Alan, I’m enjoying this tremendously. I am sure you’re aware of what I’m about to say, but the lack of support from the USC administration on the Grosso affair upset coach McGuire so much that he was very close to taking the Sixers job after they acquired Wilt. It was only the difficulty and moving Frankie and his determination to still stick it to Eddie Cameron and Jim Weaver that kept him from doing it. Also, the fact of the university turned around and rolled and left the ACC when Dietzel had trouble with the 800 rule, just increased his anger at what leaving the conference did to his program. Also, in Coach McGuire‘s home in West Columbia, where he lived the last few years of his life, he had two pictures on the wall in his living room. One was a sketch of a fighting gamecock. The other was that picture of Coach and Mike Grosso taken in the Fieldhouse locker room. When we won the ACC tournament, Roche as captain accepted the trophy With Coach McGuire standing right behind him. Roche said “we accept this trophy in memory of Mrs. McGuire and on behalf of Mike Grosso”
Thanks for reading, my friend! I had never heard that story about Roche dedicating the trophy to Mrs McGuire and on behalf of Grosso. How cool. I can only imagine McGuire's resentment and dismay in the years after the ACC exit as his program slowly began to fade from relevance. It was a football decision (to leave the ACC) made by a football coach, who just happened to be our athletics director. I imagine sometimes what McGuire's program could have been had South Carolina remained in the ACC throughout the 70's and 80's, during the golden age of ACC basketball. Maybe Bobby Cremins takes over for McGuire rather than going to Georgia Tech. Maybe Xavier McDaniel and Tyrone Corbin stay home in the early 80's, etc. Can you imagine the Michael Jordan vs Xavier McDaniel matchups in the Coliseum?
(and hell, maybe even Michael would've ended up a Gamecock - things I've read were that he heavily considered South Carolina). Thanks again for reading and commenting!
Alan, I’m enjoying this tremendously. I am sure you’re aware of what I’m about to say, but the lack of support from the USC administration on the Grosso affair upset coach McGuire so much that he was very close to taking the Sixers job after they acquired Wilt. It was only the difficulty and moving Frankie and his determination to still stick it to Eddie Cameron and Jim Weaver that kept him from doing it. Also, the fact of the university turned around and rolled and left the ACC when Dietzel had trouble with the 800 rule, just increased his anger at what leaving the conference did to his program. Also, in Coach McGuire‘s home in West Columbia, where he lived the last few years of his life, he had two pictures on the wall in his living room. One was a sketch of a fighting gamecock. The other was that picture of Coach and Mike Grosso taken in the Fieldhouse locker room. When we won the ACC tournament, Roche as captain accepted the trophy With Coach McGuire standing right behind him. Roche said “we accept this trophy in memory of Mrs. McGuire and on behalf of Mike Grosso”
Thanks for reading, my friend! I had never heard that story about Roche dedicating the trophy to Mrs McGuire and on behalf of Grosso. How cool. I can only imagine McGuire's resentment and dismay in the years after the ACC exit as his program slowly began to fade from relevance. It was a football decision (to leave the ACC) made by a football coach, who just happened to be our athletics director. I imagine sometimes what McGuire's program could have been had South Carolina remained in the ACC throughout the 70's and 80's, during the golden age of ACC basketball. Maybe Bobby Cremins takes over for McGuire rather than going to Georgia Tech. Maybe Xavier McDaniel and Tyrone Corbin stay home in the early 80's, etc. Can you imagine the Michael Jordan vs Xavier McDaniel matchups in the Coliseum?
(and hell, maybe even Michael would've ended up a Gamecock - things I've read were that he heavily considered South Carolina). Thanks again for reading and commenting!