Hunter idolizes ‘grandpa’ Sampson
TULSA, Okla. — Ron Hunter won round one.
Behind the podium.
The Georgia State coach was a literal quote machine Thursday during a media session at BOK Center.
The day before his 14th-seeded Panthers face No. 3 Houston in the NCAA Tournament, Hunter went all in with a microphone, praising his team’s upset chances and joking about the Cougars’ aging coach.
“The only thing I think Houston definitely has better — a much better coach. Their coach is so much better. I don’t know if I’m going to be in that game, I’m outmatched,” Hunter said. “Kelvin (Sampson), he’s like my idol. When I was — I think when I was 10, he was 60 at that time. I really look up to grandpa.
“Grandpa has got a great team, been coaching longer. I will ask grandpa if I should call a timeout. I’ll ask him who I should start. If it’s four minutes to go in the game and we are winning, I will ask grandpa if it’s OK to finish the game and we can win because I don’t even know why we’re here, but no, they’ve done a great job.”
Hunter became March Madness famous in 2015 when he fell off a stool following a gamewinning shot.
Thursday, he talked up Georgia State’s 2019 shot in the Tournament and commanded a media room.
“Most of the time when coaches get up, they give coachspeak. ‘Well, you know, we’ll see, we’re going to play hard.’ If I don’t believe it, how are my kids going to believe it?” Hunter said. “It’s no disrespect to Houston at all. I will be extremely, extremely disappointed if we don’t win this game. That’s no disrespect to Houston at all. I’ve got a really good basketball team.”