youngstown State: Leo Mogus (1947)

NBA: Likely Hall of Famers

Hoopsworld — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:10:34 -0700

By: Tommy Beer

Driving back home from Springfield, Massachusetts this weekend, after taking in the 2008 Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony on Friday night (as an aside, every basketball fan in America owes it to themselves to visit the HOF at least once – it is heaven for a hoops junkie), I got to thinking: which active players are locks to one day be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

When I sat down and started starting digging through career statistics, playoff scoring averages, and other pertinent information, it turns out there are seven players that I feel are lead-pipe locks to make the HOF. They are listed below.

While I don't think too many people could disagree that these first seven will wind up in Springfield, what I found interesting was where to draw the line between the "locks" and the borderline/probable selections, and then the also-rans/unlikely... Thus, I submitted a few quick thoughts on the remaining choices.

Without further adieu, let's run down the seven no-doubt, first-ballot selections:

1. Tim Duncan – Duncan's Hall of Fame credentials are second to none: Back-to-back NBA MVP's, 4 rings, three-time Finals MVP. He is also the only player in NBA history to receive All-NBA and All-Defensive honors in his first 11 seasons. He is an absolutely dominant force on both ends of the court, and steps up his game when it matters most, as evidenced by his increased averages in the postseason and his Finals MVP trophies. For my money, he is the greatest power forward that ever lived. While I suppose that opinion could be contested, nobody would ever argue that Duncan won't be enshrined in Springfield five years after he hangs up his Nike's.

2. Shaquille O'Neal – The last of a dying breed. O'Neal was his generation's greatest pure center and, during his prime, one of the most intimidating players to ever set foot on a basketball court. Here is a brief résumé, courtesy of NBA.com: One of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players and one of the most prolific scorers in league history. He owns a career scoring average of 25.6 points, the ninth-highest in league history, and ranks 11th all-time in scoring (25,908) in 1,013 career games. The 16-year veteran is a career 58-percent shooter, third-highest in NBA history, and has led the league in field goal accuracy nine times, matching Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record. O'Neal has averaged 11.5 rebounds (21st-NBA history) and grabbed 11,630 boards… There is no doubting that the Hall of Fame is in his future. But one question that could certainly be debated: If you had to pick one player, in their prime, to build a franchise around, would you take Duncan or Shaq? (I'd go with Timmy D., if only because he is a more reliable end-game option on the offensive end.)

3. Kobe Bryant – The most popular player on planet Earth, Kobe is a lock as well. The lack of a NBA Finals MVP trophy, signifying that he hasn't won a ring "on his own," is of relevance only in debates regarding Kobe's place among the game's all-time greats. Although he lost an opportunity to cement his legacy a few months ago, Kobe still has definitely earned a spot among the NBA's greatest payers. And while the comparisons to Michael Jordan are utter nonsense (MJ has 6 NBA Finals MVP's compared to Kobe's zero), Bryant has already done more than enough to secure his spot as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His career averages of 25 PPG, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, speak volumes. In addition to his offensive prowess, KB24 has also been named to the All-NBA Defensive first or second teams eight out of the last nine seasons.

4. Allen Iverson – When he first entered the league, generously listed at six-feet tall, the critics claimed AI would never be able to handle the physical beating the NBA would deliver. Well, 12 years later, he is still proving doubters wrong. And, as result, you can punch his ticket to the Hall. Iverson's has a league MVP and four scoring titles under his belt, and his career scoring average (27.7 PPG) currently ranks him third all-time, behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Anytime your career accomplishments are mentioned in the same sentence as MJ and the Big Dipper... that's good.

5. Jason Kidd – I feel one of the key criteria for Hall of Fame worthiness is whether a player was the absolute best at his position for a sustained period of time. For Jason Kidd, that answer is an emphatic 'yes.' During the early part of this decade, when he led the Nets to two straight Finals appearances, J Kidd was unquestionably the best PG in the NBA. In his prime, there were very few players that could control and impact the game like he did. He has dished out more assists (9,497) and than any other active player in the league. Kidd also is the active steals leader (2,038). The true testament to Kidd's all-around greatness is the 100 career triple-doubles he has racked up, which places him second all-time behind only Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

6. Kevin Garnett – Coming into the 2007-2008 NBA season, the only knock against KG was that he couldn't be depended upon in crunch time, and thus had never won a championship. Well, if there was any doubt, the ring currently residing on his finger should settle that debate. Much like Jason Kidd, Garnett's best attribute was his ability to contribute in so many different ways. Looking for proof? KG is the only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game for six consecutive seasons. He also stands alone as the only NBA'er to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for nine consecutive seasons. Lastly, Garnett is only player ever to accumulate 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals, and 1,500 blocks in his career.

