coolhandgopher
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I mentioned this in a previous post, but when I was fully immersed in March Madness, I always struggled with the Monday following the opening weekend of the tournament, returning to a world where brackets, beer, and ballgames were placed on hold until four agonizing days later when the Sweet Sixteen supplied the fix for the next weekend.
With that thought in mind, I present you some methadone-a variety of accounts of March Madness legends, some written in that moment, some retrospectively. Some of these are vivid memories while others are from long ago, but not forgotten legends of March. I hope you enjoy:
The Game That Saved March Madness is an account of the 1989 first round matchup between Georgetown and Princeton which was the closest a 16 seed has ever come to prevailing and, unbeknownst to me, halted the plans of significantly restructuring the NCAA tournament.
How Jacksonville Earned Its Credit Card is a lively account of the unlikely run by the Dolphins to the 1970 title game.
The Perfect Game provides a look back to Villanova-Georgetown '85
Lorenzo Charles And The Shot is Joe Posnanski's obituary for the '83 national champion hero's untimely death
The Mouse That Roared captures the wild ride of Cleveland State's surprising run in '86 led by the March legend Mouse McFadden
Dana O'Neill brings us up to date on another mid '80s obscure player turned legend, Fennis Dembo
Countdown to March is a long form story that I've yet to read, but looks irresistible, harkening back to the Bryce Drew days on the hardwood at Valparaiso
Welcome To His World wasn't written in March, but profiles one of my favorite characters in college basketball, Al McGuire, who left an indelible mark both as a coach and commentator
Nobody Will Ever Catch Him got me started on this dive down the rabbit hole, as it was recently posted on Deadspin from a 1981 Inside Sports feature on then-DePaul legend Mark Aguirre, who had provided one of my first memories of March Madness, a photo of him bawling in a SI account of their upset loss in the previous year's tourney.
Greatest Night Ever in Hoops is Patrick Reusse's account of UNLV's throttling of Duke, 103-73, in the '90 championship game. This game still provides gleeful and awe-inspiring memories for me.
Hank is Bo Kimble's tribute to his fallen teammate Hank Gathers and the recount of the run to the Elite Eight in 1990.
Life After Dunk City takes a look at Florida Gulf Coast U back in 2014, one year after their kinetic run to the Sweet Sixteen as a 15 seed.
The March Madness Buzzer Beater provides accounts from the slayers and slayees to those memorable moments rehashed on our TV screens every March.
I've updated with a few more choice stories. . .
Recently written up in the Indy Star, the account of Clarence Walker, the basketball player who integrated the NCAA tournament while playing for John Wooden.
A progression of articles about Phi Slamma Jamma, up through the stunning upset by NC State in '83.
You may notice the byline of Curry Kirkpatrick on many of these articles; he wrote prolifically for Sports Illustrated from '69-'96 with college basketball his primary beat. Memories is his rollicking, entertaining recap of the NCAA tournament from its unadorned origins to the major event on the sporting calendar.
Harold "The Show" Arceneaux put on one of the greatest individual performances in Weber State's upset of North Carolina in '99 and Dana O'Neill caught up with him 10 years later.
The First Cinderella tells the compelling story of the '43-44 Utah Utes and their unlikely ascent to NCAA champs.
With that thought in mind, I present you some methadone-a variety of accounts of March Madness legends, some written in that moment, some retrospectively. Some of these are vivid memories while others are from long ago, but not forgotten legends of March. I hope you enjoy:
The Game That Saved March Madness is an account of the 1989 first round matchup between Georgetown and Princeton which was the closest a 16 seed has ever come to prevailing and, unbeknownst to me, halted the plans of significantly restructuring the NCAA tournament.
How Jacksonville Earned Its Credit Card is a lively account of the unlikely run by the Dolphins to the 1970 title game.
The Perfect Game provides a look back to Villanova-Georgetown '85
Lorenzo Charles And The Shot is Joe Posnanski's obituary for the '83 national champion hero's untimely death
The Mouse That Roared captures the wild ride of Cleveland State's surprising run in '86 led by the March legend Mouse McFadden
Dana O'Neill brings us up to date on another mid '80s obscure player turned legend, Fennis Dembo
Countdown to March is a long form story that I've yet to read, but looks irresistible, harkening back to the Bryce Drew days on the hardwood at Valparaiso
Welcome To His World wasn't written in March, but profiles one of my favorite characters in college basketball, Al McGuire, who left an indelible mark both as a coach and commentator
Nobody Will Ever Catch Him got me started on this dive down the rabbit hole, as it was recently posted on Deadspin from a 1981 Inside Sports feature on then-DePaul legend Mark Aguirre, who had provided one of my first memories of March Madness, a photo of him bawling in a SI account of their upset loss in the previous year's tourney.
Greatest Night Ever in Hoops is Patrick Reusse's account of UNLV's throttling of Duke, 103-73, in the '90 championship game. This game still provides gleeful and awe-inspiring memories for me.
Hank is Bo Kimble's tribute to his fallen teammate Hank Gathers and the recount of the run to the Elite Eight in 1990.
Life After Dunk City takes a look at Florida Gulf Coast U back in 2014, one year after their kinetic run to the Sweet Sixteen as a 15 seed.
The March Madness Buzzer Beater provides accounts from the slayers and slayees to those memorable moments rehashed on our TV screens every March.
I've updated with a few more choice stories. . .
Recently written up in the Indy Star, the account of Clarence Walker, the basketball player who integrated the NCAA tournament while playing for John Wooden.
A progression of articles about Phi Slamma Jamma, up through the stunning upset by NC State in '83.
You may notice the byline of Curry Kirkpatrick on many of these articles; he wrote prolifically for Sports Illustrated from '69-'96 with college basketball his primary beat. Memories is his rollicking, entertaining recap of the NCAA tournament from its unadorned origins to the major event on the sporting calendar.
Harold "The Show" Arceneaux put on one of the greatest individual performances in Weber State's upset of North Carolina in '99 and Dana O'Neill caught up with him 10 years later.
The First Cinderella tells the compelling story of the '43-44 Utah Utes and their unlikely ascent to NCAA champs.
