First Catfish Biff’s, then Tommy’s Pizza.
Another pizzeria on Ohio State’s campus has fallen.
Brutal.
Have a great Thursday.
Mr. CLUTCH. Just weeks after the death of Bill Walton at age 72, the basketball world lost another legend on Wednesday as Jerry West passed away at age 86.
West was born in East Bank, West Virginia on May 28, 1938. After a standout basketball career at East Bank High School, he attended WVU and led the Mountaineers to four NCAA tournaments while earning three All-American honors. West then became the second overall pick in the 1960 NBA draft, landing with the Minneapolis Lakers.
From then on, West established himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
During 14 seasons in the NBA, West averaged 27 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game and became an NBA champion (1972), 14-time All-Star, 12-time winner of the All-NBA team and NBA Finals MVP. (1969).
West won his Finals MVP despite the Lakers losing to the Boston Celtics, 4-3, in the championship – and he remains the only player to win the award for the losing team. West averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists during the seven-game series.
Reflecting on his performances, I am reminded of Ohio State basketball legend John Havlicek and the bond he shared with West.
After the Lakers’ Game 7 loss to the Celtics, in which West recorded 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, he was considered a tragic hero. Ohio State basketball legend John Havlicek, then a crucial member of Boston’s championship team, sat next to West on the bench after the game. He held West’s hand and said, “I love you, Jerry.”
Neither of them knew it, but those four words marked the end of one of the game’s greatest rivalries. In the 1960s, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers met six times in the NBA Finals. And each time, West and Havlicek kept an eye on each other. Game after game, series after series, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound West and 6-foot-5, 200-pound Havlicek would go at it… pause. As a result – game after game, series after series – the players were at their best, with West averaging 33 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and Havlicek averaging 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and four assists per game in the six Finals matchups. . The Celtics have won all six titles.
After 1969, Havlicek and West never met in the final again. The former won his only title against the New York Knicks in 1972, and the latter won two more championships against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1974 and the Phoenix Suns in 1976.
West retired in 1976. Havlicek retired in 1978. But for the next four decades, until Havlicek’s death in 2019, the former rivals remained close friends.
“He competed against you at the highest level and he really wanted to win,” West told ESPN after Havlicek’s death. “But he was always a really nice person. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything bad about John. … Playing in Boston, with so many great teams and so many titles won, John’s legend grew. He has improved a lot throughout his career. It was a sign of how hard he worked on his game.”
Rest in peace Hondo.
And rest in peace at Logo.
Two legends lost – but never forgotten.
It’s just an empty cup. After a top-three finish behind Stanford and Texas in 2022-23, Ohio State will finish in the top 10 in the 2023-24 Directors Cup. With one sport remaining (baseball) to determine the final rankings, the Buckeyes rank seventh behind Texas, Stanford, Tennessee, Florida, UCLA and Notre Dame. Ohio State is the only Big Ten school in the top 10.
|
RANK |
SCHOOL |
CONFERENCE |
POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
TEXAS |
BIG 12 |
1,339.50 |
|
2 |
STANFORD |
CIP 12 |
1,312.75 |
|
3 |
TENNESSEE |
SECOND |
1,117.00 |
|
4 |
FLORIDA |
SECOND |
1,106.00 |
|
5 |
UCLA |
CIP 12 |
1,017.50 |
|
6 |
OUR LADY |
INDIANA |
1,008.50 |
|
7 |
STATE OF OHIO |
BIG TEN |
1,006.00 |
|
8 |
ALABAMA |
SECOND |
1,003.88 |
|
9 |
U.S.C. |
CIP 12 |
994.00 |
|
ten |
VIRGINIA |
ACC |
993.25 |
A national championship in women’s hockey and third-place finishes in the NCAA in men’s golf and men’s tennis boosted Ohio State’s ranking this year. The Buckeyes also enjoyed top-10 rankings in men’s volleyball (fifth), men’s gymnastics (sixth), wrestling (eighth), women’s swimming and diving (ninth) and football (10th). The school also achieved points in an additional men’s sport, swimming and diving (13th), and in eight women’s sports: rowing (12th), gymnastics (13th), basketball (17th), tennis (17th) , golf (31st), cross-country. (32nd), football (33rd) and athletics (45th). Mixed fencing also finished sixth at the NCAA Championships.
Ohio State’s finish in the top 10 in the Directors’ Cup represents the 10th time the Buckeyes have led the Big Ten in points. Nine of those 10 arrivals came under athletic director Gene Smith, who will retire June 30 after 19 years in the role.
While celebration is in order for the Ohio State athletic department, I can’t help but wonder if the school’s days of winning the Directors’ Cup title are over. While Ohio State President Ted Carter and incoming athletic director Ross Bjork intend to keep all 36 sports, Smith said last month that continuing to fund all of those sports at the level championships could become impossible.
“Expectations for other sports (are going to change),” Smith said. “In the past, we’ve always expected them to chase championships, when in reality, if you don’t provide all the resources that we currently provide, because you have to cut their budgets in order to fund all that that happens. the highest level – then you have to change your expectations I guess we will still sponsor 36 sports, but X number will be sponsored at a different level.
A message to Ross Bjork: Just divert all sports funding to Ohio State synchronized swimming. I heard they win a lot of championships. That’s exactly what I hear!
“WE LIKE WILL VERY MUCH.” Jim Nagy is the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl. For the past four years, the former NFL scout has kept tabs on a 6-foot-4, 240-pound quarterback from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. That quarterback, of course, is former Kansas State and current Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard.
“We really like Will. We’ve been watching him for a few years,” Nagy told On3’s Andy Staples last week. “I think he has a good arm. I like precision. He’s doing a lot of transferable things in the NFL from that Kansas State tape – watching him operate from center, the play-action game.
I have good news for Nagy.
If he loved Howard at Kansas State, he would love him at Ohio State.
No offense to the Wildcats, Kansas State is a great program, but the purple and silver don’t have athletes in the same stratosphere as TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith – or even the reservists. , Besides. So yeah, if Howard wins the Ohio State quarterback contest, I’m sure Nagy will be thrilled.
“We’ve seen a lot of quarterbacks put up big numbers for the Buckeyes. I think Will will do it too,” he said.
I wouldn’t like anything more.
NOW THERE ARE TWO. My friends, Jeremiah Smith has a younger brother. His name is Angelo and he was at Ohio State’s prospects camp on Tuesday.
Our Dan Hope interviewed Angelo Smith and asked him to rate his performance at the event. As their conversation continued, he said Eleven warriors he hopes to be better than his older brother in the future. Reminder: Jeremiah was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports composite. He was also one of Ohio State’s best players this spring – as a true freshman.
“I feel like I’m going to be a better player than him, I know that,” Angelo said. “I play both sides of the ball. I am definitely changing the game.
Another reminder: Marvin Harrison Jr. also has a younger brother. His name is Jett. Is there a future where Jett Harrison and Angelo Smith are Ohio State’s top two receivers?
Boy, I hope so.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Time” – Pink Floyd.
CUT TO THE HUNT. Johnson & Johnson to pay $700 million to 42 states in talc baby powder lawsuit…A plane missing since 1971 was found at the bottom of Lake Champlain in Vermont…The creator of ‘Always Sunny’ Rob McElhenney on his pandemic purchase: a Welsh football team… Learn more about Day 614; coming to Franklinton on Friday… Dan Hurley rejected the Lakers. Will LeBron be next?