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'Nova fans -- Massimino enters hospice, and then passes away the next day

Rollie has always struck me as one of those people who, if you're a fan of college hoops and don't like him, that says far more about you than about him. Unless you were already a fan of a hated rival school, who didn't become a Nova bball fan back then? I sure did.

Sad to see another icon facing his final days. He and Jud.... two of the most recognizable college hoops coaches from that era. Always makes me feel a little sad when these guys pass.
 
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Lion84 said:
Yeah - Unlike the Pirates.

I met Rollie's daughter Lee Ann a few times - very nice family and really helped put 'Nova hoops on the map.
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Not to quibble, but Villanova hoops was on the map before Rollie. They made the NCAA tourney a number of times starting in 1939 under Al Severance and continuing with Jack Kraft, and had some really dynamic players.

Not to quibble, of course.
 
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psuro said:
Not to quibble, but Villanova hoops was on the map before Rollie. They made the NCAA tourney a number of times starting in 1939 under Al Severance and continuing with Jack Kraft, and had some really dynamic players.

Not to quibble, of course.
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Thanks for mentioning that. Villanova played in the very first Final Four and thru the years cranked out NBA Champions and Hall of Famers like Pitchin' Paul Arizin, George Raveling, Chris Ford, Wali Jones, Howard Porter, Jumpin' Jim Washington and Hubie White in the pre-Massimino era.

I'm pretty sad about the news. I graduated from Villanova in 1984 and we were burning it up with Rollie - three Final Eights while I was there and the Natty the next year. Mass was a tremendous recruiter and a tempo/defense-first coach. There will never be another conference as strong as the Big East in those days - John Thompson at Georgetown, Louie Carnesecca at St. Johns, Boeheim at Syracuse, Rollie at Villanova. Providence, Pitt, UConn hadn't gotten up to full power yet but everybody in the conference had at least one guy that could beat you on a given night - everybody was dangerous.

Time passes for all of us. Thompson is late 70's now, Louie is in his 90's. Enjoy life every day.
 
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psuro said:
Not to quibble, but Villanova hoops was on the map before Rollie. They made the NCAA tourney a number of times starting in 1939 under Al Severance and continuing with Jack Kraft, and had some really dynamic players.

Not to quibble, of course.
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Villanova was in the Final Four in 1939.
 
Fox Chapel Lion II said:
Thanks for mentioning that. Villanova played in the very first Final Four and thru the years cranked out NBA Champions and Hall of Famers like Pitchin' Paul Arizin, George Raveling, Chris Ford, Wali Jones, Howard Porter, Jumpin' Jim Washington and Hubie White in the pre-Massimino era.

I'm pretty sad about the news. I graduated from Villanova in 1984 and we were burning it up with Rollie - three Final Eights while I was there and the Natty the next year. Mass was a tremendous recruiter and a tempo/defense-first coach. There will never be another conference as strong as the Big East in those days - John Thompson at Georgetown, Louie Carnesecca at St. Johns, Boeheim at Syracuse, Rollie at Villanova. Providence, Pitt, UConn hadn't gotten up to full power yet but everybody in the conference had at least one guy that could beat you on a given night - everybody was dangerous.

Time passes for all of us. Thompson is late 70's now, Louie is in his 90's. Enjoy life every day.
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Add Billy Melchionni, Tommy Ingelsby and more that played under Severance and Kraft that I can't think of right now.
 
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ILLINOISLION said:
Saw Villanova at the Final Four in the Houston Astrodome in 1971 along with Western Kentucky, UCLA and KU. UCLA beat V in the Finals.

Damn it, I've always hated UCLA!
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Wooden said he would never hold the ball but he did, forcing Villanova out of Kraft's famous ball zone and into man to man. Villanova never played man defense. It was weird seeing Porter guarding Sidney Wicks at the top of the key.
 
artsandletters said:
Add Billy Melchionni, Tommy Ingelsby and more that played under Severance and Kraft that I can't think of right now.
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Lots I didn't mention of course, like Hank Siementowski. VU is just a smidge outside the All Time Top Ten. I counted up the all-time wins, NCAA wins, NCAA winning percentage, I put us at #11. IF we can win a third NC sometime, we have to leap past somebody like Syracuse - lots of wins but only one brass ring. What hurts is we didn't start basketball till 1920 so many schools have an insurmountable head start. Amazing record for a smallish school. And some of our best years ever are RIGHT NOW.
 
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psu00 said:
Will never forget his team's upset of Georgetown in the 1985 finals. (It was similar in many ways to Penn St upsetting Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.) Prayers for him and his family.
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It took 79% from the floor and 20-21 from the line to beat that great Georgetown team (Ewing, Reggie Williams, David Wingate). IIRC, Georgetown shot around 65% from the floor.
 
