Say this for Louisiana Tech coach Jim Woolridge: He is not afraid to speak his mind. Woolridge ripped the officials Saturday after his team’s 72-58 loss to Illinois-Chicago, reserving most of his venom for Mike McKee.
“This clown from the Sun Belt (McKee) is ridiculous,” Woolridge said. “If I were him, I’d retire from officiating. I don’t believe this guy knows what this game is about.
“And the other two guys (Denny Freund and Dick Bestor), it looked like a walk in the park to them. I’m a veteran official, I’ve called a hundred thousand basketball games. They were horrible.”
Woolridge, who was miffed that his star guard, Lonnie Cooper, was given only four trips to the line, didn’t stop there.
“I’d appreciate, too, if you would report it . . . because I’m hoping, praying that someone will take notice so I can make an issue with whoever I’ve got to make an issue with. Whoever assigned that great, outstanding, wonderful, top-of-the line official . . . and how he ended up in the Big 12, Lord knows. He must have bribed whoever does that for a living.”
UIC coach Jimmy Collins’ take on the officiating was a little different. “Great job,” Collins said, with a sly smile.
