Cremins Delights Rotary Audience
Oct. 12, 2010 – Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Cremins encouraged Rotarians to get behind the Charleston Classic Basketball Tournament, which will be held here on Nov. 18 – Nov. 21.
Eight teams are scheduled to play in the ESPN Regional TV owned and operated event: Georgetown, George Mason, N.C. State, East Carolina, Wofford, UNC-Charlotte, USC-Upstate and Coastal Carolina. The College of Charleston team, which Cremins coaches, can only appear in its own tournament every four years and won’t play this year. “This is our city’s tournament,” Cremins said. “Hopefully, it can continue.”
Cremins, a college player at USC and an award-winning coach at Georgia Tech before coming to the College of Charleston four years ago, said he was concentrating on getting big-name schools to play in Charleston to help the community. “I think it’s important we stick our necks out and play some of the big boys.”
In a well-received talk before more than 100 Rotarians, Cremins touched on several other areas:
On John Kresse: Introduced by former CofC Coach John Kresse, Cremins noted: “We’re trying to live up to his legacy and it’s not easy.”
On the Southern Conference: “The Southern Conference is a great conference. It’s a tough, dangerous conference. We’ve got to get players a little under the radar and, hopefully, they will develop.”
On returning to coaching after being away for six years: “It was a godsend for me. I lost my purpose. I had a good life, but I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing. I just wanted to coach again. It’s been a great future for me and my wife. We live downtown. I walk to work every day.”
On this year’s team: “Practice starts Oct. 15. With these four new kids [four freshmen recruits], I’m hoping they will challenge some of our veteran players.”
Favorite places to recruit: South Carolina, Charlotte and Atlanta. “It’s far enough so a young man can get away from home, but short enough so he can go home.”
On which member of the club was a “great point guard at Temple:” “Nancy McGinley.”
Submitted by: Andy Brack, Keyway Committee