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Fox Chapel Lion II said:
Lots I didn't mention of course, like Hank Siementowski. VU is just a smidge outside the All Time Top Ten. I counted up the all-time wins, NCAA wins, NCAA winning percentage, I put us at #11. IF we can win a third NC sometime, we have to leap past somebody like Syracuse - lots of wins but only one brass ring. What hurts is we didn't start basketball till 1920 so many schools have an insurmountable head start. Amazing record for a smallish school. And some of our best years ever are RIGHT NOW.
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11 is about right. I saw a column from some UNC guys who had Villanova at 16, but that was before the second NC.
 
artsandletters said:
11 is about right. I saw a column from some UNC guys who had Villanova at 16, but that was before the second NC.
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What I get a kick out of, despite decades of winning big, great success in the NIT and NCAA, and guys with big time pro success, regularly ranked, how many AP Top Ten finishes - whenever we make a big run, we're always the feisty upstarts coming out of nowhere. Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, UCLA, Maryland and Duke among others know better, but the national media never heard of Villanova.

It's probably better that way.
 
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artsandletters said:
It took 79% from the floor and 20-21 from the line to beat that great Georgetown team (Ewing, Reggie Williams, David Wingate). IIRC, Georgetown shot around 65% from the floor.

I watched that game at the Rusty Scupper at Front & Pine/Lombard. The place was empty except for my buddy who was the GM, the bartender, myself and another friend. We had the place to ourselves. Everything was in bounds.

I watched the semifinal game against Memphis State on Nantucket, but that's another story.:cool::)
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Was in Kauai.....along with JFK being shot, will never forget where I was on those two days that shocked America!
 
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Fox Chapel Lion II said:
Lots I didn't mention of course, like Hank Siementowski. VU is just a smidge outside the All Time Top Ten. I counted up the all-time wins, NCAA wins, NCAA winning percentage, I put us at #11. IF we can win a third NC sometime, we have to leap past somebody like Syracuse - lots of wins but only one brass ring. What hurts is we didn't start basketball till 1920 so many schools have an insurmountable head start. Amazing record for a smallish school. And some of our best years ever are RIGHT NOW.
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Hank was certifiable. Dude could drink like a fish. His dad owned some company so Hank could come and go as he pleased. A world glass beer hound!
 
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NovaPSULuvr said:
Just saw the official notice that Coach Massimino passed away earlier today...
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Yeah just saw this.

For some weird way I feel empty with Rollie passing. Not like I did when Joe passed but still empty.

Maybe because I grew up with him as coach of Villanova just like I grew up with Joe as coach at Penn State. He was synonymous with Nova as Joe was with Penn State.

The sports world is a little worse off today.

I also think Rollie had a 100% graduation rate.
 
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Fox Chapel Lion II said:
What I get a kick out of, despite decades of winning big, great success in the NIT and NCAA, and guys with big time pro success, regularly ranked, how many AP Top Ten finishes - whenever we make a big run, we're always the feisty upstarts coming out of nowhere. Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, UCLA, Maryland and Duke among others know better, but the national media never heard of Villanova.

It's probably better that way.
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I recall that they were one of the villians in the Lord of the Rings parody Bored of the Rings. They were the equivalent of the balrogs that captured Gandalf:

Ball hog, a team member who consistently and inappropriately keeps the ball during play; bears the dread runes "VILLANOVA."​
 
ILLINOISLION said:
Was in Kauai.....along with JFK being shot, will never forget where I was on those two days that shocked America!
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I'd just gotten back from two weeks in Israel onnSunday (so I missed the entire run, excepting for a article or two in USA Today Europe). Made the mistake of going to work on Monday (had no choice due to vacation limitations). Got home, turned on the TV to the game. Next think I knew it was after midnight. I had no idea what had happened until the next morning (no Internet in those days). To this day, I still have not seen the game.

Got my boss a little upset with me when I posted the headline on my office door, tho. She was a Georgetown grad.:D
 
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That W over Georgetown was a great game. Totally unexpected W for 'nova.

Rollie memories (all good) are all over the press and radio in Philly today. He was a force no doubt about it.

Jay Wright remained loyal to Rollie to this day. Says a lot about Jay. High character person.
 
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PSU_Chicago said:
That W over Georgetown was a great game. Totally unexpected W for 'nova.

Rollie memories (all good) are all over the press and radio in Philly today. He was a force no doubt about it.

Jay Wright remained loyal to Rollie to this day. Says a lot about Jay. High character person.
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Funny story about Jay. Yes indeed he is a high character person. But nobody is perfect.

At practice Jay is known for letting the animal out for frequent walks. His profanity laced tirades are legendary and he has gotten a little heat for it. I think he learned from Massimino who likewise showed few inhibitions behind closed doors.
 
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