The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Pat Boushka about 1956 Olympic gold medalist Dick Boushka

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Pat Boushka about his father Dick winning a gold medal in 1956. Today would have been Dick’s 86th birthday so we are proud to honor his memory.

Your father was born in Illinois and went to high school in Wisconsin: what made him choose St. Louis for college? He was always a big St. Louis sports fan and the university had a strong athletic program.

He played for Hall of Fame coach Eddie Hickey: what made Hickey such a great coach? My dad had a great love for Coach Hickey and credited him for being 1 of the most influential people in his life.

His career scoring average of 19.3 PPG still ranks #2 in school history and he was the highest-ranked geophysical engineering major in his class: how was he able to balance his work on the court with his work in the classroom? The advice he gave to myself and my brothers was to be very organized and have good time management.

He won a gold medal with team USA at the 1956 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? He was always proud of that opportunity/experience: it was 1 of the highlights of his life.

He won another gold medal with team USA at the 1959 Pan Am Games in Chicago: how did he like playing with a pair of legends in Oscar Robertson/Jerry West? There were a few legends on the 1956 team as well. He enjoyed playing with some of the best players in the history of the game.

He was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers but chose to play for the Wichita Vickers of the AAU, and at age 29 he became president of team sponsor Vickers Petroleum: how was he able to make such a smooth transition from player to president? It goes back to balancing academics and athletics in college. He applied that to his work life as well: discipline/focus/etc.

In 1987 he was named President of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: how did he get the job, and what was the best part? I do not remember much about that but he stayed very close to the game after he stopped playing. He was a big relationship guy and loved the game so much.

In 1976 he was inducted into the Billiken Hall of Fame and in 2015 he was voted to the SLU Men’s Basketball All-Century team: where do those honors rank among the highlights of his career? I know that 2015 was a special moment for him. We had a lot of family around to see his jersey raised: it was special for all of us.

He passed away last year: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He was a very friendly/outgoing guy. The same traits he developed during his basketball career served him well with his family.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Kevin Bontemps about 1952 Olympic gold medalist Ron Bontemps

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Kevin Bontemps about his father Ron winning a gold medal in 1952. Today marks the 68th anniversary of Ron scoring 7 PTS vs. the Soviet Union in Olympic round-robin pool play.

1 of your dad’s high school teammates was Johnny Orr, who later became 1976 national COY at Michigan: how close were the 2 of them? They were friends: you grow close to most of your teammates as basketball buddies. They both ended up at Beloit College together and exchanged Christmas cards every year.

They both played basketball at Taylorville High School where they went 45-0 thanks to your dad scoring a game-high 18 PTS to help beat Elgin High School in the 1944 Illinois high school state title game: how big a deal was it for him to be part of the 1st undefeated basketball team in state history? It was a big deal. I remember him referencing it because some team got pretty close about 2-3 years before that. Back then they had less restrictions on scheduling: he would practice 1-2 times/week and played games 3-4 times/week.

After graduating he joined the Army and served in World War II: what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? He was drafted but by the time he went to the Philippines the war had just ended. It was not completely safe but he was not in the turmoil that others went through just 6 months earlier.

After being discharged in 1946 he joined Orr at Illinois but they transferred to Beloit College after their high school coach Dolph Stanley recruited them both to join him there: was it always going to be a package deal, and they did have any regrets after seeing the Illini make 3 Final 4s in 4 years from 1949-1952? My recollection is that he took some summer classes at Illinois/played some basketball and then returned to Taylorville because he was unsure what he wanted to do. He was not engaged at Illinois so he went to California for a few months before joining Dolph. He met my mom at Beloit and had a lot of other good things happen there so he did not have any regrets.

He won 3 straight Midwest Conference titles from 1949-1951 and even played in the 1951 NIT: where does he rank among the greatest players in Beloit history? Speaking without bias I would say #1! He held the school’s career scoring title for more than 50 years until someone broke it about 15 years ago. He was certainly a big gun there but he was a modest guy. They were beating up on everyone in the conference back then. 1 year they played DePaul at Chicago Stadium: they won the game and set the Stadium scoring record with almost 100 PTS. I went to the NIT Final 4 as a freshman at Illinois and they gave me a watch. When I brought it home he showed me his own watch that he had received back in 1951. The NIT was a lot bigger deal back then.

