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McGuire magic surrounds Marquette
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) � The late Al
McGuire used to say that anyone who takes coaching too seriously should have
his head examined.
The clean-cut, spectacled Tom
Crean might look serious, but he showed during open practice Friday that he
wants his Marquette players to have a little fun.
With 30 seconds left in the
session, the reserves went to the bench and stood, imploring the crowd to
make some noise while the five starters stayed on the floor, working for a
final basket against a ghost defense.
Scott Merritt dunked at the
buzzer and the Golden Eagles stormed him at midcourt, practicing their
celebration.
Crean said the team had an
excellent practice Friday morning, then had a solid 49-minute, 30-second
workout at the Superdome.
``And the last 30 seconds they
had a great time,'' he said.
After McGuire retired
following Marquette's 1977 championship season, a number of his successors
tried to impose their own identity on the program, perhaps believing that
living off of past glory was counterproductive.
Crean said it never occurred
to him that Al McGuire's legacy could become a burden, noting that his love
for college basketball began when he was a Marquette fan watching McGuire's
championship run.
``I loved the tradition. That
was one of the big reasons I wanted the job,'' Crean said. ``I felt he was
as big a part of the tradition as anybody else.''
The two coaches ultimately
became friends before McGuire died, and Crean said the relationship was as
meaningful as anything in his life.
``I went from being an
awe-struck person to somebody I considered to be my buddy,'' Crean said.
``It was real easy to embrace him.''
Copyright 2003
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:47:02 AM
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