Latest news with #NaismithHallofFame
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Readers judge me as too soft and too critical. I will continue to seek perfection
One literary contributor wrote that I'm too soft in my critiques. Another wrote I am too critical. As always, I will continue my quest to please everyone. David writes: Enjoyed your piece on (Jeremy) Pruitt and his lawsuit. However, think you were too easy on both Pruitt as well as (Phillip) Fulmer. They deserve each other. My response: Thanks for the constructive criticism. As always, I value input from my literary contributors. After reading your critique, I reread the column in which I wrote that Pruitt was the worst coach in Tennessee history and that Fulmer was 'masquerading as an athletic director.' You're right. I probably was too soft in addressing their bungling antics. I will try to toughen up my prose. Another David writes: I just finished reading your column in which you express your opinion that the Lady Vols will reach their first final 4 before Rick Barnes' Vols. I appreciate you as one of the nation's finest sports writers, but I've read your columns over the basketball season. And I've seen you over and over expressing negativity towards Barnes. I can only conclude that you don't care for Rick as a coach or as a person. I don't know which. As you acknowledge, Barnes is a great recruiter, he understands the transfer portal better than most, and he has a great understanding of the NIL world. Any criticism of Barnes is unfounded. He's a Naismith Hall of Fame coach who's been sought out by players because they want a year under Barnes before going to the NBA. My response: If you read my column regularly, how could you possibly think that I don't care for Rick as a person? I once wrote a column about a friend who rededicated his life to Jesus Christ after hearing Barnes speak at a luncheon. I can't imagine anyone criticizing Barnes on a personal level. As for as his coaching, I've written many times – as you pointed out in your email – about his attributes. He's a future hall of fame coach whose teams haven't achieved greatness in the tournament. How could any columnist ignore that? And no coach is above criticism. Neither is any columnist – nor literary contributor. James writes: I've been telling you both the Vols and Lady Vols teams need a big, strong, mobile, offensive center who can muscle and score in the paint. You told me they are hard to find. However, watching the tournaments a lot if not most of the Sweet 16s have one. The men just added Jaylen Carey from Vandy which is fine, but at 6-foot-8 he is 4 to 5 inches too short. He won't be able to stop the bigger centers. So now the men's team has 4 "big" men but none of them is a true scoring center. Can't we do better? My response: I resent your personal condemnation of Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. But since you are a hall of fame literary contributor, I will publish your attack. But don't let it happen again. Glenn writes: After watching Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn in the Final Four it's easy to see why Barnes-coached teams have never made it. Too much reliance on perimeter shooting. The Vols lost to Houston in the first half as their low-percentage perimeter shots weren't going in. They attacked the rim more in the second half and played the Cougars even. My response: Attacking the rim is OK. But personally attacking Barnes the way you did is out of line. Mike writes: I am delighted to hear that the Vols have added Georgia Tech as a future nonconference opponent. When I was a student at UT, the Vols played Georgia Tech every year, and it was a series fans from both schools enjoyed. I would like having this rivalry come back as an annual game for a long, long time, not just for two years. This is the type game schools should be scheduling rather than the two or three nonconference junior high opponents SEC teams load on their schedules. My response: Those junior high opponents helped Tennessee reach the College Football Playoff. And I would prefer to see the Vols renew rivalries with SEC teams – not SEC quitters like Georgia Tech. Colorado Mark writes: Glad to see another Vol (Chase Dollander) make it to the Rockies. They need all the help they can get. Actually, can they just make Tennessee one of their farm teams? ADAMS: Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt lawsuit vs NCAA is likely fool's gold Tony Vitello should be getting a check from the Rockies just for slowly building their roster. I hope Dollander can handle this thin Colorado air. It has not been kind to pitchers. By the way, how many more teams will the Vols 10 run-rule this season? I am gonna say three maybe four. Omaha, here we come. My response: If Tennessee doesn't already have a strong alumni chapter in Colorado, it should build one. Same for Omaha, where the home of the College World Series has become the second home of the Vols. John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or Follow him at: This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Literary contributors judge me as too soft and too criticial
