The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Jim Sumner about 1976 Olympic gold medalist Tate Armstrong

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 85 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 45 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues his coverage by chatting with Jim Sumner (columnist for Go Duke: The Magazine and Duke Basketball Report) about Tate Armstrong being a great shooter and winning a gold medal.

(photo credit: worthpoint.com)

Armstrong was born in Georgia and went to high school in Texas: what made him choose Duke? I am unsure if he was heavily recruited. He was a 6-2 center in high school and was also a ball boy for the Houston Rockets. Jack Marin played for Houston at the time and they shot around before games. Duke coach Bucky Waters had helped recruit Marin to Duke when Waters was an assistant, and Marin later recommended Armstrong to Duke. Ironically, Waters never got to coach Armstrong.

He played for Coach Neill McGeachy as a freshman: why did the Blue Devils hire Bill E. Foster to replace him in 1974, and what impact did it have on the team? Waters had a five-year contract and entering his final year he asked Duke AD Carl James for an extension. James declined and Waters resigned days before the beginning of practice. McGeachy was Waters’ top assistant and James did not really have any other options. McGeachy was given one year to prove his worthiness. His team went 10-16, which set a school record for losses. By accounts, McGeachy’s players loved him, but 10-16 is, well, 10-16. Foster came in and installed an up-tempo offense, both to bring back a dwindling fan base and attract recruits, and this played to Armstrong’s strengths.

After averaging 9.7 PPG/1.7 APG as a sophomore he averaged 24.2 PPG/4.4 APG as a junior: how was he able to improve so much in the course of just 1 year? Two reasons. One, he was healthy. Two, he was in better shape. Foster told him he wanted him to be in better shape for 1976 so Armstrong went home to Texas and ran 10-15 miles every day…in Houston…in the summer.

In 1976 he was named 1st-team All-ACC and 1st-team All-ACC tourney: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? I am sure that he was pleased but I am also sure that he wanted more wins. He told me once that it was agonizing to score so many points in so many losses, but it was Duke’s best chance to win games.

He won a gold medal with team USA at the 1976 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? I am sure that he was pleased but I suspect he wishes that he could have played more.

In his senior year the team started 10-1 before losing 12 of their final 16 games to finish 14-13: how good could that 1977 roster (including 4 future NBA players in Armstrong/Mark Crow/Mike Gminski/Jim Spanarkel) have been had Armstrong not been limited to only 14 games due to a right wrist injury he suffered during an 8-PT OT win at Virginia that January? This is one of the great what-ifs in Duke history. A maximum of two teams from any one conference could go to the NCAA Tournament in those days and North Carolina was going to get one of those two spots. Duke almost certainly would have had to win the ACC Tournament to go to the NCAA Tournament. I doubt whether they had the depth to do that but an NIT bid was very doable, and after a six-year run of mediocrity even an NIT bid would have been a major step in the right direction. A final note on that season: Armstrong’s last game was that win at Virginia, which ended a five-year-ACC road losing streak for Duke. Armstrong scored 33 points and played the entire second half and overtime with a broken right wrist…and he was right-handed. He finished the game despite a broken wrist that hurt tremendously with every shot/dribble.

He finished his college career with 51.9 FG%/80.4 FT%: what was his secret for being such a great shooter? Are great shooters born or made? Yes. In other words, he came to Duke with potential and worked very hard to maximize that potential. As a senior he beat Washington and Richmond on buzzer-beaters so everyone knew that he could shoot in the clutch.

In the summer of 1977 he was drafted 13th overall by Chicago (5 spots behind Jack Sikma): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? From my conversations with Tate, I think his NBA memories are bittersweet. He was hurt a lot and played at a time when drug use and marital infidelity were issues that bothered him…a lot.

