For LSU’s Brown, the Defense Never Rests

It’s called the Freak Defense, and Dale Brown said he first employed it at Bishop Ryan High School in Minot., S.D., to confuse opponents who were physically superior.

As LSU prepared for today’s game against physically superior Louisville, Brown explained the defense to Mickey Spagnola of the Dallas Times Herald:

“We change on different clues and for different reasons. Say, if No. 10 brings the ball across halfcourt and he goes to the right side, we play man (to man on defense). If he passes to the left wing, we might play a 2-3 zone. If he passes to the right side, we might play a 2-1-2 zone. Now, if No. 11 brings the ball upcourt, and goes to the right, we might box-and-one. If he passes left, triangle-and-one. If he passes right, diamond-and-one.

“Then we have double clues, and off that, single clues, and we can flip-flop. And if. . . . “

“It’s simple,” LSU point guard Derrick Taylor said.

Of course.

Dan Langendorf of the Dallas Times Herald, on Louisville Coach Denny Crum: “He’s a gamesman. His competitive nature carries over to golf, fishing, horse racing, cribbage, snooker, even playing H-O-R-S-E with the team after practice. He has beaten everybody but Jeff Hall, whom he hasn’t played. And he schedules games against any team, any place, any time--a reflection of his competitiveness.

Said John Dromo, the Louisville coach before Crum: “He would play the devil on Easter.”

Add Schedules: When Iowa Coach George Raveling was accused of loading up his schedule with pushovers, he said: “I know a lot of coaches who loaded up with powerhouses who are now working at K mart.

Trivia Time: In the 1974-75 Final Four at San Diego, how did Louisville’s Terry Howard make history? (Answer below.)

Wait a Minute: Said Boston Celtics President Red Auerbach when asked to evaluate Navy’s David Robinson: “He’s got a lot to learn, but not that much.”

Add Robinson: Sports Illustrated quotes CBS analyst Doug Collins as saying, “Robinson is a Bill Russell who can score.”

Wonder if Collins ever checked out Russell’s college career? When Russell led San Francisco to the NCAA title as a junior in 1954-55, he led the tournament in scoring with a 23.6-point average.

Duke basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who played under Bob Knight at Army, told J.D. Schulz of the Dallas Times Herald: “I learned the basic principles of our offense and defense playing for Coach Knight. But I didn’t learn the motion offense playing for him because it’s an equal-opportunity offense and he didn’t give me an equal opportunity to shoot at West Point.”

The vow of silence by San Diego reliever Goose Gossage recalls what George Steinbrenner once advised when Gossage was pitching in New York: “The Goose should do more pitching and less quacking.”

Trivia Time: With 20 seconds left in overtime and Louisville leading UCLA, 74-73, in the semifinals, Howard went to the line for a one-and-one that likely would have clinched the game. Howard, who had gone 28 for 28 in free throws that season, missed the front end, and Richard Washington hit a 10-footer at the buzzer to win for UCLA, 75-74. John Wooden then announced his retirement, after which UCLA beat Kentucky, 92-85, for Wooden’s 10th NCAA title.

Quotebook

Utah Jazz Coach Frank Layden, asked if they had nicknames for kids when he was in high school in Brooklyn: “Yeah, there were a lot of ‘em--Scarface, Blackie, Toothless--and those were just the cheerleaders.”