In the spring of 1951 he was drafted 22nd overall by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks: why did he choose to not turn pro and instead play for the AAU Caterpillar Diesels in the National Industrial Basketball League? My older brother and I played basketball throughout high school: we could not understand his decision back then and asked him about it. He said that pro basketball was not the same: the money was not as big so guys would have to get jobs during the offseason. He worked at Caterpillar for 38 years and we did not want for anything. He kept the letter showing that he got drafted and my mom still has it packed away in a scrapbook.

After winning the 1952 AAU title and then beating NCAA tourney champ Kansas 62-60 he was 1 of 5 members of the Diesels who made the 14-man Olympic roster and won a gold medal as the captain of team USA: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? He was very proud of that and we heard lots of stories about it. He went to the Olympic trials in Denver and then the 2 best teams squared off in Kansas. It was a close game in the final minute: they held the ball, All-American Clyde Lovellette went down for the game-winning layup…and missed it. My dad got the ball, passed it ahead, and then someone made the game-winning jumper. Caterpillar coach Warren Womble got to bring his starting 5 (including my dad) and the rest of the team was made up of Kansas players. He took some photos and even had some film of the opening ceremonies. The gold medals back then were 2/3 the size that they are now but it was still pretty fun to bring it to school for show-and-tell! Every 4 years the local Peoria newspaper would call him for an interview and put his picture in the paper.

He was a 2-time AAU All-American in 1953/1954 and then spent almost 4 decades working for the Caterpillar Tractor Company: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors, and how did he like his off-court gig? I talk smack to my own sons about how great a player I was but my dad was a very humble guy. My mom had his Helms Hall of Fame award hanging on the wall and he even won a national POY award. He would answer questions if asked but never bragged about it. He won some other honors as well that we got to attend celebrations for, which was fun after just hearing all of the old stories. He always spoke highly of Caterpillar after working there a long time and never spoke a bad word about them. He retired with a pension that made life easier on us.

Just like your father you played basketball at Illinois and were later inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame: who is the best athlete in the family? I think that he was. We would play basketball out on the driveway all of the time and my dad was out there as well. Even when I was in high school I do not recall ever beating him 1-on-1. He played basketball well into his 60s but I had to quit in my late 40s due to some injuries. He even played tennis into his 70s. We would have open gym during school and dad would stop by: it was so much fun to play with him.

He passed away in 2017: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He was a modest/humble guy who worked really hard at the sport that he loved. However, his family/church were the priorities in his life after college, which always impressed me. He had very high integrity up until the end a few years ago and was a solid example for his kids. I still miss sitting around and talking to him.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Leesie Guthridge about 1976 Olympic gold medalist Bill Guthridge

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Leesie Guthridge about her late husband Bill winning a gold medal in 1976 and making 14 Final 4s. Today marks the 44th anniversary of team USA beating Yugoslavia 95-74 to clinch the gold medal AND it would have been his 83rd birthday so we are proud to honor his memory.

(photo credit: usab.com)

Bill made the 1958 Final 4 as a player at Kansas State for Hall of Fame coach Tex Winter and the 1964 Final 4 as an assistant to Tex: what made Winter such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that Bill ever learned from him? Bill thought that Tex was a great coach but I hardly knew him. He developed an offense called the Triangle which was used by his college team and later the NBA championship teams of the Bulls/Lakers.

He graduated with a degree in mathematics and later got a masters’ degree in education: how much importance did he place on academics? He felt that academics were VERY important. His mother/father had both been teachers and his father later became Superintendent of Schools in Parsons, KS. He was unhappy when players began leaving school early and would hate the situation today when players only stay 1-2 years before going to the pros without getting a college education.

He spent 30 years as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith at North Carolina: why did he stick around for so long rather than try to become a head coach elsewhere, and what kind of relationship did the fellow Kansas natives have after working side-by-side for 3 decades? Bill & Dean were both from Kansas and had known each other for many years before Bill came to Chapel Hill. They had very similar backgrounds: Dean’s parents were also teachers in Kansas. They made a good team: Bill did things that Dean did not like doing while Dean did some head coaching things that Bill did not like doing. Even though they had different personalities they thought alike on many issues. Bill had many opportunities to become a head coach but turned them down after exploring them. His goal was never to be a head coach. He seriously considered offers from Penn State/Arkansas/Georgia Tech but in the end he decided that he already had the best job possible at UNC.

He had many roles in Chapel Hill including recruiting, coaching pivot play to the big men, serving as shooting coach, and overseeing summer basketball camps: did he have a favorite role, and how was he able to take on so many different things? Bill was very organized and was able to accomplish a lot. He liked all of his roles in coaching.

