RIP John Thompson | The Boneyard

RIP John Thompson

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Twitter (including Jon Rothstein) are reporting John Thompson has passed away at 78
 

nelsonmuntz

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This feels like something that would have been announced with a press release, not some random Tweets. Let's wait a couple of hours to see what happens. Very sad if true.
 
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This feels like something that would have been announced with a press release, not some random Tweets. Let's wait a couple of hours to see what happens. Very sad if true.
It’s true. Local DC TV has reported it.
 

nelsonmuntz

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ABC Washington confirmed it "from friends and family".

 
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Aww man... I hated him coach Georgetown against us, but I loved him as a coach.. Great coach... Great Black man too. RIP big fella....
 

nelsonmuntz

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I freaking hated him at Georgetown. He worked the refs as well as any coach I have ever seen. He would walk up to the refs, towering over them, then put his arm around one of them, lean over, say a few words, and I would know we were about to get $#@#ed on the next 5 calls.

He is remembered for his big men, but I think he was one of the best defensive coaches in college basketball history. His teams played in-your-face defense 30 feet from the basket, which was rare in the early 3 point era, but they created a lot of turnovers and would frustrate the opposing guards. He also made entry passes really difficult with the aggressive perimeter defense.

He was 3 points away from winning 3 championships, beating Hakeem Olajuwon, losing to Michael Jordan and James Worthy by 1 in one of the craziest endings to any Championship game in history, and losing to a coked up Villanova team in the biggest upset in NCAA finals history in 1985. That was the last game before the shot clock, and there is no way Villanova beats Georgetown if that game had a shot clock.

There are some fair criticisms of JT II for not doing more with that 1996 Iverson team, which was probably the most talented team in the country that year. Sometimes it just doesn't work out for a team, as UConn fans know.
 
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There are some fair criticisms of JT II for not doing more with that 1996 Iverson team, which was probably the most talented team in the country that year. Sometimes it just doesn't work out for a team, as UConn fans know.
That team reached the East Regional Final. They were run out of the building by UMass, but that was a great UMass team. The 1996 Kentucky team is considered one of the greatest ever, and UMass beat them by 10 points. Unfortunately for UMass, they lost in the rematch, which the defacto National Championship game.
 

Dove

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Rest in Peace, Coach! It was tough to not like you.

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That team reached the East Regional Final. They were run out of the building by UMass, but that was a great UMass team. The 1996 Kentucky team is considered one of the greatest ever, and UMass beat them by 10 points. Unfortunately for UMass, they lost in the rematch, which the defacto National Championship game.

Wouldn't have counted anyway right? ;)

This thread was about losing a legendary coach and you're talking about UMass beating him, timings not real good!
 

Dove

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Wouldn't have counted anyway right? ;)

This thread was about losing a legendary coach and you're talking about UMass beating him, timings not real good!
They were responding to nelson. Door was opened.
 

RichZ

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For some reason, I never thought of him as being from my generation. Back in the early days of the Big East, I would have guessed that he was 10 to 15 years older than me.
It's brutal finding out you're almost the same age as people you consider elderly.
Godspeed, Coach Thompson.
 
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They were responding to nelson. Door was opened.
They obviously didn't read the terms of service when they signed up. It clearly stated ....Ignore nelson. RIP ...
 
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They were responding to nelson. Door was opened.
I was actually defending Thompson. Nelson thought they underachievd. I don't think they did. They certainly weren't more talented than that loaded UK team, and I don't think they were better than UMass, as was proven on the court. You could debate if they were as good as that year's UConn team. The point being, they got as far as they should have.
 

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