He played 2 years with the Bulls and after retiring he became a real estate developer in the DC area and had 7 children: how did his Duke education prepare for life off the court? Well, his wife was a Duke cheerleader when they met, so he probably would cite that! He was a somewhat famous ex-athlete with a degree from an academically elite and well-known university. Combine that with the kind of work ethic that made him a standout basketball player and one can connect the dots pretty easily.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? It is hard to say. He was really only healthy for about a season and a half, never played in the NCAA Tournament or NIT, and never played past the first round of the ACC Tournament. That magical 1978 Duke season basically overshadowed anything Duke had done in the almost decade since Vic Bubas left coaching, but when Tate was healthy he was one of the great shooters/scorers in Duke history. Only Dick Groat (twice), Art Heyman (thrice), Bob Verga, and JJ Redick have ever averaged more points for Duke in a season then the 24.22 Armstrong averaged in 1976. He is probably best remembered as someone who should be better remembered.

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The Hoops HD Report: July/August Session

After a long hiatus, the Hoops HD crew is finally back!!  On this episode we discuss the possibility/probability of Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC, and what impact that could have on conference realignment.  We also discuss the impact of players now being allowed to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and how that could possibly impact the competitive balance in college hoops.  We also touch on the Alston Case and how the Supreme Court upheld the original ruling.

And for all you radio lovers, below is and audio only version of the show…

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Carolyn “CJ” Young

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 85 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 45 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues his coverage by chatting with Carolyn “CJ” Young about becoming the greatest scorer in ABL history and winning a bronze medal.

You were born/raised in Mississippi: what made you choose Auburn? I fell in love with the school around 8th or 9th grade after attending a camp there with Assistant coach Carol Ross. She was so genuine and we hit it off from the start.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Joe Ciampi: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is a great hard-nosed guy who told us exactly what we were going to do. Basketball is a teaching school that involves a lot of life lessons: discipline, hard work, etc. Winning a title does not happen every time but we got close several years in a row.

You made the NCAA tourney title game in 1989 and 1990 and lost both times: what was it like to face the 2 winningest female coaches in college basketball history (Pat Summitt/Tara VanDerveer) with a championship on the line? They are 2 of the greats. It was a dogfight both times involving teams/coaches that were parts of dynasties. It was a heartbreaker to get there and lose: it would have been nice to get 1 championship.

In 1990 you were named SEC tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? I was 1 of those players who wanted the ball when the game was on the line. Some people do not like that situation but all I did in college was books and basketball. I was a bulldog who wanted to win by any means necessary.

In the summer of 1992 you played for team USA at the Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a bronze medal? It was an a-ha moment: I was 1 of 12 people representing an entire country. It still gives me chills to think about it and it was 1 of the greatest things I have ever been a part of. Gold is much better but I was still happy to win the bronze medal.

1 of your Olympic teammates was your college teammate Vickie Orr: how special was it for you 2 to share that experience together? It was awesome. Vickie is a great person/player and is arguably 1 of the best players in Auburn history.

The US women’s team just won their 7th straight Olympic gold medal earlier this month: do you think they will ever lose again? Never say never. I hope we do not…but the men never thought they would lose after getting NBA players. The world is catching up but right now we are the cream of the crop and I do not see us losing anytime soon. Hard work is undefeated!

You later played in the ABL for the New England Blizzard and set a league record with 21.5 career PPG: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Having that bulldog mentality. I was a pretty good defender as well but offense was my go-to skill. I am 52 years old and have 4 kids but still love running up and down the floor.

Your daughter Audia recently committed to Auburn, your daughter Ariel plays for North Carolina, and your husband CY made the NCAA tourney as a player at Georgia Southern: who is the best athlete in the family? That would be me! It is great to see my baby girl going to Auburn. My husband was a great player and still plays in a church league. We are a basketball family through and through even though we did not force it on our kids: they just fell in love with it.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I guess as an athlete who gave it all with blood/sweat/tears. I never gave up, was honest/down to earth, and was a great teammate/person. I think that I would be okay with that.

