Friday, December 14, 2018

When honored names are revived

I enjoy watching when programs begin to revive that once were bellweathers, but which have fallen on hard times for a while. We have a couple of examples this season. San Fransisco, of course, was a powerhouse team during the 1950s - indeed, THE powerhouse team, what with Mr. Russell swatting shots and dominating the boards. They had back-to-back national championships, three straight Final Fours, and the longest winning streak in the pre-Wooden days. Then they went to the Elite eight twice in the 1960s and twice in the 1970s. It has been a while since the Dons have been a factor, but there may be something in the works this year. Kyle Smith has them at 9-1 in the early going.

Likewise, DePaul has been just awful in recent years, the doormat of the Big East. However, they, too, had their heyday. They have been to two Final Fours, and eight Sweet Sixteens from 1953 to 1984. Before that, the great George Mikan made them a household name.  Coach Ray Meyer led the team for 40 seasons, notching seven straight 20-win seasons from 1978 to 1984. While the Blue Demons are not scaring anyone yet, they have started the season at 6-2, which gives some hope that things may be on the upswing somewhat.

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