ESPN's King Chat - Buzz, O'Neil mentions

[T-Bone]

This may have been mentioned in the twenty page thread, but thought this was interesting from his chat session: 

Mat (Richmond, VA)
Jason, if YOU could play for one coach in college basketball, who would it be?

Jason King  (4:49 PM)
Bill Self, Buzz Williams, Brad Stevens or Kevin O'Neill

From:
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/43532

[Lennys Tap]

Hoop will have to set King straight - I'm sure he'll drop Kevin from the list once he learns that he's the anti-Christ.

Seriously, an interesting and eclectic mix with one common thread - all genuine, not one phony in the bunch.

[PJDunn]

I will always have a soft spot for KO.  It would be great to see him turn SC around.

[Goose]

Soft spot for KO here as well. He is unique guy but only have solid thoughts on him personally.

[mu-rara]

I was a KO supporter.  Hated to see him go. 

There was no love for him from the upper crust at all.   I think he wishes he would (could?) have stayed, hindsight being what it is, but his off court behavior prevented that.

[MerrittsMustache]

Let's not forget about KO's cameo playing an a-hole college coach in that Spike Lee movie.

[Dawson Rental]

Hoop will have to set King straight - I'm sure he'll drop Kevin from the list once he learns that he's the anti-Christ.

Seriously, an interesting and eclectic mix with one common thread - all genuine, not one phony in the bunch.

Illini fans disagree.  They make Tom Crean hate here look amateurish when they get on the subject of Bill Self.

Hoop never called O'Neill the anit-Christ, he just said that he did things that were unChristlike, there's a difference.  I think.

O'Neill is still (and suspect always will be) the only Marquette coach who ever spoke to me.  As I remember it, he was funny as hell and genuine.  I wonder if he's PR'd up over the years.  I hope not.

[MUfan12]

I remember listening to KO take calls on the radio after games as a kid.

One time in particular sticks out in the memory. I think it was after MU beat SLU's team that was ranked and started 14-0. Some dude called in asking how Kevin could beat that team but still lose to UW.

I learned a few new words from KO that day.

[MarquetteDano]

I remember listening to KO take calls on the radio after games as a kid.

One time in particular sticks out in the memory. I think it was after MU beat SLU's team that was ranked and started 14-0. Some dude called in asking how Kevin could beat that team but still lose to UW.

I learned a few new words from KO that day.

LOL.  KO was not one to mince words.  Only better call-ins I heard for college b-ball on a radio show was when DePaul fans used to call into Pat Kennedy's radio show.  Every show would descend into chaos.  Hysterical.  I think Lawrence Holmes used to, ahem, moderate but Holmes must have hated Kennedy because every show became an argument between Kennedy and some fan.

[JWags85]

I remember listening to KO take calls on the radio after games as a kid.

One time in particular sticks out in the memory. I think it was after MU beat SLU's team that was ranked and started 14-0. Some dude called in asking how Kevin could beat that team but still lose to UW.

I learned a few new words from KO that day.

My dad used to turn the radio down at times on the drive home from games seeing as I was youngish and KO had no filter.  That was just awesome radio.

[Henry Sugar]

Let's not forget about KO's cameo playing an a-hole college coach in that Spike Lee movie real life.

f*cking right, motherf*cker

/loves KO
//hates he peed all over MU when he left

[Lennys Tap]

f*cking right, motherf*cker

/loves KO
//hates he peed all over MU when he left

/agree
//agree

Kevin shot from the hip and was absolutely his own worst enemy, but he could coach and called it the way he saw it.

[Goose]

Murs
I had the chance to spend a fair amount of time with KO and he was an A+ to me my kids. Have a lot of great memories and almost everyone ends with a laugh. From what I hear much of the same edge remains. IMO he saved our program and provided great laughs.

[warthog-driver]

//hates he peed all over MU when he left

I was living in Hong Kong when KO bolted. In those dark pre-internet days it was impossible to follow MU hoops in any way when posted to distant shores. The only thing I heard is that his vulgarity estranged him from the powers that were so he jumped at the TN offer. I also recall he paraded around the MU campus in Vol Orange sweats in some grand FU gesture.

[MuMark]

Listening to KO explain why Shannon Smith wasn't playing to callers week in and week out was pure comedy.....

Caller..."Why isn't Shannon Smith playing more?"

KO "Because Eford is better"

Caller "What do you mean?"

Ko "Was i not clear?...What part of EFORD IS BETTER DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

[radome]

//hates he peed all over MU when he left

I wasn't living in Milwaukee then, and no internet. Could you elaborate? All I know is that he left for Tenn. because Al ruined the job and he was therefore expected to win a Nat. Champ.

[MU82]

There's nothing quite as much fun as watching a Kevin O'Neill practice.

Each should come with a warning label: "Not for the kiddies."

[Dawson Rental]

Murs
I had the chance to spend a fair amount of time with KO and he was an A+ to me my kids. Have a lot of great memories and almost everyone ends with a laugh. From what I hear much of the same edge remains. IMO he saved our program and provided great laughs.

My first impression of O'Neill was going to the Dayton(?) game his first year.  Dayton won on a last second shot from way beyond the three point line.  Shooter was guarded by Tony Smith who was a senior then, I believe.  Shortly after the game, Kev and Tony went into the stands to greet and sign autographs for not an inconsequential amount of time, I was impressed.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

My first impression of O'Neill was going to the Dayton(?) game his first year.  Dayton won on a last second shot from way beyond the three point line.  Shooter was guarded by Tony Smith who was a senior then, I believe.  Shortly after the game, Kev and Tony went into the stands to greet and sign autographs for not an inconsequential amount of time, I was impressed.

I remember that game.  The Negel Knight shot.

[Hoopaloop]

Hoop will have to set King straight - I'm sure he'll drop Kevin from the list once he learns that he's the anti-Christ.

Seriously, an interesting and eclectic mix with one common thread - all genuine, not one phony in the bunch.

This was my favorite part of that exchange


ESPN: What are the  five best coaching jobs in America?


King: 1) Kentucky, 2) Kansas, 3) UNC, 4) Duke, 5) Indiana, 6) UCLA


I don't need to set anyone straight that can't answer a basic question without the ability to count to five.