RIP Larry Finch

[exmediahack]

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.

 

[Drip]

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

 

[Boom_70]

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.

 

[Blitz]

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

 

[Second Thoughts]

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

RIP.

 

[Football_Bat]

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.