We are still about 2 weeks away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Little Rock coach Darrell Walker, who talked about winning a title with Michael Jordan and his expectations for this season.
In the 1981 NCAA tourney as a player at Arkansas you scored a game-high 23 PTS and your teammate US Reed swished a 49-footer at the buzzer to clinch a 1-PT upset of defending national champion Louisville (www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-TtGo8CwUM): what are your memories of 1 of the most fantastic finishes in NCAA tourney history? I remember Coach Eddie Sutton in the huddle telling us to get the ball to US and that we were going to win the game. It was a spectacular shot.
In 1983 you were named All-American/conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I had put in some hard work to become a complete basketball player so to make a Sweet 16 and win some conference titles felt good.
In the decisive Game 5 of the 1984 Eastern Conference 1st round as a player with the Knicks (your 1st-ever playoff series), Bernard King scored 44 PTS in 41 minutes despite having the flu and a pair of dislocated middle fingers while Isiah Thomas scored 16 PTS in the final 93 seconds of regulation to force OT: which of these 2 amazing achievements impressed you the most? Both of them were pretty impressive. Bernard was just phenomenal for that entire series as he averaged about 43 PPG. I remember it being very hot at Joe Louis Arena that night due to the lack of air conditioning but we were able to get the win.
In 1993 you won an NBA title with Chicago as they became the 1st team to win 3 straight titles since Boston in the 1960s: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was it like to have Michael Jordan as a teammate? It was great to win a title back home in Chicago where I grew up. Playing with MJ was like going around with the Rolling Stones 24/7. It was so fun that year to see him play so well despite all of the pressure/expectations.
You played for some of the best coaches in NBA history including Hubie Brown/Chuck Daly/Phil Jackson: what was the most important thing that you learned from any of them? I took something from all of them: Chuck was a master at dealing with players, Hubie was all about preparation, and Phil never seemed to get uptight.
You were a 2-time conference DPOY and your 1.5 career SPG remains top-80 in NBA history: what is the secret to being a great defender? Wanting to do it! All good defenders want to guard their opponent even though it is a thankless job, and footspeed also helps.
Your wife Lisa was an All-American sprinter at Arkansas and joined you in the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame: who is the best athlete in the family? You are talking to him! If she was standing here I would tell you the same thing.
Your roster at Little Rock only has 2 in-state players: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? We are a small mid-major but my staff and I know a lot of people all over the basketball world. We recruit guys from everywhere but the key is having good contacts.
Your team allowed opponents to shoot almost 40 3P% last year: how big a priority is perimeter defense this year? It has been very important and I have stressed it all summer. We scored more than enough PTS to win some games last year but to be honest we were horrible on the defensive end. We moved on from last season and have some guys whose focus will be on contesting shots this year.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? To win games and be 90% better defensively. We want to hold teams in the 60s so it is all about the defense: if we defend better then we will win games.