Haskins Vs. Kentucky Stirs The Memories
Save everything. That’s what Clem Haskins is telling his players this week. You never know which memory you might want to relive 30 years from now.
Like that letter Pat Riley wrote Haskins in 1967, when Riley was a senior at Kentucky and Haskins was a senior at Western Kentucky. The letter that helped take away just a sliver of the bitterness that welled in a talented young man whose skin color was the only reason he never got a chance to play for the home state’s most popular team.
“It said he realized at the time that we were the best team in the state and he wished us the best of luck in the NCAA tournament and hoped we could win it all,” Haskins said. “You get things when you’re young like that and you throw it away. And I pass that on to my players, I tell them to keep everything. I wish I had kept that letter.”
Haskins, who will lead Minnesota against Kentucky in Saturday’s second national semifinal, still has the memories. Many are painful, although the three decades between then and now make it easier to talk about that era without bitterness.
“Time heals old wounds,” he said.
Haskins scored 1,680 points during his three-year career at Western (freshmen weren’t eligible).
In 1967, Haskins broke his right wrist during the regular season. He missed five games, and it was about that time that he got the letter from Riley, one of Rupp’s stars.
“It was just one player at one college writing to another,” Riley said through Miami Heat spokesman Tim Donovan.
It was more than that to Haskins.
“It meant a lot to me,” he said.
Lefty goes south
Lefty Driesell, the 10th-winningest coach in NCAA Division I history, took over college basketball’s least successful program when he was hired by Georgia State.
The 65-year-old Driesell, just 17 victories short of 700 for his career, will guide a team that has had just three winning seasons in its 34-year existence.
Pat Douglass, who led Cal State Bakersfield to three NCAA Division II titles in five years, was hired as men’s basketball coach at UC Irvine.
Douglass signed a five-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.
He replaces Rod Baker, who was fired after six years. The Anteaters were 1-25 under Baker this season.
Tom Penders rejected an offer to become head basketball coach at Rutgers University and will remain at the University of Texas.
Rutgers now is expected to name Drexel’s Bill Herrion as its new coach during a news conference today.
Short shots
Senior Jacque Vaughn of Kansas, sophomore Ron Mercer of Kentucky and senior Keith Van Horn of Utah lead the John Wooden All-American basketball team. Joining them on the 10-player squad are senior Tim Duncan of Wake Forest, junior Danny Fortson of Cincinnati, senior Bobby Jackson of Minnesota, sophomore Antawn Jamison of North Carolina, senior Brevin Knight of Stanford, junior Raef LaFrentz of Kansas, and senior Charles O’Bannon of UCLA… . Duncan was also named college basketball’s player of the year by The Sporting News. The magazine also named Kansas’ Roy Williams coach of the year and Tim Thomas of Villanova as freshman of the year. Among women players, The Sporting News picked Kate Starbird of Stanford as player of the year, Wendy Larry of Old Dominion as coach of the year and Shea Ralph of Connecticut as the top freshman… . Sophomore guard Andy Bedard informed Boston College basketball coach Jim O’Brien of his intention to transfer, thus joining an exodus that includes four forwards graduating from the Big East champion.
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