7. Steve Nash – Make no mistake; Nash was/is a great player, but being in the right place at the right time and having his best years when he did, is the main reason he is headed to the Hall. If you look at his career numbers (14.3 points, 7.9 assists, 3 rebounds), they are solid but not jaw-dropping. In fact, as a 30-year old, following the 2004 season in Dallas, the odds were heavily stacked against him ever entering the HOF. However, Nash then landed in Phoenix and teamed up with Mike D'Antoni and the rest, as they say, is history. After a few outstanding seasons in the Valley of the Sun, Nash had added something to his résumé that assures he'll get a plaque in Springfield: back-to-back MVP awards. Nash is one of only nine players in the history of the sport to be able to claim that distinction; the other eight are Duncan, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite limited postseason success, and never reaching an NBA Finals – Nash is destined due to those two terrific seasons.

* The Next Rung – The 'Very Probable' Category:

Dirk Nowitzki – Dirk has a NBA MVP on his résumé and has carried his team to NBA Finals. It is important to note that every player that has ever won an NBA MVP award has either already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, or will be elected once they are eligible. Thus, we can safely bet Dirk will get his plaque.

Paul Pierce – The recently awarded NBA Finals MVP Award provides an enormous boost to his candidacy. A few more decent years by both Dirk and Pierce should bump them up into the "lock" category.

* Next Tier – Borderline:

Tracy McGrady: T-Mac's overall numbers are excellent, but never advancing past the first round of the playoffs is tough to overlook.

Vince Carter: I may be in the minority, but I could never vote VC into the Hall of Fame. Personally, I think the HOF should be reserved for the players that gave 110% every time they stepped on the floor, as opposed to those who tended to coast and skate by solely on their ability. Specifically, check out VC's career numbers and check his production from the first 20-games of the 2004-2005 season. Over that 20-game stretch, Carter averaged just 15.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, while shooting 69.4% from the free-throw line. VC flat-out quit on the Raptors and the city of Toronto. Want proof? Once he got traded to the Nets, over the final 57 games that same season, he averaged 27.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, while shooting 81.7% from the stripe. I have a real hard time looking past that. (Similarly, I could never look at Scottie Pippen the quite the same way after he took himself out of Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference with 1.4 seconds left on the clock, after Phil Jackson decided Toni Kukoc would take the game's final shot. But that is a story for another day…)

Manu Ginobili – One of the most accomplished European players of all-time, Manu is a "winner" in the truest sense of the word. The selection committee usually looks favorably upon international achievements, so Ginobili, who always stepped his game up when it matter most, will have his supporters.

Ray Allen – Ray-Ray has always been an accomplished scorer, and now has a ring, in addition to always having one of the most aesthetically pleasing jumpers in NBA history. But I am just not sure he deserves a place among the greatest to ever play the game. Was he ever the best two-guard in the NBA? No. He never made an ALL-NBA first-team, and made the second-team just once…

* Next Tier - Borderline/Less-likely:

Chris Webber – Webber's last few injury plagued seasons took a lot of luster of what was, statistically speaking, a phenomenal career. It is easy to forget just how good he was in his prime. C-Webb is one of only six players in NBA history to post career averages of at least 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The five other players are Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, and Kevin Garnett. Still, Webber all too often disappeared in big spots and never advanced to an NBA Finals.

Chauncey Billups – Billups was maddeningly inconsistent over his first five years in the league, before arriving in Detroit and really finding his comfort zone. In his six seasons in Motown, the Pistons have advanced to at least the Eastern Conference finals each year. In 2004, the Pistons won the title and Billups was awarded the NBA Finals MVP trophy. From 1991 thru 2005, there were only five different players named NBA Finals MVP: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Chauncey Billups.

Dikembe Mutombo – While never much of a scorer, Mutombo was a dominant defender and rebounder. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times and led the league in total rebounds four times as well. He is an eight-time all-star. In addition, his humanitarian work is legendary, and is a true ambassador of the game.

