First, if you haven't watched it, do. It's incredible.
Second, if you have watched it, maybe you came away from the two things I came away with:
First, and the "who will be the leader next year" thread brought this to the forefront: Dereck Whittenberg was the unquestioned leader of that team. And what was so incredible is that watching them sit around a table, 30 years later, and talk about their improbable run--it's clear that the rest of that team STILL defers to him. He was holding court. That was "his" team then, and it is STILL "his team." Dude is a man's man...and Terry Gannon, in his 50s, still looked like a submissive puppy in Whitt's presence. Great teams have great leaders like Whitt. I was an undergrad that year, and had very different "views" of those players then...it was neat to get a window into their personalities, and the team dynamics.
Second, it's amazing what CAN (but obviously does not always) happen when a coach gets buy-in, and inspires confidence. To have beaten, in teh ACC tourney (which was must-win) UNC (with Jordan), UVa (with Sampson), and then in the NCAA tourney, UNLV, UVa again, and that incredible Houston team...after trailing, late, in all of those games? Unbelievable. That might have been the most impressive series of wins we will ever see. Survive and Advance, indeed.
Second, if you have watched it, maybe you came away from the two things I came away with:
First, and the "who will be the leader next year" thread brought this to the forefront: Dereck Whittenberg was the unquestioned leader of that team. And what was so incredible is that watching them sit around a table, 30 years later, and talk about their improbable run--it's clear that the rest of that team STILL defers to him. He was holding court. That was "his" team then, and it is STILL "his team." Dude is a man's man...and Terry Gannon, in his 50s, still looked like a submissive puppy in Whitt's presence. Great teams have great leaders like Whitt. I was an undergrad that year, and had very different "views" of those players then...it was neat to get a window into their personalities, and the team dynamics.
Second, it's amazing what CAN (but obviously does not always) happen when a coach gets buy-in, and inspires confidence. To have beaten, in teh ACC tourney (which was must-win) UNC (with Jordan), UVa (with Sampson), and then in the NCAA tourney, UNLV, UVa again, and that incredible Houston team...after trailing, late, in all of those games? Unbelievable. That might have been the most impressive series of wins we will ever see. Survive and Advance, indeed.