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Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews former FGCU coach Dave Balza

Last spring Palm Beach Atlantic coach Dave Balza announced that he would be retiring from coaching after spending the past 8 years with the Sailfish. His career on the sidelines started with a bang in 1989 when he was a student manager for Michigan during their run to the the 1989 NCAA tourney title. Although it was Coach Andy Enfield who brought “Dunk City” to Ft. Myers, it is Balza who remains the winningest coach in school history with a record of 153-121 from 2002-2011. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Balza about winning an NCAA title and marrying a Spartan. Today is Coach Balza’s 52nd birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

Take me though the magical 1989 NCAA tourney as a student manager for Michigan:
Just days before the tournament started, Coach Bill Frieder announced that he would become head coach at ASU, so athletic director Bo Schembechler fired Frieder and named assistant Steve Fisher as interim coach: what was it like going through that coaching change, and how was the team able to maintain its focus? I had an interesting piece in that. I was taping games off of the satellite onto VHS tapes and the only satellite was in Frieder’s office. It was 1AM and someone startled me by jiggling the handle of the door: it turned out to be Frieder. He told me he was afraid that I was Schembechler and was cleaning out his office! It was a big story at the time, but we were told not to comment on the situation. Someone called my roommate Rob Pelinka (who is now general manager of the Lakers) and said he was from Sports Illustrated and just looking for a comment but Rob refused to say anything: it turned out to be a prank by our teammate Loy Vaught! Fisher loosened the atmosphere and made some positional changes, which allowed our talent to take over.

Tourney MOP Glen Rice scored a combined 70 PTS in back-to-back wins over South Alabama/UNC: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up that month seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? Half the time it seemed like he was not even facing the basket and would just flip up a shot and it would go in! I have never seen anything like it.

Sean Higgins scored 14 PTS and made a put-back with 1 second left in a 2-PT win over conference foe Illinois: where does Higgins’ shot rank among the most clutch you have ever seen, and were you concerned that your team might not have anything left for the final? Illinois had beaten us twice that season, including at our place on Senior Night. Rice came into the locker room after that game and said that it was our last loss of the season. Higgins had a lot of moxie and could always put the ball in the basket. Fisher played Higgins at the end of the Final 4 game on a hunch and it just worked out well.

Rumeal Robinson made a pair of FT with 3 seconds left in a 1-PT OT win over Seton Hall: did you think that Rumeal was going to make both FT, and what did it mean to you to win the title? I did think that he was going to make them. As managers we spent a lot of time watching him make 100 FTs after practice every single day (after he had missed a pair earlier that season in a loss at Wisconsin). It meant a lot to everybody: we all stay in contact even today.

What are your memories of the 1990 NCAA tourney (Jeff Fryer scored 41 PTS including a tourney-record 11-15 3PM in 32 minutes in a 149-115 win by Loyola Marymount, which remains the highest scoring game in tourney history)? I remember the pre-game discussion among the coaching staff whether to run with them: it was the wrong decision to say the least! LMU was a special team playing for a special cause (after Hank Gathers’ death).

As an assistant coach at Cleveland State in 1993 your team went 15-1 in the regular season before a 28-PT loss to Illinois-Chicago in the conference tourney: what did it mean to you to win the regular season title, and how devastating was the conference tourney loss? It is very difficult to win conference titles: Michigan did not win a conference title from 1986-2012. At a big school you can get an at-large berth but at a small school like Cleveland State you cannot. It was crushing to be in that situation.

In 2002 you became head coach at Florida Gulf Coast: why did you decide to take the job, and how much pressure was there on you as the 1st head coach in school history? There was not a lot of pressure because nobody outside the school knew who we were: the school had only been founded a few years earlier. I had a good job as a head coach in the state of Indiana and had just been named conference COY but I had a lot of respect for the AD at FGCU. I went to visit the campus and realized that it would become a special job in the years ahead.

In 2007 your school made the leap from D-2 to D-1: what is the biggest difference between the 2 levels? There are many differences. I never thought that we would make the jump that quickly. In D-2 we were the haves but as a 1st-year D-1 program we were a have-not. We had to play guarantee games against Big 10 schools just to make some money to support all of our other programs. It is hard to sell a kid on coming to a school where you cannot even play in the postseason for the 1st couple of years.