* Next Tier – Interesting/Unlikely:

Robert Horry – Based strictly on numbers, Horry shouldn't even sniff the Hall. But if you include his jewelry collection (seven rings) and postseason heroics, Horry will get a few votes. Some pertinent facts to support his case: Big Shot Bob is one of only nine players to have won seven or more championships, and the only one who did not play on the 1960s Celtics. He is one of only three players to win multiple NBA Championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons and one of only two players to win titles with three different teams. He is the all-time leader in playoff games played, having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 2008 playoffs. Horry is second on the all-time list of three-pointers made in the playoffs, behind only Reggie Miller. He also holds the record for three-pointers all-time in the NBA Finals with 53, having eclipsed Michael Jordan's previous record of 42…. I don't think he'll ever get in, but he makes an interesting candidate considering how often some fans and media members claim that winning defines greatness.

Ben Wallace – He and Dikembe are the only two players in league history to each capture four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. (Of course, the award only came into existence relatively recently (1983). I assume Bill Russell would have been named the league's best defensive player once or twice.) Big Ben is also the one of only four players to lead the league in boarding and blocks the same season - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Hakeem Olajuwon are the other three. He is also the only undrafted player to ever be voted as a All-Star Game starter. In some respects, he is the anti-Vince Carter. However, as good as he was defensively, Wallace was that inept offensively. He is a career 41% shooter from the free-throw line.

Alonzo Mourning - One of the NBA's most intense competitors, Zo has an All-NBA first-team selection and an NBA title on his résumé.

Rasheed Wallace - One of the more underrated players of his generation, 'Sheed did more than collect technicals. He possessed other-worldly talent.

Grant Hill - If I had written this column in summer of 2000, Hill would have been considered all but a lock. After his first six seasons in Detroit, he looked like the second-coming. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit and Hill was never the same.

* The Young Guns:

Lastly, in an attempt to answer a few questions/complaints before they arise – players such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul are too young to be considered. Basically, I tried to look at guys aged 30 and over. I also didn't list guys in their late 20's, such as Elton Brand, Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer, etc. These guys still have too much career ahead of them. The next few years will determine upon which list they land.

Regarding the super-talented neophytes, suppose King James and/or D. Wade retired tomorrow in order to play baseball or become movie stars, it is difficult to argue these young guys have done enough to earn Hall of Fame distinction. For instance, players like Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill looked to well on their way, before there careers took a precipitous decline due to injuries. After his first few seasons, some analysts believed Penny would be better than Magic by the time he retired. Penny was named First Team All-NBA back-to-back in his second and third seasons. As a point of reference, even LeBron didn't match that feat. And Wade has still never been named to an All-NBA First Team. Make no mistake; I believe that by the time he retires, LeBron will likely be considered the best non-center in NBA history not named Michael Jordan. But the lesson we have learned is that we have to let these guys career's play out…

Daily Dribble: Real Parity?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:54:32 -0800

Does parity exist? More so than a couple years back? Is the gap between the best and worst really shrinking? These were the questions I had in the back of mind as I did some RPI research this afternoon.

I took a look at the records of the top teams over the last handful of seasons or so, since 1999. Particularly, I focused on how many Top 50, and Top 100 RPI wins the best teams had each season. For example, going back to 1999, Michigan State had the most Top 50 RPI wins with 12. The most Top 100 wins that season was Duke with a whopping 26!

From 1999 to now, I tried to see if there was a pattern of the top teams having less good wins and the bottom teams having more good wins. This, it seems to me, would be a sign of parity. All the talk about mid-majors and whatnot, I wanted to see if it really made a difference.

Teams With 10+ Top 50 Wins
1999 = 4 (Michigan State, Stanford, Duke, UCONN)
2000 = 3 (Kentucky, Cincinnati, Michigan State)
2001 = 4 (Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, UNC)
2002 = 2 (Duke, Arizona)
2003 = 3 (Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia)
2004 = 3 (Kentucky, Duke, UCONN)
2005 = 1 (Illinois)
2006 = 2 (UCONN, Iowa)
2007 = 1 (UNC) so far..

Teams With 15+ Top 100 Wins
1999 = 10 (Duke, Maryland, UNC, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio State, UCONN, Kentucky)
2000 = 5 (Cincinnati, Duke, Arizona, Michigan State, Kentucky)
2001 = 9 (BC, Tennessee, Syracuse, UNC, Illinois, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Iowa, Duke)
2002 = 5 (Cincinnati, Illinois, Alabama, Duke, Arizona)
2003 = 3 (Duke, Wake Forest, Kentucky)
2004 = 5 (Duke, Georgia Tech, NC State, Kentucky, UCONN)
2005 = 6(Kansas, Wake, Oklahoma St, UNC, Washington, Duke, Illinois)
2006 = 2 (Duke, Villanova)
2007 = 1 (UCLA) so far..

