Was on the hot seat, supposedly, last year before he took a team with little expectations to Omaha. Trying to remember who we beat in the super regionals...
I still hear officials tell their best Dan Ray stories. They always involve a good laugh without fail. I've never seen referees get berated, then laugh and seem to enjoy it like they did with Hooks. He is quite a character and one of a kind on the sidelines.
Part of coaching is working the referees. And no one, and I do mean NO ONE, has ever been better at that than Coach K.
On a local level, the best I ever saw was Dan Hooks. He was a master as well.
Or the foul on Aaron when he pinned the ball on the backboard without even touching the Badger player which resulted in 2 Wisconsin points. The refereeing was horrible by Final Four standards and was evident in both of the close games in Indianapolis. Wisconsin benefitted as much or more as they were hurt by it.
And 40 minutes of the previous game. I mean one of your 2 best players hooks the defender almost every time he pulls his signature move. The other best player you have travels more often than not when attacking the basket. I didn't see either get called once in either game.