Delray Brooks was fired on this day in 1999, two months prior to being indicted by a grand jury: Brooks had been a star player and seemed to be a coach who was going places. As a player he was Mr. Basketball in Indiana, and then signed with the Hoosiers. But things didn't work out so he transferred to Providence to play for Rick Pitino. There he formed a backcourt with Billy Donovan and the pair led the team on an unlikely run to the Final Four.
As a coach he was an assistant for Rick Pitino's 1996 Kentucky team which won the National Title. And then he was named the head coach of Texas Pan-Am when he was 32.
But two years later a scandal broke in which Brooks was accused of depositing a $25,000 check meant for the university into his private account, and then making withdrawals. The trial was ultimately delayed for years and he settled with a plea bargain. He was placed on 10 years probation and ordered to pay the money back.
In 2006 he was arrested for failing to pay restitution and for not making contact with his parole officer.
It's Jeremy Lin's 24th birthday. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Bay Area, Lin starred for Palo Alto High School and was named the Northern California Player of the Year after his team upset national power Mater Dai for the State Title.
Lin was lightly recruited by Division I schools, and did not receive scholarship offers from his preferred programs: UCLA, Stanford or Cal. Joe Lacob, owner of the Warriors and a big time Stanford booster, later said that Stanford's failure to recruit Lin "was really stupid. The kid was right across the street. If you can't recognize that, you've got a problem."
Lin chose to attend Harvard, which had promised him a roster spot but does not offer athletic scholarships.
After struggling as a freshman, Lin dedicated himself in the weight room and put on much needed muscle. He played well as a sophomore, and then starred in his final two seasons when he was a 1st Team All conference player both years.
Other birthdays include: Mal McMullen 1927 (Xavier), Tom Boerwinkle 1945 (Tennessee), Goo Kennedy 1949 (TCU), Guy Morgan 1960 (Wake Forest), Allan Bristow 1961 (Virginia Tech), Rik Smits 1966 (Marist), Sean Marks 1975 (Cal), Pat Garrity 1976 (Notre Dame), Darren Collison 1987 (UCLA), and Seth Curry 1990 (Liberty and Duke).
