Dale Ellis on "The Nation" last night

[StarRaider]

He gave a great interview. Talked about how good Don Devoe was as his coach, credited his teammates (Gary Carter, Michael Brooks, "horses" Kevin Nash and Steve Ray)... said he always had a perimeter game but UT needed him to be the threat at the basket and Michael Brooks was great on the perimeter. Jersey to be retired on March 1st if I heard the date correctly. He was a great player, I will never forget watching him play at the old SAC.

 

[azvol03]

He gave a great interview. Talked about how good Don Devoe was as his coach, credited his teammates (Gary Carter, Michael Brooks, "horses" Kevin Nash and Steve Ray)... said he always had a perimeter game but UT needed him to be the threat at the basket and Michael Brooks was great on the perimeter. Jersey to be retired on March 1st if I heard the date correctly. He was a great player, I will never forget watching him play at the old SAC.

He'll certainly be in good company up in the rafters: King, Grunfeld and Houston. The ceremony will be prior to the Vandy game on March 1, '14. Like you, I have pretty vivid memories of Dale playing at Stokely. He epitomized the word 'smooth'.

 

[germanicus]

He gave a great interview. Talked about how good Don Devoe was as his coach, credited his teammates (Gary Carter, Michael Brooks, "horses" Kevin Nash and Steve Ray)... said he always had a perimeter game but UT needed him to be the threat at the basket and Michael Brooks was great on the perimeter. Jersey to be retired on March 1st if I heard the date correctly. He was a great player, I will never forget watching him play at the old SAC.

That's good to hear about DeVoe, because there was clearly some tension between them during Ellis' playing career. DeVoe was a tough guy and didn't cut anyone, including his stars, any slack. That probably is a major reason DeVoe didn't succeed long-term. He tried to coach like his role-model - Bobby Knight - without the benefit of being at a school where you didn't have to recruit like you do at Tennessee.

As for Gary Carter, he might be the best player very few people remember in Tennessee history. Such as shame that he messed up and got tossed out of school after fall semester his senior year. Guy was a complete guard - defense, rebounding, handle and shoot. And, as tough as anyone who ever played up there.

 

[OrangeDog]

1981-82 SEC Champions Picture
20-10 Overall 13-5 SEC
John Byers, Steve Muldowny, Mike Rollo, Barry Smith and Rip Johnson. Tyrone Beaman, Ed Littleton, Michael Brooks, Jerald Hyatt, Myron Carter, Gary Carter and Kevin Woods. Bobby Stevens, Jack Fertig, Steve Ray, Walter Evans, Dale Ellis, Seth McDonald, Dan Federmann, Willie Burton, Kirk Naler, Randy Bates, Bob Burton and Don DeVoe.

Sorry, but I had to highlight Federmann's name too.
Bless his heart.

I loved me some Willie Burton.
Something about Wayne Chism reminded me of him, but I'm not enough of a Bball scholar to know exactly why.

 

[bamacheats]

I forgot that show existed. Brice makes a statement and then Low says the exact same thing.

It would be a quality show if Low would get lost.

 

[germanicus]

Like Wayne, Willie loved to fire the three ball. He was a tough defender and rebounder, too. Wayne moved and ran the floor better.

1981-82 SEC Champions Picture
20-10 Overall 13-5 SEC
John Byers, Steve Muldowny, Mike Rollo, Barry Smith and Rip Johnson. Tyrone Beaman, Ed Littleton, Michael Brooks, Jerald Hyatt, Myron Carter, Gary Carter and Kevin Woods. Bobby Stevens, Jack Fertig, Steve Ray, Walter Evans, Dale Ellis, Seth McDonald, Dan Federmann, Willie Burton, Kirk Naler, Randy Bates, Bob Burton and Don DeVoe.

Sorry, but I had to highlight Federmann's name too.
Bless his heart.

I loved me some Willie Burton.
Something about Wayne Chism reminded me of him, but I'm not enough of a Bball scholar to know exactly why.

 

[StarRaider]

Dale talked about how Devoe really taught him to play defense.

germanicus - "smooth" is exactly the word I would use to describe how Ellis played. Tobias reminded me of Ellis when he was on The Hill.

