Front & Center Podcast: Vitale on
U of Detroit’s court dedication honor

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale stopped by Front Row to talk about the University of Detroit Mercy naming its basketball court in his honor. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Vitale returns to the campus that gave him the opportunity to become Dickie V tonight when the University of Detroit Mercy Titans take on the St. John’s Red Storm at Calihan Hall (6:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Vitale won 72 percent of his games as coach of the Titans from 1973-77. He had a 21-game winning streak during the 1976-77 season when the team participated in the NCAA Tournament.

Included in the streak was a victory in Milwaukee over Al McGuire’s eventual national champion Marquette.

You’ll see highlights of that victory and other milestones in Vitale’s career in the telecast tonight. Check out the videos above of other features that will air during the telecast.

Vitale was inducted into the Titan Hall of Fame in 1993.

When Vitale told the school he didn’t deserve the honor, they told him “It’s not just about your coaching. It’s about your career and about what you’ve achieved.. .You’re introduced as former coach of the University of Detroit.”

The Dick Vitale Court at Calihan project will include a brand new, state-of-the-art hardwood floor for the home of the Detroit Titans men’s and women’s basketball teams.