Sept. 3
College basketball has lost a special person. I was so sorry to hear about the death of Abe Lemons at age 79.

Abe was one of the funniest guys to hold a microphone at a function.

Lemons spent 34 years in the coaching profession, amassing 599 career wins. His players really enjoyed his up-tempo style. At Texas, he led the Longhorns to two Southwest Conference titles.

Abe also achieved a great deal of success at Oklahoma City, where he coached teams that were one game away from the Final Four in 1956 and '57.

He was one of the funniest guys to hold a microphone at a function. I will never forget being roasted at a fund-raiser at the University of Detroit. On the dais were two very special, talented men who had a way with words -- the late Jimmy Valvano and Abe Lemons. These two men brought the house down that night.

Abe's one-liners were so unique and so special. He had an uncanny way to captivate the audience. He was a loving, caring person who brought such humor to the coaching profession. Abe also understood how to win, doing a superb job wherever he served on the sidelines.

The basketball world has lost a personality who was an important part of the sport's landscape. I will really miss Abe Lemons.