Mike Hopkins | Page 80 | Syracusefan.com

Mike Hopkins

Mike was always one of my favorite SU players. Not because he was great; he wasn't a top scorer or anything like that. Rather, because he was a "glue" guy who left it all on the court. I love guys like that.

Years later, he would joke that, at the end of a season, no reporters ever asked him if he was coming back next year or declaring for the draft. Cracked me up.

Another memory stands out, however. During his playing days there was an NBA exhibition in the Dome. I forgot the teams many years ago, but what I recall the most that night is Mike. My wife and I were seated next to the railing on the side of the tunnel. At halftime, a few SU players who had come to watch the game wandered back through the tunnel. A group of kids stood next to us and were calling to them for autographs. Billy Owens came over and stood next to us as he signed. Not once did he utter a word or look at the kids. In fact, he acted like he would rather have been anywhere else in the universe at that time. Then Mike and LeRon Ellis came into the tunnel. The kids were yelling for LeRon, and he and Mike came over. LeRon signed and smiled a bit but Mike could not have been more incredible to the kids. He smiled, was very upbeat, chatted with each kid as he signed, asked them questions, and thanked them for asking for his autograph. As he walked away, I said to my wife that Mike's parents should be very proud of the young man that they raised. Total class, and I'm sure that the kids who interacted with him on that night remembered it for a long time.
 
FRANKIEFAN said:
It took him a couple of years to recover from the wheels completely coming off on that team. Something went seriously wrong that year they looked unstoppable in November but were toast by the end when the PG everyone on here loves got tossed.

Hop should have been better this year two former UK starting guards and some great defenders. P12 ended up weaker than expected no power squad UA very good but WSU #2? Weak league.

He got a fair shake and probably gets another HC job somewhere.
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McDaniels was a head case at times and he could have cared less about college but getting to the pro's as soon as he could.
 
Hop took Washington to the NIT his first year and the NCAAs in his second. That kind of resume over seven years in a major conference always leads to a coaching change.

After pulling for Mike to do well at UW, I look forward to him having a lot more success with another team.
 
ar inj said:
Hate to be that guy, but his teams were like the last seven years of Boeheim-lite. Too much zone for today’s game. Where was the offense?

Being a great guy, a great East coast recruiter, and an alum does not mean he would be the guy you actually ended up wanting as the head coach.
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Love Hop and what he did for Syracuse, but have to agree. If he had another head coaching stop at a mid-major before Washington that was successful, that would be one thing. But it seems like his Washington resume would make it a hard sell for an AD to an objective fanbase/boosters (i.e non Syracuse) as far as getting another head coaching job right now.
 
Dick_in_MI said:
Mike was always one of my favorite SU players. Not because he was great; he wasn't a top scorer or anything like that. Rather, because he was a "glue" guy who left it all on the court. I love guys like that.

Years later, he would joke that, at the end of a season, no reporters ever asked him if he was coming back next year or declaring for the draft. Cracked me up.

Another memory stands out, however. During his playing days there was an NBA exhibition in the Dome. I forgot the teams many years ago, but what I recall the most that night is Mike. My wife and I were seated next to the railing on the side of the tunnel. At halftime, a few SU players who had come to watch the game wandered back through the tunnel. A group of kids stood next to us and were calling to them for autographs. Billy Owens came over and stood next to us as he signed. Not once did he utter a word or look at the kids. In fact, he acted like he would rather have been anywhere else in the universe at that time. Then Mike and LeRon Ellis came into the tunnel. The kids were yelling for LeRon, and he and Mike came over. LeRon signed and smiled a bit but Mike could not have been more incredible to the kids. He smiled, was very upbeat, chatted with each kid as he signed, asked them questions, and thanked them for asking for his autograph. As he walked away, I said to my wife that Mike's parents should be very proud of the young man that they raised. Total class, and I'm sure that the kids who interacted with him on that night remembered it for a long time.
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Did a sports card show in Syracuse (late 80s - early 90s). Hell. I was just a few years older than Mike. I can remember asking him for any recruiting tidbits. Yep, way back then I was a recruiting hound...lol Unfortunately, Mike didn't give up anything remarkable. My dad told him he couldn't spend any money if he didn't take his hands out of pockets...lol Mike shyly laughed. He was very pleasant to all the little kids following him around. He made a very good impression.
 
