Basketball and volleyball were both invented in the 1890s and first played at Springfield (Mass.) College. While Dr. Naismith’s game became wildly popular in the U.S., giving us "March Madness," there is no "May Madness" for the sport originally called mintonette.

For more than 50 years, George Morgan’s game remained mostly in the realm of its creator: the YMCA. It wasn’t in the Olympics until the 1964 Tokyo Games, the request of host Japan, where the sport was a growing passion.

Perhaps volleyball in America was just waiting for Al Scates. The other "Wizard of Westwood" was cut when he first tried out for the Santa Monica College team because "I didn’t know how to really play," the UCLA men’s volleyball coach said. "I was a football player whose coach told our team he’d like us to try out for volleyball.

"But I was intrigued with the sport. I played a little on the beach when there was no surf at Manhattan (Beach, Calif.), but there was no high school volleyball when I was growing up, no boys, no girls, no club. It was being played at the Y and in junior colleges."

By the time Scates transferred to UCLA in 1959, the 6-foot-3 left-hander had won a beach tournament. He played volleyball, not his beloved basketball, for the Bruins — "I was a 6-3 center and John Wooden never called me," Scates said of the late UCLA basketball coaching legend.

"I knew I always wanted to coach. Thought it would be football or basketball, but when the (UCLA) volleyball coach decided to go on sabbatical, he offered me the opportunity to be a head coach."

That was right after Scates graduated in 1961 with a degree in physical education. He was the driving force behind the creation of an intercollegiate league, the forerunner of today’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, where the title was decided in the USVBA collegiate division from 1963 through 1969. (Scates was a player-coach in 1963, earning All-America honors).

The NCAA began sponsoring men’s volleyball in 1970 and UCLA, which had won two USVBA championships under Scates, claimed the first three NCAA titles, and six of the next seven. The rest really is history, with an unprecedented 19 championships, the most victories in college athletics (1,229 to 284 losses) and unmatched success — until 2005, every player who had been in the program for four years had won a national championship.

After 50 years, the 72-year-old Scates is taking his farewell tour through the MPSF. The Hawaii stop begins tonight when the top-ranked Bruins take on the No. 13 Warriors. There will be a video tribute and gift presentation before Saturday’s match.

"Al is literally a living legend who has one of the most remarkable careers in NCAA history, the likes of which will never be seen again," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. "His contribution to our sport is so immense it is not possible to quantify. His presence in college athletics, and more specifically men’s volleyball, will be missed."

Longtime Hawaii fans will vividly remember Scates and the heartbreakers to UCLA. The Bruins have ended the Warriors’ season in the playoffs seven times since 1981, with the five-set loss in the 1996 NCAA title match likely the hardest to take.

Helping UCLA to a 57-20 series edge are the courtful of island players who became some of "Al’s Boys": Punahou’s Peter Ehrman (1979-81), Trevor Schirman (1987-90); Kevin Wong (1992-95); Stein Metzger and Brian Wells (both 1993-96); Hilo’s Reed Sunahara (1982-86); and Fred Robins (1996-99) from Kamehameha. All except for Wells and Robins earned All-America honors.

"UH didn’t have a program when I was looking at colleges," said Honolulu financial advisor Ehrman, the first NCAA athlete in any sport to start in four national championships. "I had to decide if I should go somewhere where I might never play (UCLA) but win a championship, or go somewhere where I could play right away. I liked the idea of being on a winning team.

"The biggest thing I learned from Al was how to compete at the highest level. It wasn’t just about beating the other teams; there was competition within our team to get on the court. He was at another level of coaching in terms of game preparation — even then, before computer analysis. He was extremely confident and that can’t help but rub off on you."

"I loved the way he promoted and encouraged the competition during our practices," Schirman said in a call from his home near San Diego. "I was a very competitive person and that atmosphere really suited me.

"I’ve been coaching (youth club) for a number of years, and what I learned from him was how to focus on the task at hand, to distinguish between all the other things going on around you and how to focus on what’s in front of you. Every day was a tryout in the gym, All-American or not. That’s how you survived there and it translates into everyday life."

Every former player contacted had the same memories of Scates — his game preparation, his on-the-spot analysis, his ability to change with the times and with the sport, his wicked sense of humor.

"It makes me laugh when I exchange information with coaches who also played for him or coached with him," said former Rainbow Wahine associate head coach Mike Sealy (1990-93), a former Scates assistant and current UCLA women’s head coach. "You can tell who has worked with Al because our scouting reports all look the same.

"You learned confidence and composure from him. I haven’t mastered the composure thing yet, but I never saw him get rattled during a match. It shocks me that he could stay so calm, cool and collected in the heat of battle."

Sunahara’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant under Scates in 1990. After three years, he moved over to the women’s game, most recently at Cincinnati.

"It would be awesome for him to win it all this year," Sunahara said in a call from Ohio. "I hope it happens. It would be a great way to finish the story."

The story could have had a different ending had Scates decided to add a different chapter.

Former UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida courted Scates in the late 1990s before renewing Mike Wilton’s contract. Scates declined, partly because his wife, Sue, thought she’d get "island fever" and partly because of the visibility the job would bring.

"I considered it. It was a very good offer and a tough decision," Scates said. "You had the crowds of 10,225, probably the best place to play in the country.

"But I’m pretty anonymous around here and I like that. In Hawaii, Sue and I would go to a restaurant on the North Shore and people knew who I was. We decided to stay."

It would be fitting for Scates to end his career with a 20th banner. The NCAA final four will be held across town, at rival USC, in May.

"I think all the coaches feel — well, maybe not USC — that if we can’t win it, we want Al to," said UC Irvine coach John Speraw (UCLA 1992-95). "There is so much respect for him. It is so impressive that he’s been so successful for 50 years, is No. 1 and in (title) contention this season.

"There won’t be the same pressure on his successor like there was when Wooden retired. But there will be the expectation for whoever it is to win. That’s Al’s legacy."

And it won’t end there. The 16-handicapper has golf trips and family vacations planned.

"I’m not sure what else I’m going to do," he said. "I plan on staying busy, do some (TV) color work, maybe coach for USA Volleyball for short periods.

"This season is going by so fast. I still enjoy what I’m doing. I’ll be ready to think about what’s next when this is over. I never thought about getting to 50 years at this job, but I do want that 20th."