Johnny is just gutted by late word tonight former Michigan State head basketball coach Jud Heathcote has passed away at age 90. Heathcote you may recall led the 1979 MSU basketball team with Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser to an NCAA title over Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores.
Heathcote was an old school yeller, complainer and invented the 'Jud Thunk" in which he'd pop himself in the forehead for the sins of a player. Off the court he was a wonderful and generous man. One of Johnny's favorite stories was the year Jud had announced his retirement and all the Big Ten schools on his last visit gave some kind of gift out of respect to a long time rival. His last road conference game was in Ann Arbor vs the University of Michigan. After the game they had a presentation to Heatcote and the U-M athletic department gave Jud a very very nice home entertainment system and grand TV of the day to go with. Meeting the press afterward Heathcote said "I'd like to thank the Michigan athletic department for just a wonderful gift. It will give me hours of pleasure, I know. Thanks so much you didn't have to do it, but nice going you did."
Time for Jersey City, After Dark
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