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Kay Yow and John Thompson first shared a special experience 21 years ago as coaches of the U.S. men's and women's Olympic basketball teams.

On Thursday, 10 months after Yow lost a long battle with breast cancer, she and Thompson were presented with the second annual Lapchick Character Awards.

Thompson told of the relationship the two developed coaching teams that had very different outcomes in Seoul, South Korea.

"I was hurt. I went through hell when we got the bronze medal," Thompson said, referring to the first non-gold Olympics for a U.S. men's team except for the last-second debacle in Munich in 1972. "I didn't hurt one bit when she came up to me and said what she said."

Thompson didn't reveal what Yow said after her team won the gold, but you could tell it was something that comforted him at a time when he desperately needed it.

"Life ain't full of roses all the time," Thompson said at a luncheon at Madison Square Garden. "To see how she handled what she was dealt only added to the great deal of respect I have for her."

New York City high school coaching legend Jack Curran was also recognized with the award given to coaches who have shown the character traits and coaching skills of the Hall of Famer who coached St. John's and the New York Knicks.

Yow had a successful coaching career at N.C. State, leading the Wolfpack to the Final Four in 1998. But it was her 22-year fight with breast cancer that became her legacy and she helped raise funds for The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Thompson led Georgetown to three Final Four appearances, including the 1984 national championship, the first won by a black head coach. All but two of the 78 players who stayed four years with him at Georgetown received a diploma (97 percent). His son, John III, is the current coach at Georgetown.

DUKE: Josh Hairston, Kyrie Irving and Tyler Thornton have signed their to national letters of intent to play for Duke next season, coach Mike Krzyzewski announced. The trio is ranked as the No. 5 signing class in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 7 by Scout.com.

"Josh, Kyrie and Tyler will be tremendous additions to our program on and off the court," Krzyzewski said. "They are outstanding young men, terrific students and talented basketball players. We are excited about their respective futures in our program and look forward to watching them continue to grow and develop."