Most Top 100 Wins
1999 = 26 (Duke)
2000 = 19 (Cincinnati)
2001 = 19 (Duke)
2002 = 17 (Cincinnati, Alabama, Duke)
2003 = 22 (Kentucky)
2004 = 20 (Kentucky)
2005 = 20 (Kansas)
2006 = 22 (Duke)
2007 = 15 (UCLA) so far..

# of Teams Below 150th/200th with Top 50 win
1999 = 10 below 150th - 2 below 200th
2000 = 12 below 150th - 4 below 200th
2001 = 16 below 150th - 5 below 200th
2002 = 16 below 150th - 7 below 200th
2003 = 20 below 150th - 10 below 200th
2004 = 10 below 150th - 3 below 200th
2005 = 20 below 150th - 8 below 200th
2006 = 16 below 150th - 7 below 200th
2007 = 12 below 150th - 5 below 200th so far..

Thoughts..
First off, Duke comes out quite well in these results. They had 15+ Top 100 wins 7 of the previous 8 seasons heading into this one. That's pretty amazing. Kentucky was next with 5. But that's besides the point..

I think the numbers show that it is getting harder for the top teams to dominate like the did just a few years back. There does seem to be a downtrend in the amount of teams with 10+ Top 50 wins (though there were not many even in 1999) starting with 4, then 3,4,2,3,3,1, and 2 last year. More telling is Top 100 wins.. where the number with 15+ went from a high of 10 in 1999, to just two teams last year.

Further, there's some evidence that the worst teams are doing better. From 1999 to 2000 to 2001 to 2002 to 2003, the worst teams fared slightly better each year. Not sure what happened in 2004, where there were very few good wins by bad teams, but then it bounced back to high levels in 05 and 06.

Another thing to note is that although there appears to be parity.. it doesn't seem to be because the "mid-majors" are any better than they used to be. In fact, it seems like with the demise of the old CUSA, its rarer now than a few years back for a mid-major team to rack up a lot of quality wins. Leagues like the MWC and MVC aren't necessarily getting better. It just seems like at the very pinnacle of college basketball, the very best handful of teams just aren't nearly as dominant as they used to be.

- Spread the Joy of the Dribble -

Big East Basketball Quiz

Eric Silver — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:35:12 -0700

Here is a 100-point quiz for avid Big East fans to see how much they know about conference-related matters, both past and present. Answers to the questions will be provided tomorrow. Post the quiz on your favorite message board and see who is truly the biggest and best Big East basketball fan!

1. Two of the three new coaches were head coaches at other schools last year. Identify which coaches and which schools. (2 points)

2. Two of last year’s Big East head coaches were hired as head coaches of different D-1 programs for this season. Identify one of the two coaches and his new school. (2 points)

3. Identify the seven Big East players that were selected in the first round of the NBA draft last spring. (7 points)

4. Identify the four Big East players that were second-round selections in the NBA draft. (4 points)

5. Name all 16 present Big East head coaches. (16 points)

6. Identify the four highest-ranked members of the incoming freshmen class on RSCI - a combined ranking system based on six individual ranking sources). (4 points)

7. Identify the two separate groups of three incoming Big East freshmen who played together as teammates last season. (6 points)

8. Identify the two incoming Big East freshmen guards who started together on the same prep school team last year. (2 points)

9. Among players returning to the Big East this year, identify the leader (for conference games only) in each of the following categories. (10 points)

a. Scoring Average

b. Rebounding Average

c. Overall Shooting Percentage (Minimum of Five Made Field Goals Per Game)

d. Three-Point Field Goals (Total Number Made)

e. Free Throw Percentage (Minimum of 2.5 Attempts Per Game)

f. Assists

g. Steals

h. Blocked Shots

i. Assist-to-Turnover Ratio

j. Minutes Played (Minutes Per Game)

10. Two present Big East coaches were recently inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, but two other former Big East coaches preceded them. Identify the two former coaches. (2 points)

11. Identify the seven scholarship players that transferred from other D-1 programs and are presently listed on active rosters for this season. (7 points)

