RELATED: The Prep-To-Pro Rise & Legacy of Kobe Bryant (Episode 54) 

In Episode No. 55 of our In The Paint Show,"  co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland celebrate the life of arguably the most well-known and respected high school basketball coach of all-time: Morgan Wootten, who coached at DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) between 1957 and 2002. The legendary coach passed away on January 21 at 88. Wooten was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame (while still an active high school coach) in 2000.

We originally had planned to honor the legacy of Wootten last week, but then the tragic aviation accident that killed Kobe Bryant along with seven other people on January 26 changed those plans. Last week's podcast was dedicated to and this week we tie in his bond with his Class of 1996 mates (two that we had on as special guests) with the legacy of Wootten, whose notoriety, reputation, and success as a high school basketball coach made him the choice of Sonny Vaccaro (another special guest from Episode 54) and Bob Geoghan (one of this week's guests) to coach in their first national all-star games. Those national all-star games eventually made high school basketball stars household names and helped elite players become close before every reaching the NBA.

Wootten's influence reached beyond the walls of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, as his DeMatha program was the first with a true nationwide reach after its legendary win over Lew Alcindor-led Power Memorial of New York in 1965. DeMatha Catholic helped put high school basketball on the national map and was the first program to go on expense paid-trips across the country in the 1970s, a prelude to the elite high school scene now. Wootten compiled a 1,274-192 career mark, his program won five mythical national titles and his undefeated 1978 team went on a tour of Brazil.

Wootten's second unbeaten team in 1990-91 featured senior Mike Jones, another special "In The Paint" guest this week who succeeded him as head coach at DeMatha Catholic, where he is in his 18th season. Jones talks about how coach Wootten's teachings resonated more with life than actual basketball game-play, what made playing for DeMatha so special and a great opportunity to attain a college scholarship, and how the mood for the celebration of coach Wootten's life changed the day Bryant died. For many of Jones' players and even his own kids, the former Los Angeles Laker superstar had as big or even greater impact than Wootten.

Our third special guest for Episode 55 is Marc Stern, who covers DMV basketball on a daily basis for CapitolHoops.com. Stern gives some perspective from the lens of a media member on just how big of a figure coach Wootten is in Washington, D.C., and what makes playing in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) so special. Stern also talks about Bryant's impact on Wootten's wake and funeral and a memorable speech by keynote speaker James Brown, a former DeMatha player who is a well-known sportscaster.

Episode 55 Rundown

2:25: Ronnie and Devin on the worldwide memorials for Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and the seven others lost in the tragic helicopter accident.

8:49: Should the NBA change the logo?

15:30: Ronnie gives background & history of the late, legendary Morgan Wootten.

19:30: Current DeMatha coach Mike Jones on the impact coach Wootten had on him as a person, coach and player.

41:10: Capitol Hoops founder Marc Stern on Morgan Wootten’s lasting impact in the DMV area and beyond.

1:03:33: Capital Classic and McDonald’s All-American founder Bob Geoghan on his memories of coach Wootten.

Geoghan goes in depth on how his Capital Classic got off the ground, the risk he took in starting it and how he pitched McDonald's to become the title sponsor. Those prestigious all-star games, along with the Roundball Classic Vaccaro started in 1965, helped bring the high school basketball community closer and make its stakeholders more influential, as was clearly highlighted in the podcast tribute to Bryant (listen to Episode No. 54 below).

Our last two episodes cover plenty of topics that relate to the core of the history of high school and grassroots basketball. They are a bit longer than our previous episodes, but well worth the listen! To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

The post "In The Paint" Podcast: Salute To Morgan Wootten! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED: FAB 50 - Past, Present, Future

Last week the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com was delayed by a day because of the games surrounding the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but this week they are delayed by six hours or so because of a tragic loss.

On the day the storied program at DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) buried its beloved long-time coach Morgan Wootten, who amassed 1,274 wins in 46 seasons of coaching at the high school level, high school basketball teams across the country, and basketball fans across the globe, continued to mourn the passing of Kobe Bryant, the former Los Angles Lakers superstar who led the storied franchise to five NBA championships after turning pro straight out of Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.) in the spring of 1996. The 41-year old Bryant died in a Sunday morning aviation accident in Calabasas, Calif., while on his way to his daughter's basketball event at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna "GiGi" Bryant was also on board the helicopter along with six other passengers and the pilot. All nine were killed instantly when the helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain in foggy conditions.

Teams all the across the country have paid tribute to Bryant, who was arguably the biggest global icon the game has ever seen, largely because of his visibility with the Lakers and his ability to speak five languages. The basketball world is in complete shock at the loss.

Wootten, who for many years served as the chairman of the selection committee for the McDonald's All-Americna Game, died at 88. He led the Stags program to three National Sports News Service (FAB 50 precursor) national titles in 1962, 1965 and 1978, the latter which was his first unbeaten team. DeMatha was also named mythical national champion in 1968 and 1984 (USA Today). Incredibly, Wootten was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2000 while still an active coach and Bryant's induction will be one of the most anticipated ceremonies of all-time. Unfortunately, he won't be able to give what was already a much-anticipated speech even before Sunday's tragedy.

Bryant, who scored 2,883 career points at Lower Merion, led his team to the 1996 PIAA Class 4A state title after starting out the season 1-3. The Aces won 30 straight games to finish 31-3 and finished just outside the FAB 50/National Prep Poll Top 25, as Bryant averaged 30.8 ppg, 12 rpg, 6.5 apg, 4.0 spg, and 3.8 bpg. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) was the final team from the Northeast Region to crack the poll at No. 24. In honor of Bryant, who was the 1996 USA Today, Gatorade and Parade Magazine National Player of the Year, we are listing the final ranking for his Lower Merion team during his senior season.

Final 1995-96 FAB 50/National Prep Poll
Northeast Region Rankings (PA-NY-NJ-MA-CT-RI-ME-VT-NH)
1. St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 31-0; 2. Rice (New York) 23-5; 3. Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 26-1; 4. Norwalk (Conn.) 28-0; 5. South Boston (Boston, Mass.) 25-1; 6. Shawnee (Medford, N.J.) 27-4; 7. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) 24-4; 8. Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.) 31-3; 9. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) 27-3; 10. Edison (Philadelphia) 21-3.

Note: St. Anthony, coached by now retired Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr., went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 ranked team and ended the 1995-96 season on a 53-game winning streak. St. Anthony, which is now closed, handed Lower Merion one of its three losses that season.

Looking Ahead

While this week's FAB 50 got out late due to the shocking death of Bryant and preparation to discuss his high school career in our next scheduled for January 28, we already know there will be some changes in next week's set of rankings after the first 14 teams remained the same this week.

Ronnie Flores is the National Grassroots Editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post Updated FAB 50 Rankings: Top Teams Mourn Iconic Coach, Player appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.