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that the school's basketball covenant was kept sacred, unblemished in a time when bending rules and cheating are rampant. And Hall accomplished it with integrity, dignity and adherence to principals. The school, and the state's pride in it, was in good hands.
Near the end even his critics began to soften. Hall earned respect that can be accourately measured only after he has been gone from the scene for a few years.
We have come to realize that the University of Kentucky, and the state's pride in it, was in good hands.
In the end. Hall made a final honorable gesture. In memory of his mentor,
Hall Did The Impossible, Succeeded Adolph
Adolph Rupp (and Regis College in Denver), Hall wore a camel brown sports jacket to his final game as coach.
Now, in more than half a century55 yearsKentucky has had two basketball coaches. Incredibily, the Wildcats have been to the NCAA Tournament 30 times and own five championships.
Who can carry on? That is to be decided of course, but Hall, in his own indestructable way, has greased the skids, eased the way.
I don't recall the coach who said it, but somehow the cleverism uttered 13 winters ago is rendered inoperable today. "I wouldn't want to follow a legend (Rupp)," the man said. "But I wouldn't mind succeeding the fellow who followed one."
Hall did what no other coach could have done at Kentucky, succeeded Adolph Rupp. And did it very well.
Letters
From Autry Duncan of Elizabeth town... "A few words about UK I believe Coach Hall did a better job coaching this year than he ever has before. I have nothing against Coach Hall and I feel like he has done a very good job following Mr. Rupp, but somehow I feel like it was good that Mr. Hall stepped down. I feel like it will be good for everyone if we get a fresh start away from the old line of people and move forward with new people. Again I have nothing but praise for Mr. Hall (even though I did not agree with all his moves with some of the players he had) but he was the coach and knew what he was doing.
"I would have liked to have seen him play (Robert) Lock and (Cedric) Jenkins more, but I guess he thought it best to go all the time with Bret (Bearup).
"UK will have to have more points from (Winston) Bennett if they are to win. One comment on last year's team that should have won it all. This is not meant to be critical of the kids but in the last half of the Georgetown game the kids were scared. You could see it in their eyes and the passes and shots they took. But they were a good bunch of kids and I did enjoy seeing them play.
"Again not trying to be critical, they all did well. And the best to all of them, including Mr. Hall. I would love to see this kids stuff between the Rupps (family) and Hall cease. I really don't see anything good coming from carrying a chip on your shoulder the rest of your life.
Again I enjoyed these kids this year and Mr. Hall's coaching. It was good not to be the favorite every game for a change. Less pressure. I also believe the fans now will accept the fact that we cannot win every ball game."
Tulane tip of iceberg?
The point shaving episode at Tulane University might be, in the opinion of some college coaches "an isolated incident." Maybe.
But one revelation last week from New Orleans demonstratesI am convinced that we are seeing the tip of an iceberg that goes far deeper and touches many more college programs in the country than Tulane and will be far more damaging in the long run.
Afterall, Tulane is not close to the General Motors class of college basketball and yet somebody paid John Williams $10,000 to sign a college scholarship.
Green Wave coach Ned Fowler admitted having paid Williams $100 a week and the player told reporters that when he signed four years ago he was given a shoebox with $10,000 inside.
It is not a doomsayer's view to suggest here that big money and the relentless pursuit after it, may be in the initial stages of consuming college basketball as we know it.
Certainly money and greed have killed the program at Tulane. And just as quickly as Tulane was a Metro Conference title contender, presto, the school's
a
We 9ve always been worried about
'big-time'intercollegiate athletics
At Tulane".
- TU Professor Henrv Mason
president Eamon Kelly recommended that the men's basketball program be terminated.
I believe Eamon Kelly who should be receiving a telephone call from President Ronald Reagan, commending him for attempting to kilV a cancer that is gnawing at Our Game.
We live in a time when the pressures on coaches to win cause them to throw
chairs, badger and abuse referees, and cheat
Something Henry L. Mason, political science professor at Tulane University, said last week is (sadly) demonstrative of where we've gotten to.
"We've always been worried about 'big-time' intercollegiate athletics" at Tulane," Mason told The Associated Press, "because of the expense of the program and because the athletes seemed more and more like "pre-professional" sports players. We always felt they were alien to the university, and in a sense, the scandal has proved this point."
Alien to the University.
Yes, the point is made. And yet, somehow Mason's view is no more than a remarkable grasp for the obvious.
As big as college basketball has become, there are things going on that avoid print and media exposure only because coaches and those involved with college programs are clever enough to deal in cash and verbal committments, thus avoiding leaving a trail of hard evidence.
And so, who are the foremost casualties in all this? They have not all come to the surface yet, but...
 Not Ned Fowler. Even though the career of this former Metro Conference coach of the year is in a shambles and he is finished as a coach at any level, he will survive.
Williams
Fowler Will Survive
 John Williams, maybe. The 23-years-old's promising career in the NBA is gone because not even the money grubbers from the play-for-pay league would touch a talent.
No, the real casualties here is college basketball and the fans who adore it so. You and me.
For what we are seeing unfold in New Orleans isI believesadly, just the tip of the iceberg. And so it goes.