He served as an assistant to Smith for team USA at the 1976 Olympics: how much pressure was there on the team to win it all after the USA’s controversial loss to the Soviets in the 1972 gold medal game? I do not know about the pressure to win that game: he mainly talked about the total experience. He really liked Montreal and enjoyed having John Thompson as 1 of his fellow assistant coaches.

What did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? Bill loved participating in the Olympics: he was very patriotic and felt that it was an honor to represent his country. UNC always played to win games, tournaments, and of course the Olympic gold medal.

After Smith retired in October of 1997 Bill took over, led his team to the Final 4, set a record for 1st-year coaches by winning 34 games, and was named national COY: how did he feel about replacing his former boss, and what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? They had many discussions about retirement but Bill was already 60 so knew that he would not coach many more years. When Dean retired their team was gone. Bill took on Dean’s former duties but there was not really anyone to take on Bill’s former duties so he did both jobs: it was very exhausting for him!

He finished his career with 14 Final Fours on his resume (1 as a Kansas State player, 1 as a Kansas State assistant, 10 as a North Carolina assistant, and 2 as a North Carolina head coach), which remains the most in NCAA men’s history: do you think that anyone will ever break his record, and did it reach a point where the family just stopped making plans every spring because they assumed that they would be attending the Final 4?! Records are always broken at some point so his will probably be broken. He felt very honored to receive the Coach of the Year Award. March/April were never vacation months for our family: we always had kids in school and whenever Bill finished a tournament it was still a recruiting month for him.

In 1994 he was inducted into the Kansas Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2013 he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame: where did these rank among the highlights of his career? Bill felt very honored by the Hall of Fame Awards but I would say that they were not the highlights of his career. Tournament wins, Final Fours, National Championships, and Olympic gold medals were more important to him.

He passed away in 2015: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I think that Bill would like to be remembered as a good/honorable person. He was a good coach who always wanted the best for his players: to become good people 1st and good players 2nd. I have had many people tell me how much they miss him and his manner on the court.

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The Hoops HD Report: July Session

Posted on July 26, 2020 by David Griggs

Chad and the panel take a look at how COVID continues to impact sports, particularly the start of college sports this fall, and the potential impact on the upcoming college basketball season.  We share our thoughts and feelings on what an altered college basketball season may look like.

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

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Jill Hutchison about 1976 Olympic silver medalist Charlotte Lewis

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Hall of Famer Jill Hutchison about Charlotte Lewis winning a silver medal in 1976. Today marks the 44th anniversary of team USA beating Czechoslovakia 83-67 to clinch a silver medal, while the Soviet Union beat Japan 98-75 to clinch the gold.

  (photo credit: usab.com)

Charlotte attended Woodruff High School but since Peoria public schools did not offer varsity basketball for girls back then she just played against boys on local playgrounds: how did you learn about her, and how did you recruit her to Illinois State? I had never heard of Charlotte until she showed up on campus. She had never played organized basketball but some of our players saw her in the gym and convinced her to try out. It was not a tough decision to take her!

She was a 6’2” center who set school records for REB in a game (27) and season (345): what was her secret for being a great rebounder? Charlotte was the best female rebounder that I have ever seen: she could literally sky! She had a high center of gravity and very strong upper body that made her a natural rebounder. She learned to track the ball off the glass and was intimidating in the paint.

She also played volleyball at Illinois State and finished 4th in the nation in the javelin in 1975: which sport was she best at, and which sport did she enjoy the most? Although Charlotte enjoyed both volleyball and track her favorite/best sport was basketball.

She won a gold medal with team USA at the 1975 Pan Am Games (the 1st gold medal for the US since 1963) and won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics: what did it mean to her to win a gold medal, and what did it mean to her to win a silver medal? Charlotte was beaming when she returned from both the Pan Am Games and the Olympics. Both were definite highlights of her career for which she was extremely proud.

In February of 1977 she scored a career-high 37 PTS in a game vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot she put up seemed to go in because she was “in the zone”? She was “in the zone” and played with an unbelievable energy that day. She got most of her points in the paint but could also hit the 12-15 footer.

In 1977 she was named a Kodak All-American and was a finalist for the Wade Trophy (as the nation’s top female athlete): what did it mean to her to receive such outstanding honors? Being named an All-American was huge for Charlotte and going to New York to accept the award was the thrill of a lifetime. She was also proud to be among those named a finalist for the Wade Trophy since she knew many of the other great players.

