As soon as Mark Aguirre finished his last class of the day, he’d hurry across the DePaul campus for an education of another sort by Ray Meyer.
“Coach Meyer was the dean of basketball,” Aguirre said. “I’d report to his office, and he’d go one-on-one with me. He brought out film, the old 16mm reels or whatever they were. He’d break down opponents and really taught me how to do that, how to attack the other guy offensively.
“I probably looked more forward to that classroom than any other. I learned more about the game from him than anyone else.”
Aguirre, the leading scorer in DePaul history, speaks with reverence when it comes to Meyer, who coached 42 years at DePaul and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Coach told me how to play the game, about people and life situations, lots of things,” Aguirre said. “He just had hip-replacement surgery, and he’s 91. He’ll be back soon to watch his Blue Demons.”
Aguirre, now an assistant coach with the Knicks, was national college player of the year twice. He led the Blue Demons to the Final Four in 1979, averaging 24 points as a freshman forward that season.
“[Meyer] showed me how to exploit my defender, how to use my strength and leverage,” Aguirre said. “Positioning was key–how to read the entire court, rather than just the ball. I never had done that before.”
Aguirre could beat defenders outside, down low, 15 feet away or at the rim. There was aggression and a bit of a swagger in Aguirre, who averaged 24.5 points in three seasons at DePaul. He simply believed no defender could stop him.
The Blue Demons were the No. 2 seed in the West in the 1979 NCAA tournament.
“Getting coach to the Final Four that year was my best college memory,” Aguirre said.
But DePaul’s attempt at its first NCAA title ended in a 95-91 semifinal loss against Indiana State and Larry Bird. Aguirre was the first freshman to make the all-tournament team.
When DePaul plays Big East games this season, it will have one loyal cheerleader in Knicks attire.
“You travel so much in the NBA,” Aguirre said, “but if I’m in New York, Chicago, Washington or wherever and DePaul’s playing and my schedule allows, I’ll be there. If not, I’ll tape every game. Hey, it’s my DePaul roots, you know, watching those tapes.”