You coached Beau Bauer (the 1st-ever 1st-team Academic All-American in school history): what role do you place on academics? I cannot say enough about that kid. We stress academics a lot and explain everyone’s role in it. When you are playing at an All-American level it is all about the kid.

In the spring of 2011 you were fired despite winning 4 of your final 5 games: were you surprised that they fired you, and how little job security do coaches have these days? I was definitely disappointed for a lot of reasons. We went through 3 presidents/3 athletic directors during the transition. Expectations in D-1 are very different than in D-2 but job security is very difficult at all levels.

The following month you were hired as coach at D-3 Bethany Lutheran College: why did you take the job? I took the job because it was a chance to meld my 2 passions of coaching basketball and being a Christian. We were picked 2nd in the league, which might have been a reach, but we had some good young kids.

You are a Michigan grad who married a Michigan State alum: how were you able to make that work?! I always joke with her that it took her a little while to figure it out…because after college she went to grad school at Michigan! Our favorite time of the year is the day of the Michigan-Michigan State football game: it is a neat little bond we share.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I hope they remember the way we started it: I handed out t-shirts around campus that said “Building a 1st-class tradition.” Over the next century, I hope they realize that we brought in good people who worked their tails off to do things the right way.

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Happy birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Mark Fox about former Georgia star Yante Maten

If the G League serves as a superior stepping stone to the NBA (Jalen Green/Jonathan Kuminga were both top-7 picks in last month’s draft), then Yante Maten should be back in the Association in the very near future. After being named 2018 SEC POY as a player at Georgia, he played a couple of games for the Miami Heat but has done most of his damage in the G League: 23.5 PPG for Sioux Falls in 2019 and 18.1 PPG for Maine in 2020. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to interview Yante’s college coach Mark Fox about his 3-time All-SEC player. Today is Yante’s 25th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1: he got an early birthday gift last week when he signed with Orlando!

 (photo credit: dawgnation.com)

Yante grew up in Michigan: what made him choose Georgia? He had an interest in a major that we offered on the study of reptiles/lizards. We have a great program and have had a lot of success with PFs.

He played both PF and C during college: which position do you think will be his best fit at the next level? He played PF for us 90% of the time. In the pro game I think that he can play both the 3 and 4.

In the 2016 NIT he scored a career-high 33 PTS/14-17 FG in a 9-PT win over Belmont: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? He shot the 3 well in that game: it was 1 of the times where he realized just how much his talent could impact the game. It was not a surprise to me because he is such a gifted offensive player.

In 2018 he was named SEC POY: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? It was a real reward for how hard he worked. He was a terrific player and it meant a lot for other people to recognize that. He had a great season: he is a player who got better every year and will continue to do so.

In the Reese’s College All-Star Game that spring he scored 17 PTS in 19 minutes in a 4-PT win for the West en route to being named MOP: how was he able to play his best against the best? I was not able to attend the game due to a meeting but he has a pretty versatile game so in a setting like that he just found ways to finish plays. Some guys are specialists but his versatility really helped him.

He graduated in the top-5 in school history with 1886 PTS/889 REB/198 BLK: how was he able to balance his offense with his defense? He is longer/bigger than many people realize and just has a natural knack of blocking shots, which was just an added bonus.

He also finished his college career as a 40.3% 3-PT shooter: how was a guy his size able to be so accurate from behind the arc? He worked very hard on his shooting throughout his career and became an excellent 3-PT shooter. It is a credit to all of the hard work that he put in.

At the NBA Draft Combine he led everyone in bench press reps and was measured with only 8% body fat: how much of an advantage does his athleticism give him on the court? He is strong/powerful/agile. Having those attributes will be an advantage but it is tough to compete against the best athletes in the world.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? The 1 thing is that he is a better person than he is a player. He had a huge impact on our university community as such a phenomenal person, and statistically he is 1 of the best in our school’s history. I hope he is remembered as 1 of the best players in SEC history.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Bob Holt about 1984 Olympic gold medalist Alvin Robertson

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 85 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 45 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues his coverage by chatting with sportswriter Bob Holt about Alvin Robertson being a great defender and winning a gold medal.

