Six-part series on the '72 Olympic fiasco (men's hoops)

[Mr.B!!!]

He had been the coach of the team that won the Gold in '64 and '68. And they had steamrolled the competition in both of those Olympic Games. With a point differential of +270 in 9 games in '64, and a point differential of +224 in 9 games in '68.

And in '72, they had annihilated every team they played, with the closest score (besides the Gold Medal game) a 7-point win against Brazil. Every other game was at least a 19 point victory.

But, he wasn't a competent coach? They won despite his coaching? I would think protocol would suggest that if a guy had won the Gold two Olympics in a row, you ask him again.

As for your opinion that was a 'terrible' coach, and his record reflects that. Have you seen his record? He had consistently good to great records from 1935 (BEFORE WW2) until 1958 (AFTER WW2). And then he started to fall off at OSU in large part because he refused to recruit, thinking good players would just make their way to Stillwater to be coached by him.

And, not this is the end-all of being good at what you do, but they named the freaking award for College Basketball's Coach of the Year after the guy. That doesn't make him the best, just like it doesn't make Cy Young the best pitcher of all time, but it sure doesn't make you 'terrible' or 'middling'.

Also, given your history (that I've observed) on message boards, and the sort of persona that I've gathered you having on the internet, yes, I do think it has something to do with OU/OSU, despite your denying it earlier in the thread.

EDIT - And I'd like to see your response about the point brought up earlier about Aubrey. Also, A.L. Bennett who was on the 1945-1946 championship team fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and received a Purple Heart. So, perhaps you shouldn't paint with such a broad brush, especially given the fact that you seem so enthusiastic about calling people "cowards' about whom you seem to know nothing about.

And the kicker to the whole thing is, I have just about ZERO emotional attachment to Henry Iba. He was coaching at OSU long before my time, my father was just out of high school when he retired from OSU, and he had no connection to Oklahoma State at the time. So, I would be as perplexed about your argument (which a few quick google searches found plenty of holes in) if it were about another coach from another school a thousand miles away from the state of Oklahoma.

I'll let the players on that team do the talking as to the several reasons they thought they lost, and finding two players is hardly a "team". It's no secret why Marist and oSu were playing well, the both had two players that were ineligible for the draft surrounded by other players who were readily exempted; however, the NCAA recognizes the championships, so it is what it is. But that doesn't mean that I can't make a personal observation and form a personal opinion as to the overall circumstances for his success.

As for the "past success" argument, Bobby Knight won a gold medal too, how do you think he would have done as a coach for this Olympics? Times change, Iba didn't, and I personally (and other players on that team) feel like there were several other candidates, Wooden and Smith specifically, that would have played the more up-tempo style that was USA basketball at that time.All of that being said, I will give Iba credit because his peers do. In fact he seems to be idolized generally by the coaching fraternity for his impact on the game overall. I probably went a little overboard on some of my statements, but post-WWII era his "legacy" seems to be more myth than reality as it pertains to on the court accomplishments. Fair enough?