Bobby Knight

Everyone knows who Digger is and most know why he's famous. He only won one meaningful game, and it was in the regular season. No one should know him from Dave Odom, that's why he's overrated.

 

I honestly believe DES cared more about teaching than he did winning...Sure, he wanted to win, but he wanted to set an example above all else. Was he a saint? Nope. Nobody is, but he tried to be a good person and teacher above all. There is a reason why people who played for him are as loyal as they are, and those who competed against him hold him in such high regard. Grant Hill and Jay Bilas are two very good expamples. They have nothing but praise for Dean.

 

Dean wasn't well liked by his peers in the ACC. And anyone more concerned with teaching than winning wouldn't have run the four corners to absurdity.

 

it was a tactic that worked. whats wrong with that? I know it was boring, and all of that, but it won ball games, even lost a few.

 

That's what angle shooting is. Technically within the rules but not necessarily the most honorable way to play the game.

 

As opposed to sitting in a zone and refusing to come out?

Dean hated that there was no way to break a zone other than chuck up lower percentage shots other than to hold the ball. So that's what he did.

And if you think that was his only innovation, then you're nuts.

 

That wasn't his innovation at all. Most of what he is wrongly credited for by the Tarhole faithful he actually stole from John McClendon.

But thanks for pointing out that such a great coach had a problem with jump shots and that basketball should be just layups and dunks.

 

True enough. Doesn't detract from the fact that he had plenty of other innovations though.

When did coaches start to shoot?

Any decent coach would have a problem with being forced to take a 15 foot shot over a 3 foot shot because the other guys are too chickenshit to come out and play you.

 

But yet the zone defense still exists. Yep, I guess every decent coach had a problem with it. Maybe the big Teacher could have taught his kids to shoot.

 

Despite what most Holes would tell you, Dean Smith did not invent the internet.