 

[papatomany]

Loved Dale and DeVoe. Ellis was astonishing. DeVoe was a defensive genius. Pat said she learned more about defense from DeVoe than anyone else. He apparently wasn't much of a salesman and so his recruiting just wasn't all it could be, which showed in our lack of depth; but his in-game coaching gave us a fighting chance in games we probably shouldn't have been in.

 

[OrangeBalls]

That's good to hear about DeVoe, because there was clearly some tension between them during Ellis' playing career. DeVoe was a tough guy and didn't cut anyone, including his stars, any slack. That probably is a major reason DeVoe didn't succeed long-term. He tried to coach like his role-model - Bobby Knight - without the benefit of being at a school where you didn't have to recruit like you do at Tennessee.

As for Gary Carter, he might be the best player very few people remember in Tennessee history. Such as shame that he messed up and got tossed out of school after fall semester his senior year. Guy was a complete guard - defense, rebounding, handle and shoot. And, as tough as anyone who ever played up there.

Devoe's main downfall was his lack of recruiting. He was a good X's and O's coach, but he wasn't a great recruiter. However, the firing of Devoe and the hiring of Wade Houston was a joke. Lamar Alexander pushed for that hire because he was black. Forget the fact that he couldn't coach a lick and was Crum's main recruiting assistant with very little input on the X's and O's side.

Devoe could coach circles around Houston, Green and Peterson which isn't saying a whole helluva lot, but we fired a good coach and hired three that couldn't coach their way out of a wet paper sack.

 

[OrangeDog]

Houston. Lamar Alexander pushed for that hire because he was black. .

I thought there was some High School Senior involved in that decision.

 

[jknox33]

Devoe's main downfall was his lack of recruiting. He was a good X's and O's coach, but he wasn't a great recruiter. However, the firing of Devoe and the hiring of Wade Houston was a joke. Lamar Alexander pushed for that hire because he was black. Forget the fact that he couldn't coach a lick and was Crum's main recruiting assistant with very little input on the X's and O's side.

Devoe could coach circles around Houston, Green and Peterson which isn't saying a whole helluva lot, but we fired a good coach and hired three that couldn't coach their way out of a wet paper sack.

You're probably right. I always thought that O'neil could have done a lot at this program had he stayed. Never liked his personality but the whole Green era was successful because O'neil brought in players or laid a good recruiting foundation. Green, Houston or Buzz really couldn't coach that well. Same could be said for O'neil but he keeps getting pursued for high major jobs. Some really dark days came after Devoe though. If CCM could have Devoe's X's and O's, O'Neil's recruiting prowess and Pearl's salesmanship then UT would have everything it's ever wanted in a coach. Lol

 

[YorkVol]

I'll never forget his immortal quote after a particularly big win "Coach said, 'Put the ball in the hole' so I put the ball in the hole."

Loved watching him play, especially live.

 

[OrangeBalls]

I thought there was some High School Senior involved in that decision.

Oh, he was important, but you don't base a coaching hire on getting a player for 4 years. Houston was a nice guy. Nice guys finish last. And he did a lot of that.

 

[OrangeBalls]

You're probably right. I always thought that O'neil could have done a lot at this program had he stayed. Never liked his personality but the whole Green era was successful because O'neil brought in players or laid a good recruiting foundation. Green, Houston or Buzz really couldn't coach that well. Same could be said for O'neil but he keeps getting pursued for high major jobs. Some really dark days came after Devoe though. If CCM could have Devoe's X's and O's, O'Neil's recruiting prowess and Pearl's salesmanship then UT would have everything it's ever wanted in a coach. Lol

Green lived off of O'Neill's recruiting and the groundwork he laid. I think O'Neill would've done just as well had he stayed if not better. He brought in a lot of talent. O'Neill's brand of basketball wasn't the most exciting, but he understood that you had to have players and he laid the foundation for Green to do well.

 

[1982Alum]

I used to play b-ball with Ellis, Gary Carter, Michael Brooks, Willie Burton and others during summer school evenings at the tennis court goals back in the day. Course my involvement was mostly throwing them the ball in play to them and then watching them go to the hole or shoot. Good times back then. You realized real fast what a real athlete was.