Wed hoops....

Box and one

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Baylor thank you for showing up last nite....but Davidson-Bonnies games was great....I hate it when you take a dog +2.5 and lose in OT..let alone triple OT...what a game to watch... Davidson's McKillop is an amazing coach...he doesn't have the athletes that all the other A-10 schools has...yet his offense is run like a clinic...if any HS coach wants to learn motion offense just tape one of his games.. I know he has been there 29 years and that makes me feel so old.. he comes from the NY High School system and I remember him back then...I have heard him at clinics and he steals the show every time...Bonnies ended up finally winning by 4 or 5...love watching games like this even though you are on the losing end of them

A lot of games today with many conferences starting their tourneys...
Capped a few last nite but will work on more today...

Like Houston -5 a lot..Smoo is still undermanned esp if Milton doesn;t play..looks like he is out...other then tripping in Memphis last week they are on a tear..stopped Cinncy 16 game win streak...etc back later with a few more games..

this morning I woke up and read my local paper...at my age you go to the obituary all the time..every week there is always someone I know...
Today before I read the obit I see a picture...black guy,small beard,black derby hat on and sun glasses..Albert James Randolph....crazy picture to put in by his family but I could see it was AJ...never knew his real name but he was always known as AJ... I went to play racquetball this morning and just thought about all the good times..I worked with him for 23 years...he was a hall monitor,greeter,security and custodian.. he played 4 or 5 positions in his career...but I basketball enthusiast...many times was in the gym watching my practices when he was probably supposed to be doing something else ...
My players respected him big time and was always encouraging them big time...he worked security for us at away games...at halftimes he was always in the hallway saying something to my players..." what kind of defense is that,can you get a rebound James,your 6'5,listen to coach,I saw that smirk when he took you out".. my payers respected him big...old school black man...had a fro many years after fros went out of style...my kids would tease AJ and say " Mr AJ,the 4 Tops,Temptations and Sly and the family stones are over....he would laugh and say " how would you like a black ass foot up your black ass"...

So many AJ stories I was trying to remember this morning...one time our bus pulled in to a school just as he was pulling up in his car...he parked it right next to the bus.. He asked Coach,can I say something to the team before everyone departed the bus...we were playing a much better team from West Point{local HS} they were 14-0 and ran the best 1-3-1 defense in the state...I stayed off the bus but could hear him screaming about being under dogs all your lives,etc..tonite we make a statement,etc...those kids came off the bus,were psyched on the layup line and just kicked the living daylites of that team...That sportswriter after the game in the post game interview asked me a few questions.. I answered with " we got a pre-game speech from one of my employees before the game..He inspired them tonite..." the next day in school AJ hugged me and said he just read the newspaper, " coach you didn't have to say that" But I told him many of our kids have no fathers...they look at you as a father figure...that win last nite is just as much a win for you and our team...
A few years later when I was going after my 200th win I had AJ sit on the bench with our team \.. I know I always got all the headlines and awards but it was people like AJ that won many of those games.. I wish I could be in NY for the service...didn't know you had 18 grandchildren....hadn't seen you in 3 years...that picture in todays paper was great...shades and sun glasses... and thank you for being a part of my life...St Peter has a team up there in heaven..see f you can work on some offense.. RIP AJ

back later with a few games

yest 2-2 +1*
 

Boxscoring

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My first post on the forum.
I check for your picks most every day. Appreciate your write-ups and rationale. I follow Big-12 basketball in recent years. I get to Fort Worth often from California as my daughter attends TCU. Thanks for taking that time. Your memories of AJ were touching. Just googled his name... found the obituary... saw the pic of him. Looks like one slick dude. Thx again.
 

Box and one

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man a war..thank you

boxscoring.. I just emailed IE..is there anyway you can make a copy of AJ's picture and put it in here...I am not savvy enough to do it..if you can that would be nice...not the obit but just the picture...if you can't no problem.. I loved that picture though...


