Seattle head coach P.J. Carlesimo was surprised to hear during his pre-game talk that Texas Tech coach Bob Knight had abruptly resigned on Monday.

Carlesimo credits Knight for much of his growth as a coach. Carlesimo first met Knight through Jack Gallagher, his high school coach in Scranton, Penn., at a summer basketball camp in the Pocono Mountains when Knight coached at Army. The two later become friends, and Carlesimo considers the hard-nosed Knight his mentor.

Carlesimo still has a dog-eared coaching pamphlet on defense from Knight’s camps.

"He's one of the best teachers of basketball who's ever coached," Carlesimo said. "People can talk about all of the other stuff. But if you want to analyze a practice and games and watch a team play and how they were taught to play basketball, there’s been very few that are even in the same group as him.

"He’s just an unbelievable teacher and an extremely interesting man. ... That’s not good for basketball. Other people will have a different opinion, but to me when you lose one of the best coaches and best teachers in the game, it’s not good for basketball."

Chicago interim head coach Jim Boylan coached against Knight while he worked as an assistant for Jud Heathcote at Michigan State from 1986 to 1989.

"He’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, not just in basketball, but in sports in general," Boylan said.

Boylan said later: "He’s a lightening rod. You either love him or hate him."

The Texas Tech program will be turned over to Knight’s son, Pat Knight, who was named head coach-designate in 2005.

Seattle’s Wally Szczerbiak will play tonight after a two-game absence. But Jeff Green will miss his second straight game, with his left ankle still sore.
Damien Wilkins will start again.

Also, Robert Swift might see his first action since November. Carlesimo has been leery of playing Swift without watching him scrimmage during practice, but Swift is itching to play and Carlesimo might sneak him in if the time is right.