His Raiders teammates from that lone 1981-82 season seemed too eager to appease him.
It was another good Division II season for WSU (22-7), and Hearns, a cousin to boxer Tommy Hearns, averaged 17.8 points. But something wasn’t quite right.
The next season the Raiders returned all their principal parts except Hearns, meaning there was no designated launcher. Instead, scoring was balanced and teamwork exuded like never before. The end result was a 28-3 national championship season.
It’s easy to imagine a team loaded with three go-to players like that. It’s the Miami Heat. I’m still giddy about what the Heat could do someday, but it won’t come without some major adjustments and help.
Public sentiment turned on the Heat long ago, and perhaps that has had an unforeseen effect on the terrific trio. Whatever the reasons, the Heat aren’t close to being the beast that they were portrayed to be.
It’s still too soon to judge. Perhaps Miami is several seasons away from title contention. But early results are not encouraging.
Sometimes, too much of a good thing isn’t the best for all.
Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author