I remember being in East Lansing area the years right before Jud came on board after the Spartan program had collapsed under the previous coach (Ganakas) in the years 74-76, when I was in high school in the area right before coming to Iowa in 76.
Even though Terry Furlow was setting scoring records on the team then in the year or so before Magic Johnson joined the team, the team chemistry was totally messed up in those days, especially when the team walked out right before playing Indiana where they got stomped on by around 50 points then as note here:
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/...015/01/07/msu-basketball-jeff-tropf/21407327/
I recall in those days when future MSU stars Magic Johnson and Jay Vincent were playing their high school days at the same time then, and had games where they played each other at Spartan's Jenison Fieldhouse where they got a bigger audience than the Spartans were then for their own basketball games.
Judd really helped also bring his own magic as well as Magic's magic to the Spartans when he started coaching there, and the atmosphere was like night and day when he took over. A great guy and really was someone that the home crowd loved coaching their team in those days.
I actually enjoyed a little when I had to take a semester off from Iowa and go back to East Lansing the year they won the championship then. Jay Vincent would come and say hi to his friends who worked alongside me at a store in those days then. They had a lot of fun then!
RIP Jud. You will always be well remembered there.
