RIP Larry Finch

Died today at 60. Basketball Royalty in the city of Memphis. Great player with the Memphis State Tigers and a solid (if unspectacular) coach with Memphis State/U. of Memphis after the Dana Kirk mess of 1985-86.

I went to Coach Finch's basketball camps back in the day. A friendly man and an absolute "figure" within that city's basketball tradition.

 

RIP. He was a nice guy. I remember when he coached Penny Hardaway.

 

Remember like it was yesterday when Finch and Larry Kenon lead Memphis St to the final 4. Beat Providence in Semis and lost to UCLA in finals.

 

Yeah, he was a figure in that town for sure.
I saw Artis Gilmore in the Gator Bowl parade a few months ago and he's loved in Jacksonville.

Those Memphis State and Jacksonville appearances (albeit against the likes of heavily-favored and near-unbeatable John Wooden teams) were some of the first modern era examples of mid-majors crashing the Big Dance.

RIP Larry Finch

 

Finch was a hero in Memphis. Played in one of the classic NCAA finals, Walton's near perfect game for UCLA.

RIP.

 

That UCLA-Memphis final was the first college basketball game I remember watching on TV. I was very, very little.

Ironic that Bartow was the one who replaced Wooden.