REX WALTERS was a 1993 Nets first-round pick because he could flat-out bury the basketball. He wasn’t much of a distributor, nor did he tangle with the bigs.
He was a shooter. And a good one.
But he had help. Coaches designed offenses around him; teammates set picks for him. They all contributed.
Last spring, he returned the favor.
“I owe him, no question,” said former North Carolina and Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty, who now holds the same title at previously unknown Florida Atlantic University. “We have a diamond in the rough here.”
It was almost Walters’ jewel alone.
You see, Doherty called FAU on behalf of Walters, 35, a friend who sought his first head job after two years as a Valparaiso assistant. Doherty – an assistant at Kansas when Walters was a senior All-American guard there – figured his endorsement might help.
“But it didn’t seem like it was going to work,” Walters said. “They wanted a national name, someone with head coaching experience. Basically, they wanted Matt Doherty.”
He was right. The Owls indeed made a pitch for the East Meadow, L.I., native. And with the blessing of Walters on April 18, 2005, Doherty, 43, returned to the coaching fraternity for the first time since being unceremoniously fired by UNC in 2003.
“I just looked at it as helping Rex. I had no idea it would work out this way,” said Doherty, who went 22-15 in one season with the Irish and 53-43 in three years with the Tar Heels. “But, before I took it, I gave one condition – that I bring Rex with me as an assistant. I wanted to go with someone I trusted.”
Walters agreed and together they have turned this Boca Raton commuter school of 26,000 into one of the nation’s surprise stories. The Owls – coming off three consecutive losing seasons – are 11-11, but are 10-5 in the Atlantic Sun. They have a legitimate shot at the conference title and subsequent NCAA tourney bid.
“I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been,” said Doherty, who was a TV analyst while many of the Heels he recruited were winning the national title last year. “This is not North Carolina, where millions of people care. Not as many people care here. We take that as a challenge and we’re enjoying it.”
There wasn’t much joy in Doherty’s final days at Chapel Hill. He went 27-36 in the last two seasons and was replaced at his alma mater by Roy Williams.
“I’m still disappointed in how that turned out for Matt,” Walters said. “They knew, with young guys, they were going to take a hit there. But, it’s over, and I’m just glad he’s back in the game. College basketball needs him.”
FAU does, too. The Owls, who have seen their attendance nearly double, have been featured in several national publications and were even the focus of a reality TV show titled “The Season.”
It’s too bad the program aired on ESPN and not CBS, because in the college basketball world, Matt Doherty is clearly a “Survivor.”
GIMME FIVE
In year three of Dereck Whittenburg‘s rebuilding plan at Fordham, the Rams (11-11, 6-3 Atlantic-10) have shown progress. They are tied for third in the A-10 and are 7-2 at Rose Hill Gym.
But at what cost? If you ask the coach, the home success is too pricey.
“This is the one of the few schools I know where the students have to pay to go to the games,” Whittenburg said.
Fordham students have to spend $5 to attend home games or pay $35 for the Ram Pack – a ticket plan that grants admission to all home football and basketball contests.
RPI WATCH
Hofstra (17-4, 10-3 CAA) has an RPI this week of 56, the highest of any metro area team not named Seton Hall (26).