TCU was where I wanted to go coming out of HS in NY...but then met a county police man who just graduated from North Texas..."great school for education,PE program is excellent,party school. and a 4-1 girls to guys ratio..add Texas Womans Univ in Denton and its 7-1 ....Ok, TCU but no thanks ...met my 1st love at NorthT exas for 2 years...she dumped me after 2 years but the day after dumping me met a pretty junior at the dorm...married 41 years...damn..but I always tell my wife " I met you on a rebound"..lol how fitting is that... and Jamie is doing a great job at TCU...he better get Big 12 Coach of the yr...
 

Boxscoring

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Here's that pic.... I'm not savy enough to get it flipped around though..

IMG_0105.JPG

BTW... thanks for the Baylor tout yesterday.
And getting Jamie back to TCU was both a coup for the program and a no-brainer as well.
 

Box and one

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Thank you boxscoring....that is my guy.....crazy man.funny,loving but had so much respect from the staff and students...
Another quick story.. I have a 6'9 kid that has an Adonis body...looks like he could run the relay in the 4X 100 race... a little raw in basketball skills his jr year but a big time D-1 player for his athleticism....Delaine would get a rebound over the basket and then put the ball down below his waist...in one game he had a 5'5 gd steal the ball..at the half AJ would be in the hallway waiting for us to enter the lockeroom I didn't see it or hear it but my asst coach told me later that AJ had said to him " Delaine put that ball below your waist one more time and I'm gonna kick your black ass right back to Harlem"...something like that..AJ did use some cursing in his repertoire...but Delaine sure did have a great 2nd half and he never brought that ball down below his waist again...
In all my years coaching I never cursed and never got Tec's...but Delaine's senior year in a regional final game to make the final 4 I kicked the Gatorade stand and it spilled and hit Delaine... I have never kicked a bleacher or broke a clip board...in my life...I told this story here many years ago...Delaine won that game for us..

anyway thanks for putting a face to a story...hopefully it becomes a little more real...love you AJ..

and Delaine's nickname was In-dee-Lane because he forgot he had only 3 seconds to live in there..
 

ez$

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Here you go..

Great read box!
 

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Mjhardy21

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Box that was a great story.. what high school did you coach? My dad lives near West Point.
 

Box and one

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wow..thank you EZ and boxscoring..have tears in my eyes looking at the picture

mjhardy..don't like to name my schools I coached in and was a principal in..but the school in Highland falls { west point}was O'Neill HS and Jerry Kapan was the coach.. He is in the Hall of fame...and he ran the best 1-3-1 defense in the state for 30 years..but not that night with AJ's speech...live in Orange Co down the mountain
 

LordofBalls

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Great story Box... obviously a man you had great affection for, and deservedly so.

Brought a tear to my eye :)


Always enjoy your write up (even the brief ones lol).
You have an obvious understanding of the gm and an eye for talent on the floor and I think that is very helpful in capping... esp 2H plays lol. Keep an eye out for that in the upcoming tourneys and share w/us... :D

I loved the story.. thanks and GL :0008
 

Box and one

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Thank you all for the posting and kind words...

Houston -5 over Smoo ***
Houston has an offense that I don't think Smoo can stay with...Coogs are coming off huge win vs a bad ECU team..playing at Smoo is always tough..think Coogs can win this by 7-10 pts on the rd...

Kentucky -8.5 over Miss *****

Cats are hot,cold,hot,cold and now won 3 in a row and are hot.. Back in the top 25..last 3 games they are scoring over 80 pts..at home...Knox is on fire...Alex,Dialo,etc...Miss has 3 gds that are good but front line is weak...they have lost 8 of 9....think Kentucky wins this by double digits

Temple -2.5 over UConn ***
Butler -2.5 over Johnnies **
Texas AM +1.5 over Geo **
St Francis Pa -8.5 over FDU ***
Cuse pk over BC **

best play Kentucky big over Miss
 
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