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mike Krzyzewski honored as 2008 Olympic men's team inducted into 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame
The Redeem Team is officially in the Naismith Hall of Fame. The 2008 men's Olympic basketball team, led by then-Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, was among the inductees for the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2025 released on Saturday. Advertisement The 2008 men's Olympic basketball team earned the moniker "Redeem Team" after an underperformance at the 2004 Athens Games with a bronze medal. The Krzyzewski-coached team bounced back to win the gold medal in 2008. The US won its first seven games by at least 20 points and defeated Spain 118-107 in the gold medal game. REQUIRED READING: Duke basketball brings Justin Robinson back home to San Antonio for Final Four It featured Kobe Bryant as a captain, but also featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Both Anthony and Howard were also inducted individually into the Hall of Fame. 'USA Basketball is thrilled to see the 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Team elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Redeem Team's celebrated run in Beijing marks a pivotal moment in U.S. men's Olympic basketball history and has propelled us to five straight gold medals," said USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley. Advertisement "Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, members of that team and individual inductees, are two of the many legends in this Class who have contributed to our organization's success over the last 20+ years, including Sue Bird, Billy Donovan, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 and we look forward to celebrating you in Springfield." James is still currently in the NBA, while Bryant was inducted in 2020 and Wade in 2023. Krzyzewski ― affectionately known as Coach K ― was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. Who was on the 2008 Redeem Team? The Redeem Team had some of the sport's eminent names, with the oft-discussed 2003 draft class getting heavy representation. Here's a look at the full roster: Advertisement 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame class Billy Donovan Carmelo Anthony Dwight Howard Sue Bird Maya Moore Danny Crawford Sylvia Fowles Micky Arison 2008 US Men's Olympic Team This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 2008 US Olympic men's team inducted into 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame
NBC Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
DePaul promotes Jill Pizzotti to replace longtime women's coach Doug Bruno
CHICAGO — DePaul promoted assistant Jill Pizzotti to take over for longtime coach Doug Bruno, who stepped down. Pizzotti was hired by DePaul in 2011 and served as interim coach with Bruno missing this season because of health issues. The Blue Demons went 13-19 overall and finished sixth in the Big East Conference at 8-10. 'This season, I had the opportunity to see Jill in a new light as Interim Head Coach, and I was especially impressed by her ability to teach, lead, and build consensus among the young women in our program,' athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. 'She knows exactly what it takes to compete at a championship level, and she has the recruiting ability, player development expertise, and motivational leadership to bring the best to Chicago and keep them here. Jill understands the direction this program needs to go, and I have full confidence in her ability to continue the championship standard we've come to expect for our women's basketball program at DePaul.' DePaul has made the NCAA Tournament 10 times and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice since Pizzotti's arrival. The Blue Demons have won six Big East regular-season championships and five conference tournaments in that time. She was elevated to associate head coach in 2014. 'Working to fulfill the vision of legendary coach Doug Bruno is an honor,' she said. 'We want to bring DePaul women's basketball back to national prominence and use the energy and momentum in our great sport now to reach new heights.' A Chicago-area product, Pizzotti has three decades of coaching experience. She was head coach at Saint Louis University from 1995 to 2005 after working as an assistant at Northern Kentucky and Indiana. From 2005 to 2010, she was Nike's manager of women's college basketball, serving as the liaison with the nation's top teams as well as the Women's Basketball Coaching Association and USA Basketball. She was an assistant at West Virginia for the 2010-11 season, when the Mountaineers finished 24-10 and made the NCAA Tournament. Pizzotti has big shoes to fill at DePaul. Bruno played for Naismith Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer. He led the women's team to 786 wins, 25 NCAA Tournament berths and 19 conference titles over 39 seasons and two stints after initially being hired in 1977. He was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. Bruno is staying at the school as the special assistant to the vice president/director of athletics for women's basketball.
