IT would have been enough to make Bob Knight throw a couch, instead of a chair. Dr. Tom has life
and the game in perspectiveMost college basketball coaches would have cursed their luck - not to mention the media - after losing three starters to illness and injury.
The Iowa Hawkeyes came into the Maui Invitational ranked 25th in the nation and one of several teams that could challenge favored Kansas.
Then two of their starters came down with a virus just before the opener against Cal. To top it off, the team's senior leader, Jess Settles, battled through a first-half heel injury and not only missed the second half, but the next game against LSU as well.
The undermanned Hawkeyes fought hard in both games, but still came up just short, falling to Cal, 75-69, and LSU, 70-60.
After both games, head coach Tom Davis came into the media room all smiles. He knew his team had played its heart out - and that there are more important matters than winning college basketball games.
"Dr. Tom" - who has a Ph.D in education - is starting his 11th season at Iowa and 26th as a head coach, with previous stops at Lafayette, Boston College and Stanford.
He has a record of 208-111 at Iowa and a career mark of 482-261.
Does he still enjoy his job, even when bad luck strikes so early in the season?
"I really do," he said, again smiling. "A lot of it depends on the team that you have, what kind of personality your team has, and this is a great group to work with so I'm having a good time."
Davis has sent a bunch of players into the NBA, including a former member of the Chicago Bulls championship teams, B.J. Armstrong.
He said that coaching college basketball is even more of a challenge today, however.
"The off-court things are the biggest change," he said. ''On the court, the guys are still the guys and that's why we all do it.
"But I think there's more pressure today for coaches to pay the bills for gender equity and cost-cutting and things like that. There's a lot of pressure on men's basketball and football coaches. There is a lot of pressure on those two programs, so that's the kind of thing that has changed tremendously."
BACK in March of 1987, I saw Davis and his team suffer one of the toughest defeats imaginable. The Hawkeyes blew a 20-point halftime lead to UNLV in the West Regional Final, which meant a berth in the Final Four in New Orleans.
Even then, Dr. Tom showed dignity and class, which wouldn't have been the case with many of his colleagues.
How does he stay so positive?
"Oh, I don't know. I think it's come over the years. I appreciate my players more than I ever did and I think I'm more caring."
One sad lesson came in the death of popular Iowa player Chris Street, who was killed in a car accident a few years ago.
"I don't think there is any question of that impact at all in very profound ways that I can't even understand," he said, sadness lingering in his voice. "That really made you more caring, more aware and more understanding of your role.
"It really did change my approach and I think a lot of our assistant coaches, too."
Davis is Iowa's all-time winningest coach and his team is always known for its relentless full-court press and domination on the boards.
"There have been a lot of great moments," he said, looking out at the Lahaina Civic Center gym.
Davis offered some advice for a young basketball coach.
"Make sure you love it, that you really love it," he said. "And then to understand it.
"Out here is the fun part. But are you prepared and willing to do the other stuff to be successful? And that's not nearly as much fun."
There are a lot of problems in college athletics these days. But Dr. Tom represents what is good and decent and positive.