She won 4 AIAW state titles from 1974-1978 but left school before graduating and played pro basketball for 15 years both abroad and in the US: why did she leave school early, and how was she able to play pro for such a long time? She left before finishing student teaching because she was not confident in front of a class…although she left with better than a 3.0 GPA. She played with some great players, especially in Brazil. She was an elite player with other elite teammates and enjoyed her time overseas.

After retiring at age 40 she returned to Illinois State to get her degree: why did she come back to campus, and how on earth did she balance 3 jobs while simultaneously taking classes?! Charlotte returned to her hometown of Peoria and was determined to finish her degree. She attended Illinois Central College and Illinois State simultaneously while working those 3 jobs. She was focused and totally determined to finish in 2 years…and she made it!

She was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983 and her jersey was retired in 2002: where do those rank among the highlights of her career? Charlotte received a lot of recognition following her Olympic experience and was very appreciative of her Hall of Fame recognition. Retiring her jersey was especially “sweet” since the only other retired jersey at Illinois State was Doug Collins: they both played in the Olympics.

She passed away in 2007 at age 52 and was posthumously inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame in 2016: when people look back on her career, how do you think that she should be remembered the most? Opponents and teammates alike would consider Charlotte a very intimidating player. Her ability to dominate the lane, dunk the ball, snatch a rebound off the rim and run the floor with the guards made her special. To her teammates she was also a gentle giant: she had a beautiful singing voice, a caring for others, and a huge heart. She was a special person who came out of the projects and became successful not only as a player but a person.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1996 Olympic gold medalist Katy Steding

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Jon Teitel

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 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Katy Steding about winning an NCAA title in 1990 and a gold medal in 1996. Today marks the 24th anniversary of Katy getting 4 STL vs. Zaire in Olympic round-robin pool play.

You were born/raised in Portland: what made you choose Stanford? I chose Stanford because of the education. My freshman year was the first year of the Women’s Pac-10. I wanted the best education I could get in exchange for playing basketball!

You played for Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer (who later led you to a gold medal at the 1991 World University Game/1996 Atlanta Olympics): what makes her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? I think that the essence of Tara is a relentless pursuit of excellence, knowing what motivates an athlete to push themselves further each day, and no one outworks her or her program. The biggest thing I learned from her is to always perform at your best both for yourself and the people around you.

You set a school record with 8.7 RPG as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I got an opportunity to play due to an unfortunate injury to a player ahead of me in the rotation. I credit the juniors/seniors in the program for their support of Jennifer Azzi and myself from the start. I never got the sense from them that there was any resentment to having us start as freshmen: in fact, they were the most supportive and encouraging teammates that I have ever experienced.

In December of 1988 you set a school record with 10 STL in a game against Northwestern: what is the secret to playing great defense? Being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of every opportunity: very few people ever accused me of playing great defense!

As a senior you led the conference with 46.4 3P%: how were you able to balance your rebounding with your defense with your 3-PT shooting? Tara moved me to the perimeter when I was a sophomore and I knew that I was a good shooter. She continued to emphasize rebounding for me even from the guard/wing spot. I always had a knack for finding the ball so I just kept doing that! We had such a complete team that I got great opportunities even though I had changed positions.

In the 1990 NCAA tourney title game you were named CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game after scoring 18 PTS in 7-PT win over Auburn: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We were nervous but focused in the Final 4 and were on a mission. I was fortunate to hit my first shot on a transition 3, which helped settle my nerves. Winning a title is the ultimate feeling of accomplishment and to do that with my group of friends was the best reward for all of the hard work that we had put in over the years.

After earning a spot on the US National Team in 1995 you went 60-0 including a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and where do you think that team ranks among the greatest in women’s basketball history? Playing in/winning the Olympics was one of the biggest accomplishments of my athletic career. It was hugely rewarding not only to win but to be a part of one of the greatest and most accomplished teams in US Olympic history. The collection of players we had that year was a great bridge from the beginnings of USA Women’s Basketball to the excellence that we have experienced during the past 20+ years. It was such an exciting time to be a part of the history of USA Basketball.

You played overseas for a few years and then spent a few years playing in the ABL/WNBA: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in foreign countries? It was a wonderful time to be playing overseas when I was in Japan/Spain: I had the time of my life! There were so many differences between US basketball and overseas basketball such as styles/rules but I think that the biggest difference was the fan engagement/experience.

You were inducted into the Stanford Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2004: where do those rank among the highlights of your career? I am very proud to be included in both the Oregon/Stanford Halls of Fame. It is rewarding to be recognized for all of the hard work that I put in over the years. I am grateful to be included/recognized and am so happy that I was able to be a part of such incredible programs and contribute to the success that we all experienced!

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