12. Identify the player who transferred from another D-1 program to a Big East school but has been indefinitely suspended from the team and is not presently listed on its roster. (1 point)

13. Identify the Cincinnati junior college recruit who was a first-team juco all-American and originally committed to Duquesne before changing his mind and joining the Bearcats program. (1 point)

14. Identify the two junior college transfers coming into the league this year that do not attend Cincinnati. (2 points)

15. Only one school returns all five players who generally started for the team last year when they were healthy. Identify the school (1 point) and the five players. (5 points)

16. One school has no regular starters from the conference season returning this year. Identify the school (1 point) and the five regular starters. (5 points)

17. Which returning Big East starter is from Canada? (1 point)

18. Identify which regular Big East starter from last year transferred to another school outside the conference, as well as the school he transferred to. (2 points)

19. Identify the cities that are home to each of the following schools. (4 points)

a. Connecticut

b. Rutgers

c. Seton Hall

d. South Florida

20. Identify the conference school that last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1991. (1 point)

21. Identify the home court of each of the following Big East teams. (6 points)

a. Cincinnati

b. Georgetown

c. Louisville

d. Notre Dame

e. Providence

f. Syracuse

22. Identify the individual who is credited with being the founder of the Big East. (1 point)

23. Identify the current commissioner of the Big East. (1 point)

24. Two Big East teams have gained reputations for playing primarily zone defense under their current coaches. Identify the two teams (2 points) and the basic zone defense each one employs a majority of time. (2 points)

25. One Big East team uses an offensive approach (albeit modified) that had its origins in the Ivy League. Identify the name of the original offense and the present Big East team that employs it. (2 points)

Continue to the Big East Quiz Answers.

Bob Hurley needs to be in the Hall of Fame

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:56:26 -0700

Hello, and thanks for checking out my blog. I'm Raphielle, and the purpose of this blog is to write primarily about the smaller conferences of the Northeast corridor. The Northeast, Metro Atlantic, America East, and Ivy leagues will get the majority of the attention, with a little Atlantic 10 and Big East sprinkled in from time to time.

The idea for this first entry came from two sources: "The Miracle of St. Anthony" by Adrian Wojnarowski, and an article in the September 19th issue of ESPN The Magazine by Bill Simmons. In the article, Simmons brought up some valid points as to why Joe Dumars shouldn't have been enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. His resume isn't better than say, an Adrian Dantley or Sidney Moncrief, and Dumars was never a franchise player. I had no problem with Dumars getting into the Hall, and maybe his work as an executive influenced a vote or two.

The past couple of years, college coaches have headed into the Hall without a serious nod (by the voters) to one of the great high school coaches responsible for the successes of some of the best college programs in America. Bob Hurley, head coach at St. Anthony in Jersey City, has produced hard-nosed basketball players for years, players who have gone on to achieve some great things in college basketball. Names like Jerry Walker, David Rivers, Terry Dehere, and his own son Bobby are sprinkled all over collegiate record books. Yet, until Adrian Wojnarowski's book was released in 2004, the mainstream basketball fan would most likely dismiss this as one man's "luck".

Once you read the book, you realize that it's hard work, caring, and tough love that gets the job done on an annual basis. The record speaks for itself, with Hurley having won 24 state and 2 national titles. But it's about more than the wins and losses. It's about the youngsters that he influences, teaching them about responsibility, discipline, as well as other values that you can't learn through a television set or iPod.

In this era where grassroots basketball is seen as part of the issue as to what's wrong with American basketball, Mr. Hurley has epitomized what's still right with the game. He's used his name to raise money for a school that most likely would have closed its doors a long time ago if not for his efforts. He doesn't capitulate to shoe companies or AAU programs, looking to make the easy dollar. He continues to teach the game the basketball, as well as the game of life, to players and fellow coaches alike. For this we should all be grateful.

With the season rapidly approaching, another list of nominees will be in front of the Hall's voting group. Hopefully, Coach Hurley's name will be one of those on the list.

"To some extent, we're all 24/7 with basketball, but Bob takes it to a level I've never really seen anywhere in the game. I mean, this guy takes his vacations to go coach basketball. Good luck finding any of us doing that in college. I've never seen anyone, on any level, more dedicated than him."
-Jim Boeheim

The above quote was found in the book "The Miracle of St. Anthony", written by Adrian Wojnarowski.

Thanks go out to Mr. Wojnarowski for writing the aforementioned book, and Bob Hurley for all his hard work.