Chicago Tribune
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
DePaul promotes Jill Pizzotti to replace longtime women's basketball coach Doug Bruno
DePaul promoted assistant Jill Pizzotti on Thursday to take over for longtime coach Doug Bruno, who stepped down last week. Pizzotti was hired by DePaul in 2011 and served as interim coach with Bruno missing this season because of health issues. The Blue Demons went 13-19 overall and finished sixth in the Big East Conference at 8-10. 'This season, I had the opportunity to see Jill in a new light as Interim Head Coach, and I was especially impressed by her ability to teach, lead, and build consensus among the young women in our program,' athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. 'She knows exactly what it takes to compete at a championship level, and she has the recruiting ability, player development expertise, and motivational leadership to bring the best to Chicago and keep them here. Jill understands the direction this program needs to go, and I have full confidence in her ability to continue the championship standard we've come to expect for our women's basketball program at DePaul.' DePaul has made the NCAA Tournament 10 times and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice since Pizzotti's arrival. The Blue Demons have won six Big East regular-season championships and five conference tournaments in that time. She was elevated to associate head coach in 2014. 'Working to fulfill the vision of legendary coach Doug Bruno is an honor,' she said. 'We want to bring DePaul women's basketball back to national prominence and use the energy and momentum in our great sport now to reach new heights.' A Chicago-area product, Pizzotti has three decades of coaching experience. She was head coach at Saint Louis University from 1995 to 2005 after working as an assistant at Northern Kentucky and Indiana. From 2005 to 2010, she was Nike's manager of women's college basketball, serving as the liaison with the nation's top teams as well as the Women's Basketball Coaching Association and USA Basketball. She was an assistant at West Virginia for the 2010-11 season, when the Mountainers finished 24-10 and made the NCAA Tournament. Pizzotti has big shoes to fill at DePaul. Bruno played for Naismith Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer. He led the women's team to 786 wins, 25 NCAA Tournament berths and 19 conference titles over 39 seasons and two stints after initially being hired in 1977. He was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
DePaul promotes Jill Pizzotti to replace longtime women's coach Doug Bruno
CHICAGO (AP) — DePaul promoted assistant Jill Pizzotti on Thursday to take over for longtime coach Doug Bruno, who stepped down last week. Pizzotti was hired by DePaul in 2011 and served as interim coach with Bruno missing this season because of health issues. The Blue Demons went 13-19 overall and finished sixth in the Big East Conference at 8-10. 'This season, I had the opportunity to see Jill in a new light as Interim Head Coach, and I was especially impressed by her ability to teach, lead, and build consensus among the young women in our program,' athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. 'She knows exactly what it takes to compete at a championship level, and she has the recruiting ability, player development expertise, and motivational leadership to bring the best to Chicago and keep them here. Jill understands the direction this program needs to go, and I have full confidence in her ability to continue the championship standard we've come to expect for our women's basketball program at DePaul.' DePaul has made the NCAA Tournament 10 times and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice since Pizzotti's arrival. The Blue Demons have won six Big East regular-season championships and five conference tournaments in that time. She was elevated to associate head coach in 2014. 'Working to fulfill the vision of legendary coach Doug Bruno is an honor,' she said. 'We want to bring DePaul women's basketball back to national prominence and use the energy and momentum in our great sport now to reach new heights.' A Chicago-area product, Pizzotti has three decades of coaching experience. She was head coach at Saint Louis University from 1995 to 2005 after working as an assistant at Northern Kentucky and Indiana. From 2005 to 2010, she was Nike's manager of women's college basketball, serving as the liaison with the nation's top teams as well as the Women's Basketball Coaching Association and USA Basketball. She was an assistant at West Virginia for the 2010-11 season, when the Mountainers finished 24-10 and made the NCAA Tournament. Pizzotti has big shoes to fill at DePaul. Bruno played for Naismith Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer. He led the women's team to 786 wins, 25 NCAA Tournament berths and 19 conference titles over 39 seasons and two stints after initially being hired in 1977. He was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. Bruno is staying at the school as the special assistant to the vice president/director of athletics for women's basketball.