Capt. Tuttle said:
Sounds like the prodigal son to me, but here, Red is the other son. Be very surprised if Red would want him on the staff, although there would be no player loyalty to Hop, which helps.
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Why would red ever want one of the best recruiters to come out of the northeast in the last 40 years on his bench. Totally agree.
 
CousCuse said:
Louisville came to my mind. That would be not great.
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I was thinking DePaul. Louisville fans have high expectations. As a Syracuse fan I have high expectations for Louisville lol. It was not long ago that they were at the top of College Basketball.
 
Cuse181 said:
Why would red ever want one of the best recruiters to come out of the northeast in the last 40 years on his bench. Totally agree.
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Uh, that ain’t happening because:

Red would have to fire one of the current assistants to make room.
Who gets the axe?
Straughn? The dude who landed us Donnie?

Griff or GMac? Child, please.

And -

Whatever crootin ties Hop had in the Northeast have long since dried up.

When you have the chance to hire a failed P5 HC who was barely above .500, and had his best 2 seasons with guys his predecessor recruited -
You have to do it!!
 
721Comstock said:
Uh, that ain’t happening because:

Red would have to fire one of the current assistants to make room.
Who gets the axe?
Straughn? The dude who landed us Donnie?

Griff or GMac? Child, please.

And -

Whatever crootin ties Hop had in the Northeast have long since dried up.

When you have the chance to hire a failed P5 HC who was barely above .500, and had his best 2 seasons with guys his predecessor recruited -
You have to do it!!
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“Dried up?” i guess if we just ignore that he’s been making east coast trips since he went to Washington.

As for who to clear out of the staff? Allen griffin. Hopkins would be more valuable in every way. Hell, I’d be very surprised if griff is here after next year, Hopkins or not.
 
sufan59 said:
I was thinking DePaul. Louisville fans have high expectations. As a Syracuse fan I have high expectations for Louisville lol. It was not long ago that they were at the top of College Basketball.
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Louisville is swinging for the fences with their next hire. They will go big.
 
721Comstock said:
Uh, that ain’t happening because:

Red would have to fire one of the current assistants to make room.
Who gets the axe?
Straughn? The dude who landed us Donnie?

Griff or GMac? Child, please.

And -

Whatever crootin ties Hop had in the Northeast have long since dried up.

When you have the chance to hire a failed P5 HC who was barely above .500, and had his best 2 seasons with guys his predecessor recruited -
You have to do it!!
Expand...
Have you even watched a UW game this year, like the last one against WSU? They will fight like hell in the Pac 12 tourney and if they win that it will get interesting.
 
Cuse181 said:
Why would red ever want one of the best recruiters to come out of the northeast in the last 40 years on his bench. Totally agree.
Expand...
I mean in a vacuum, I would take Hop over Gmac or Griff, due to how instrumental he was in building some great teams at SU and the fact he has head coaching experience, but the dynamic would be too awkward this early in AA's tenure to bring on the guy who was the former HC in waiting. If things go sideways fans will be clamoring for Hop to be named Interim HC. I also dont know how long ago it was that Hop landed a player from the East Coast while at UW? Does he still carry the same rep/swag that he used to back when he repped SU? If a spot opened up on the staff, you never know but I don't see it happening.
 
DilemaCuse said:
I mean in a vacuum, I would take Hop over Gmac or Griff, due to how instrumental he was in building some great teams at SU and the fact he has head coaching experience, but the dynamic would be too awkward this early in AA's tenure to bring on the guy who was the former HC in waiting. If things go sideways fans will be clamoring for Hop to be named Interim HC. I also dont know how long ago it was that Hop landed a player from the East Coast while at UW? Does he still carry the same rep/swag that he used to back when he repped SU? If a spot opened up on the staff, you never know but I don't see it happening.
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What difference does it make if fans are clamoring for hop to take over or for red to be fired (if things go sideways), those are two sides of the same coin. I’m sure his Recruting ties of 35 years don’t disappear just because he couldn’t make it to every AAU tournament.
 

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