RIP Morgan Wootten

[Starman]

Probably the best-known high school basketball coach ever.

Morgan Wootten, Hall of Fame high school basketball coach, dies at 88

In a way, he was kind of responsible for the rise of private/parochial super teams that now dominate "high school" basketball. Although he certainly didn't invent the phenomenon.

 

[heyabbott]

"You get to do things for people who will never pay you back, and they say you never have had a perfect day until you've done something for someone who will never pay you back." RIP Coach Wootten

 

[The Big Ragu]

Probably the best-known high school basketball coach ever.

Morgan Wootten, Hall of Fame high school basketball coach, dies at 88

In a way, he was kind of responsible for the rise of private/parochial super teams that now dominate "high school" basketball. Although he certainly didn't invent the phenomenon.

I know a few guys who played for him, and he was beloved. Along the way, he had offers from several high-profile D1 programs, but he had no desire to leave. I believe John Wooden thought he was the greatest coach he ever saw. RIP

 

[Starman]

I believe he was offered Maryland ahead of Lefty Dreisell, and turned it down.

 

[CD Boogie]

Probably the best-known high school basketball coach ever.

Morgan Wootten, Hall of Fame high school basketball coach, dies at 88

In a way, he was kind of responsible for the rise of private/parochial super teams that now dominate "high school" basketball. Although he certainly didn't invent the phenomenon.

Wootten coached 13 future NBA players (most notably Adrian Dantley) at DeMatha.

That's insane.

 

[Songbird]

He, and DeMatha, were always featured on ESPN's Scholastic Sports America when Chris Fowler hosted.

 

[heyabbott]

Wootten coached 13 future NBA players (most notably Adrian Dantley) at DeMatha.

That's insane.

James Brown went to DeMatha. Played for Wootten and turned down D1 scholarships to go to Harvard. His roommate at Harvard was Harvard University professor/philosopher/activist Cornel West

 

[CD Boogie]

James Brown went to DeMatha. Played for Wootten and turned down D1 scholarships to go to Harvard. His roommate at Harvard was Harvard University professor/philosopher/activist Cornel West

So I guess Wootten didn't have a positive impact on every player he had.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

The Power Struggle At Georgetown Goes Back To A Petty, 50-Year-Old D.C. High School Hoops Feud

 

[heyabbott]

The Power Struggle At Georgetown Goes Back To A Petty, 50-Year-Old D.C. High School Hoops Feud

Thompson did to Maryland what Wootten did to Thompson. And Thompson couldn't play the race card against Wootten because DeMatha, even though a Catholic School in a then majority white area, ran an honest diverse program as did its football teams.

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• Sid Catlett (1967) is a former NBA player (1971–72).[7]
• Kenny Carr (1974) is a former NBA player (1977–87), and member of the 1976 gold medal winning United States Olympics team.[7]
• Adrian Dantley (1973) is a former NBA player (1976–91) and former interim NBA coach. A member of the 1976 gold medal-winning United States Olympics team, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.[7][8][10]
• Charles Whitney (1976) is a former professional basketball player, perhaps best remembered for being convicted of kidnapping Hillary Clinton's attorney.[7]
• Mike Brey (1977) is a collegiate basketball coach who is currently the men's head coach for the University of Notre Dame.[16][17][18]
• Dereck Whittenburg (1979) is the former men's head basketball coach at Fordham University.[8]
• Sidney Lowe (1979) is a former NBA player and coach. He is a former men's head basketball coach at North Carolina State University.[7][8]
• Ron Everhart (1980) is a college basketball coach, formerly the head coach at Northeastern University and Duquesne University.[18]
• Adrian Branch (1981) is a former NBA player (1986–90). He is also a television analyst for basketball.[7][19]
• Danny Ferry (1985) is a former NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers who won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Most recently he was general manager of the Atlanta Hawks.[7][8][10]
• Steve Hood (1986) is a former professional basketball player who played.[20]
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• Heath Schroyer (1990) is the former head coach of University of Wyoming.[22]
• Mike Pegues (1996) is a former professional basketball player and current college coach.
• Joseph Forte (1999) is a former professional basketball player, having played in the NBA and last played for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League.[7][8]
• Keith Bogans (1999) is a former NBA player (2003–14).[8][10]
• Jerai Grant (2007) is a professional basketball player in Europe and Australia and played collegiately at Clemson University.
• Jerian Grant (2010) is a professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic and played collegiately at the University of Notre Dame.
• Victor Oladipo (2010) is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Indiana Pacers and was an All-American at Indiana University.
• Quinn Cook (2010) is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and played collegiately at Duke University.
• Jerami Grant (2012) is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Denver Nuggets and played collegiately at Syracuse University.
• Markelle Fultz (2016), is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Orlando Magic, played collegiately for the Washington Huskies and was the first pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.

 

[CD Boogie]

The Power Struggle At Georgetown Goes Back To A Petty, 50-Year-Old D.C. High School Hoops Feud

I was a huge Gtown fan in the 1980s -- dad and two older sisters went there -- and I'd never known all that about Wootten and Thompson. Thanks for posting.

 

[Tweener]

Wooten is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of D.C. sports legends. It’s impossible to not know of the man if you’ve lived there and have any kind of awareness of the sports scene.