The architect of college basketball's Game of the Century, Phi Slama Jama and more Final Four teams than all but 8 coaches in college basketball history has passed away according local reports.

RiP Coach Lewis, a pioneer and popularizer of college hoops and basketball in general and champion of desegregation.

Coach Guy V. Lewis will forever be remembered, may he rest in peace.

I hate to hear this. He was truly a legend. May he rest in peace.
CJ

At least, even at the tail end of his life, he got to see himself inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Wow he had a run of high-level success there at Houston. If they'd been able to duplicate even a quarter/third of it since he left that program would be considered much differently today. Hopefully Sampson is what the Coogs need.

RIP-

If you don't have a great coach following up a legend, you'll end up like DePaul or Houston as opposed to Louisville or UNC. Not everyone can just be like a Hydra and grow coaches like nothing such as a place like Butler.

We all remember the Phi Slamma Jamma teams, some of the best teams ever, arguably the best 3-year team that never won a title.

Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

(11-26-2015 05:14 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

Part of it was bad luck. In 1968, Houston lost to a UCLA team that was maybe the best team ever, period. In 1982 they lost to a UNC team that was one of the most talented ever. In 1984 they lost to a Georgetown team that was also among the most talented ever. No shame in those losses. 95% of all NCAA champions would have lost to those three teams as well.

But 1983, when THEY were among the most talented teams ever, well, that's just a hard one to swallow. That's just failing on the biggest stage, and my recollection was that Lewis was badly out-coached. Especially in the second half after Houston went on a run to take the lead. He got scared and pulled his team into a shell, exactly what NC State needed to stop the bleeding.

They were historically talented in 1983 but not very deep, which played a role in them letting the luckiest team that ever existed come back one last time. The other part of it was admittedly bad coaching and the altitude, both in that game and because of how high flying and draining the Louisville semi-final was. If that game was at sea level, they win running away (literally) but it was at an altitude higher than Denver and Akeem had to literally catch his breathe.

(11-26-2015 05:17 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:14 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

Part of it was bad luck. In 1968, Houston lost to a UCLA team that was maybe the best team ever, period. In 1982 they lost to a UNC team that was one of the most talented ever. In 1984 they lost to a Georgetown team that was also among the most talented ever. No shame in those losses. 95% of all NCAA champions would have lost to those three teams as well.

But 1983, when THEY were among the most talented teams ever, well, that's just a hard one to swallow. That's just failing on the biggest stage, and my recollection was that Lewis was badly out-coached. Especially in the second half after Houston went on a run to take the lead. He got scared and pulled his team into a shell, exactly what NC State needed to stop the bleeding.

I wouldn't say badly out-coached. His team was exhausted, Drexler was in foul trouble and we suddenly couldn't make a free throw. Taking the air out of the ball wasn't a terrible decision, and it would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky miracle in-bounds play.

(11-26-2015 10:14 PM)splitstud Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:17 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:14 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

Part of it was bad luck. In 1968, Houston lost to a UCLA team that was maybe the best team ever, period. In 1982 they lost to a UNC team that was one of the most talented ever. In 1984 they lost to a Georgetown team that was also among the most talented ever. No shame in those losses. 95% of all NCAA champions would have lost to those three teams as well.

But 1983, when THEY were among the most talented teams ever, well, that's just a hard one to swallow. That's just failing on the biggest stage, and my recollection was that Lewis was badly out-coached. Especially in the second half after Houston went on a run to take the lead. He got scared and pulled his team into a shell, exactly what NC State needed to stop the bleeding.

I wouldn't say badly out-coached. His team was exhausted, Drexler was in foul trouble and we suddenly couldn't make a free throw. Taking the air out of the ball wasn't a terrible decision, and it would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky miracle in-bounds play.

Why would they be exhausted? College basketball is a short game and these were 20 year old kids with endless energy. The NC State players were playing at the same altitude. It was just dumb to kills his team's momentum. That team thrived running on all cylinders. They weren't a cerebral four corners type of team.

Anyway, RIP Guy Lewis.

(11-26-2015 10:14 PM)splitstud Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:17 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:14 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

Part of it was bad luck. In 1968, Houston lost to a UCLA team that was maybe the best team ever, period. In 1982 they lost to a UNC team that was one of the most talented ever. In 1984 they lost to a Georgetown team that was also among the most talented ever. No shame in those losses. 95% of all NCAA champions would have lost to those three teams as well.

But 1983, when THEY were among the most talented teams ever, well, that's just a hard one to swallow. That's just failing on the biggest stage, and my recollection was that Lewis was badly out-coached. Especially in the second half after Houston went on a run to take the lead. He got scared and pulled his team into a shell, exactly what NC State needed to stop the bleeding.

I wouldn't say badly out-coached. His team was exhausted, Drexler was in foul trouble and we suddenly couldn't make a free throw. Taking the air out of the ball wasn't a terrible decision, and it would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky miracle in-bounds play.

That team was a bad free throw shooting team. It was a bad decision.

(11-27-2015 01:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 10:14 PM)splitstud Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:17 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 05:14 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Yeah, meanwhile UTEP and Loyola Chicago have titles. Life ain't fair, is it?

Part of it was bad luck. In 1968, Houston lost to a UCLA team that was maybe the best team ever, period. In 1982 they lost to a UNC team that was one of the most talented ever. In 1984 they lost to a Georgetown team that was also among the most talented ever. No shame in those losses. 95% of all NCAA champions would have lost to those three teams as well.

But 1983, when THEY were among the most talented teams ever, well, that's just a hard one to swallow. That's just failing on the biggest stage, and my recollection was that Lewis was badly out-coached. Especially in the second half after Houston went on a run to take the lead. He got scared and pulled his team into a shell, exactly what NC State needed to stop the bleeding.

I wouldn't say badly out-coached. His team was exhausted, Drexler was in foul trouble and we suddenly couldn't make a free throw. Taking the air out of the ball wasn't a terrible decision, and it would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky miracle in-bounds play.

That team was a bad free throw shooting team. It was a bad decision.

Most college basketball teams are horrible at free throws.

(11-26-2015 10:45 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-26-2015 10:14 PM)splitstud Wrote:  I wouldn't say badly out-coached. His team was exhausted, Drexler was in foul trouble and we suddenly couldn't make a free throw. Taking the air out of the ball wasn't a terrible decision, and it would have worked if it wasn't for that pesky miracle in-bounds play.

Why would they be exhausted? College basketball is a short game and these were 20 year old kids with endless energy. The NC State players were playing at the same altitude. It was just dumb to kills his team's momentum. That team thrived running on all cylinders. They weren't a cerebral four corners type of team.

Anyway, RIP Guy Lewis.

Guy Lewis did stuff like allow Drexler to come one foul away from fouling out in the first half. That he slowed it down as UH was ready to run away with it is debatable but his coaching was a direct reason for why they lost.

And you try playing two games in three days in high altitude, I guarantee you'd be out of breath and your legs would feel like lead, especially given how hard and fast paced they played Louisville. NBA players complain all the time about Utah and Denver's altitude and its affect on them. Akeem was no exception as he struggled greatly in his career and was glued to the bench out of breath as NC State made its comeback.

(11-27-2015 01:11 AM)bullet Wrote:  That team was a bad free throw shooting team. It was a bad decision.

Not to mention Jim Valvano made it a point not to allow Houston to dunk and had his players foul every time they tried.