Lutz mentioned in HP newspaper

Hopefully, some elbow rubbing on Monday by Bobby might turn into something productive for Charlotte against SEC teams...

Steeles' day coming up at HPU
By Tom Berry, High Point Enterprise Staff Sports Columnist
June 2, 2004

It's a day to honor a couple that combined to contribute almost 50 years of their lives to High Point University.

It's a day to raise money for a much-needed sports center on the HPU campus.

It's a day for the local residents to see the stars come out.

"It's a big event for the city of High Point, not just the university," stressed HPU athletic director Woody Gibson.

The festivities involving Jerry and Kitty Steele, who taught and coached a combined 46 years at the school, will last the entire day on Monday. There's a VIP breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at Willow Creek, a golf tournament with a 10:30 shotgun start and an evening gala at Showplace that will include a social hour, silent auction, dinner and program.

Another celebrity has been added to the event - M.L. Carr. Carr, a former player, head coach and general manager of the Boston Celtics who is involved with the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, played basketball for Jerry Steele at Guilford College. Carr joins a celebrity group highlighted by Tubby Smith, Billy Packer, Dave Odom, Pat Williams, Bobby Lutz and Sal Bando Sr.

"You'll rarely see that many people of that stature in High Point at one time," said Chris Dudley, HPU's director of university advancement. "It's a big event for the community."

The response has been impressive, according to Dudley.

Space already has been filled for the golf tournament, with 20 on the waiting list. The dinner will include at least 330 people, already surpassing the attendance goal of 300.

According to Dudley, the most important part of the festivities will be to honor the Steeles. Jerry was High Point's head basketball coach for 31 years ending in 2003, and his 609 career victories ranked 12th among active coaches. Kitty, the first women's basketball coach at Guilford College, directed the tennis and field hockey programs at High Point for 15 years. She won 12 conference championships before retiring in 1996.

Jerry received most of the attention during his coaching career, but Dudley stressed that Kitty also will be a big part of the event.

"We're honoring both and what they have accomplished for the school," he said.

Kinta Noble, a 1981 High Point graduate and former player under Kitty, will speak at the banquet.

In honoring the Steeles, HPU will raise money for the proposed Jerry and Kitty Steele Sports Center, a two-story, 24,000-square-foot facility that will more than replace the old fieldhouse.

The new building, which will be located on the hill between the baseball and soccer fields, will include coaching offices for all sports except men's and women's basketball, volleyball and perhaps tennis; a weight room, locker room, academic services room and hall of fame area.

The $3.2 million facility sounds impressive, but more than $1 million remains to be raised and there's no date to begin construction. A big response from Monday's events probably will not put fund-raising over the top, but it will be a big step in the process.

Fundraising aside, the public can see something rare. There may not be another place in the nation this summer that will have three coaches (Smith at Kentucky, Odom at South Carolina and Lutz at Charlotte) whose teams reached the NCAA Tournament last season and another (CBS' Packer) who broadcast March Madness to millions.

Schertz promoted

Josh Schertz, who helped High Point's basketball team make the second-largest turnaround in the nation last season, has been promoted to associate head coach.

In his first year as an assistant under Bart Lundy in 2003-04, Schertz's contributions helped the Panthers go from 7-20 to 19-11 overall.

"Josh is one of the finest young coaches around," Lundy said. "He has worked tirelessly for this program, and is very deserving of this opportunity."

A native of Boca Raton, Fla., Schertz came to High Point after serving under Lundy for two seasons at Queens University in Charlotte. During that time, Queens reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and Final Four.

As HPU recruiting coordinator, Schertz has twice helped bring in the Big South Conference's top recruiting class. The Panthers' incoming class has been ranked in the top 40 nationally by HoopScoop.

 

How does talking to a coach of a superior program help you in future competition against said program?

 

It might get you a game at Rupp, one of the best paying schools in the country.

 

Hell yeah. Mo' money.

 

yeah, and maybe this time someone won't get a no-call foul with the game on the line and only a few tics left... :huh:

 

That's why it's called Rape.... ummm, Rupp Arena. I'd forgotten about the phantom charge years ago.

 

"Rape" Arena or...

Co-Rupped Arena. That's what the Atlanta Journal Constitution collegiate columnist called it -- and he graduated from there -- when Winston Bennett and Rex Chapman, maybe even EdDavender, calmly knocked Dinkins into row 14!

 

If I remember correctly, one of the Kentucky players was quoted after the game saying, "I FOULED HIM." It was no secret.

 

Yep, we got screwed in that game- if I reminder right, Dinkins(?) was pushed out of bounds.

 

yes, it was the Dink.