Robertson was born/raised in Ohio and began his college career at Crowder College: what made him choose Arkansas? He was from Barberton, OH. I do not recall how Arkansas placed him there but I know that Crowder is not very far from Fayetteville.

He played for Hall of Fame coach Eddie Sutton: what impact did Sutton have on his career? Eddie was always known for having defensive guards: the Triplets (Sidney Moncrief/Ron Brewer/Marvin Delph) scored a lot but Sidney was also a great defensive player. Alvin and Darrell Walker were an incredible backcourt tandem and epitomized Sutton’s philosophy of generating offense off of their defense. There were some non-conference games where it was like a victory if the opponent could just get the ball over midcourt! There was no shot clock/3-PT line but the Razorbacks still scored a lot of points.

He made the NCAA tourney 3 straight years and lost 3 games by a combined 5 PTS: do you consider his college career a success (due to all of the postseason appearances) or a failure (due to all of the heartbreaking losses) or other? With all due respect you cannot view his college career as a failure: he was a high draft pick and won an Olympic gold medal. Those were some heartbreaking tourney losses to be sure but Alvin was a fabulous player and received a lot of accolades for it.

In the summer of 1984 he was drafted 7th overall by San Antonio (2 spots behind Charles Barkley): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I think it meant a lot to him. I do not think that he grew up with a lot so getting drafted was a way out of a tough life. He played hard and it was a big motivation to get to the NBA and make a good life for himself.

A couple of months later as a member of team USA he won an Olympic gold medal: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? It meant a lot, especially having his college teammate Joe Kleine on the Olympic team:

Bobby Knight was the coach and another player on the team was Michael Jordan. Only 1 other school had multiple players on the Olympic team (North Carolina’s duo of Jordan/Sam Perkins) so it was a big deal for Arkansas. Alvin earned his spot because he was such a relentless defender.

On February 18, 1986, he became the only guard to ever record a quadruple-double with 20 PTS/11 REB/10 AST/10 STL in a win over Phoenix: how was he able to balance all of the different aspects of his game? He could just do it all. He was 6’4” and really athletic. Most other guys got their quadruple-doubles with BLK but Alvin was the only 1 to do it with STL. He did not just get loose balls that bounced his way: he would steal the ball directly out of his opponents’ hands. He was a great rebounder and solid passer who could do a lot of things really well.

He made the All-Star Game 4 times from 1986-1991: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? I assume it meant a lot to him because he had a lot of pride in his game and would just go out and play hard. It was pretty much an American game back then so being an All-Star meant that he was 1 of the best players in the world.

He led the league in SPG 3 times from 1986-1991, was named to the All-Defensive team 6 times, and his 2.7 career SPG remains #1 in NBA history: where does he rank among the best defenders in the history of the sport? Those numbers speak for themselves. He had quick hands to steal the ball and quick feet to stay in front of people. He was also very intimidating: Reggie Miller was a famous trash-talker who could also back it up…but his teammates once told him to not say anything to Alvin! Nobody wants to get embarrassed by having someone steal the ball from them and then go down the court and dunk it. He took such pride in playing defense: he built his game off of that mentality. Walker once said that there were some NBA players who were simply afraid of Alvin.

His son Tyrell Johnson played in the NFL, his son Elgin Cook plays pro basketball overseas, and his brother Ken played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? I knew about Elgin but did not know about the others. For my money it is Alvin!

He had some back injuries late in his career, followed by several off-court legal problems since retiring: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? It is kind of a complicated legacy. I wrote a story last year about his on-court success and off-court issues while trying to control his anger and being falsely accused of some things. I guess I did a good job because there were people from both sides of the aisle emailing me to complain! I am sure that the back injuries affected him: Walker said that if Alvin had remained healthy then he could have become a Hall of Fame player. He was great at both Arkansas and in the NBA but there is still a lot of gray area. I do not think that he is a horrible person: he just got involved with some people that he would have been better off not being involved with.

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