NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Basketball minds boggle at the level of coaching talent in Nashville. Rick Byrd's steady hand has guided Belmont through what could have been the tumultuous rapids of transition. His Bruins have evolved from NAIA power to local secret to perennial place-holder on the lists of teams no powerhouse wants to play.Notwithstanding a lack of postseason success — and a very underwhelming 2011-12 season — Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings is a well-regarded tactician. He's made the Commodores contenders in the brutal Southeastern Conference. Away from the tree-lined boulevards of the west side, however, a third contender has risen — and he may be doing the best of anyone.
For the first time since 1996, the TSU Tigers have secured a winning season. And for that, they must thank Coach John Cooper.
It's been a tough decade and a half on the north side, a fan base sustained by the faded memories of the glory days when John McClendon had Dick Barnett and teammates regularly scoring in the triple digits. This in the pre-shot clock, pre-3-point line days of the 1950s, back when Truck Robinson belied his huge size with a guard's precision-fingered shooting touch.
No comments:
Post a Comment