Mayo wrote in the GR Press that GVSC beat WMU/CMU/EMU and U of D in 76-77 as a NAIA school. I think you is wrong. Does anyone have any data that I can shove back at him? I didn't think that a D-1 school could play a NAIA school expect in exhibition games.
copied from previous reply
WMU has played Grand Valley 7 times losing twice
Score in
1975-76 WMU 107- 73
1976-77 WMU 94- GV 73.
1977-78-WMU 52- GV 56 L
1978-79 WMU 70- GV 71 L
1979-80 WMU 62- GV 60
1980-81 WMU 84 - GV 71
1981-82 WMU 100- GV 70
The L's were the last two years of Dick Shilts as head coach winning only 7 games each year.
Thanks. Those must have been some lean years!
Shiltz is an idiot that doesn't even know what color a basketball is...
FWIW -Coach Shilts has had only one losing year in his 29 years as head coach at KVCC and has been very helpful to the kids in the Kal area with his very popular summer camps. His KVCC record 570-274 (.675) Not shabby
That said DS seemed over his head at WMU primarily because of his recruiting, it was not because of a lack of basketball coaching knowledge. In Jan 1979 his worst WMU team was still able to upset a Nationally ranked Depaul. That same Depaul team was a #2 seed in the NCAA losing in the Final Four semifinals to Indiana State by 2 points.
He recruited STIFFS who were two steps too slow.
That Depaul win? They thought that they could just turn it on and win the game going away, wasn't the case. We were LUCKY.
I had a business class that night and cut through the field house on my way back to the dorm. The game was over, but the score had been left up on the scoreboard. I thought someone was playing a joke until I got back to the dorm and all of the guys were telling me about the game. Just my luck, I cut a few classes to see some of there other games that season, but not that one. I was sure that it was going to be a blow out.
Whats really sad is the simple fact that Miller, had he stayed, had a recruiting class that might have been one of the best ever in the MAC. There was a 6'8" kid from berkley that followed him to OSU. A kid who ended up at ND, and another to Marquette. Sorry I've forgotten their names, but remember, at the time, being really pissed that he left and they left prior to April signing after Dick S. took over.
If Miller had stayed he had verballed 4 kids who might have ended up the best recruiting class ever in the MAC. He took a 6'8"kid from Berkley with him to OSU.two others ended up at Notre Dame and Marquette.Can't remember where the other one ended up, but they all decommitted when Eldon took OSU job.
I remember that, he had a good class coming in that didn't end up coming. Same then as now, WMU didn't have the 'budget' to offer enough dough, never mind the fact that Read was filling up (Held 8,000 plus officially) and making $$, WMU was getting national attention translating into record enrollment at the time, they couldn't get the okay budget wise to bump his salary.
That's what happens when politics, the academic world, and business all try to come to a solution. Nothing. On the business logic scale, that ranks right up there with building the new, state of the art natatorium and then dropping swimming a couple of years later.
The Ohio native Eldon Miller said at the time was he left because of a desire to coach at Ohio State. Thirty years ago coaches did not seem to have as many $$ signs dancing in their heads.