What team did you really like that was not Gopher basketball?

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Goldteam said:
Herd,

I went to the metrodome when david rivers played for Notre Dame back in the 80's. I kind of went to see him. Anyway, I'm pumped up, went with some buddies, and we were up in the right field seats. I've never been so pissed off in my life. We were so far away that the players seemed like ants running around. You could barely see the game.

It's been so long ago, but I think NC State had a monster then named Washburn. I think he played in the dome, too. I'm going from memory. I think I have that right.
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My buddy’s dad got us tickets and we were near center court, row 15 from the floor. So we had great seats.

My other great Metrodome memory was Kansas NDSU in 2009, when Woodside put up 37 for Bison, keeping them within a couple points with 5 minutes to play. Sherron Collins played great also and Cole Aldrich got loose for a dunk every time KU needed a lift. Brett Winkelman was also great for the Bison. Was an awesome experience with 10000 bison fans roaring at the Metrodome.
 


Ah, the Big East
I was in high school then and ESPN was still fresh and fun, including Dicky V. Had three teams in the Final Four (85 IIRC) - Hoyas, Nova who upset them and St. John's - finished 32-3 with all three loses to Georgetown. Last one in the Final Four. That was the year of the sweater game, where Thompson wore a replica of Louie's infamous ugly sweater. That's stll the highest ranked game for any sport broadcast on ESPN and Louie's sweater Is in the St. John's Hall of Fame.

The Talent and rivalries were unreal. We'll never see three teams from one conference again in Final Four. Simply the best college buckets has been in my lifetime -- fan since early 80s.
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The Mich. St. squad with Magic, Greg Kelser and Indiana St. with Larry Bird got me hooked on college hoops.
 

LesBolstad said:
The Mich. St. squad with Magic, Greg Kelser and Indiana St. with Larry Bird got me hooked on college hoops.
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I forgot all about that, LesBolstad. That is a great post.

For some reason, I always liked and remember Jay Vincent. Does that ring a bell?

Also, these were back in the days of seeing maybe a couple of games in a week. Back when all there we had were 3 channels......ABC, CBS, and NBC
 


Fab five michigan team
North carolina w/ stackhouse and Wallace
2001-2002 maryland
94-95 UCLA
89-90-91 UNLV
 

The one I really liked but don't remember a lot of the details on was later 80's Xavier when they were in the Metro or something like that. It was on the front of them being consistently good and nationally competitive. Byron Larkin, Barry's brother was a great guard. They played in the Dome once as an 11 0r 12 seed and won. Great fan base, Gillen was coach and they just beat (whoever-can't remember). The consummate "mid-major" quality program back then.

The one I want to gag on but need to honor is the Grayson Allen freshman Duke team that prevented the Badgers from winning it all. I hate Duke, but I will be forever grateful to them for preventing the Badgers from winning it all. If that would have happened I might have stopped watching college basketball.
 

I was a big Lew Alcindor fan. But, as good as the UCLA teams with Alcindor were, I think the Bill Walton teams might have been better. Walton's 44-point game against Memphis State may be one of the best games ever in a situation of that magnitude. (with an NCAA title on the line)

One of the greatest "what-ifs" in sports is - what if Walton would have played his entire career without injuries?

But, to be honest, nothing will ever top Pete Maravich at LSU. The most entertaining player of my lifetime - and yes, that includes Jordan and LeBron.
 

RashoLives said:
I can’t believe no one has brought up the fab five team yet, I may have been too young to understand whether they were playing solid offense/defense or whether they were even better than the teams they were playing but they were the team that made basketball cool and sparked a lifelong love for the sport. I’m 35 to put it in perspective...
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I was at the Final Four game where they lost in the last seconds because they didn’t realize they were out of time outs. I am 76 but at that time thought they were the “team to hate” probably because they were so good!
 



Lady Gopher said:
I was at the Final Four game where they lost in the last seconds because they didn’t realize they were out of time outs. I am 76 but at that time thought they were the “team to hate” probably because they were so good!
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Did you ever see the documentary on that? It was very interesting. I can't remember if it was based on chris webber or the whole team.
 
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slimmy22 said:
Really enjoyed watching that guard heavy lineup that Bill Self recruited at Illinois. Bruce Weber walk into a stud team with Luther Head, Dee Brown and Deron Williams, they did some damage!
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I really liked that Self/Weber Illinois Team, that comeback vs. Arizona in the Rosemount Horizon was in incredible NCAA game. I also liked that UNLV team and I liked the 86-87 Iowa Team that was destroying that same UNLV to move on, then stopped pressing and blew a 20 point lead in the second half Basketball as a lot more wide open back then.
 
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How has no one mentioned Loyola Marymount yet? That era of the late 80s/early 90s just had a load of classic teams. UNLV, LMU, Michigan, Illinois, LSU, Arkansas.

For some reason, I really loved the Shaq of the TAAC so I loved College of Charleston in the mid to late 90s.

I really liked Lawrence Moten and John Wallace so mid 90s Syracuse. And Seton Hall. Not the team that made the Final Four, but the one with Dehere, Walker, and Luther Wright.

Huggy Bear's Cincinnati teams were fun, whether they were the small, quick pressing Van Exel teams or the Thug Ball teams of Fortson, Kenyon Martin, and Bobby Brannen.

The Adam Morrison Gonzaga team was fun to watch and he was a very polarizing player.

Beilein's WV team with Pittsnogle and Gansey.

The Nate Robinson/Brandon Roy Washington team was fun.

In retrospect, I can appreciate the Chalmers, Rush, Wright, Arthur Kansas team that stuck together for three years.

I usually like BYU because they have guys that have been around 6 years and run an efficient and free flowing offense.

I agree with the poster that mentioned the Craig Smith/Jared Dudley BC teams.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
I was a big Lew Alcindor fan. But, as good as the UCLA teams with Alcindor were, I think the Bill Walton teams might have been better. Walton's 44-point game against Memphis State may be one of the best games ever in a situation of that magnitude. (with an NCAA title on the line)

One of the greatest "what-ifs" in sports is - what if Walton would have played his entire career without injuries?

But, to be honest, nothing will ever top Pete Maravich at LSU. The most entertaining player of my lifetime - and yes, that includes Jordan and LeBron.
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Lew was going to win 3 with my high school team as a supporting cast. Walton was great and had a better supporting cast. Going with Lew every time. Would be interesting what Wooden would say.
 

Lincoln gopher said:
1974 North Carolina State. David Thompson, Monte Towe among others, certainly helped me fall in love with the game of basketball. A few years later I had season tickets as a student for the great Gopher team of 76-77
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Yes! Tim Stoddard also on squad. One of only 2 guys to ever play in world series and play in final four. The other one was kenny lofton!
 

1980 Louisville Cardinals with Darrell Griffith, aka Dr Dunkenstein
 

I used to sneak down to the basement late at night as a kid to watch the UNLV teams from 89-91.

Growing up most of the local channels were from the Twin Cities but we got one from the Fargo area and they showed the ND state tournament every year. I remember enjoying watching Jeff Boschee from Valley City. So I continued watching him at Kansas and loved some of those teams, especially the class of Hinrich, Collison and Gooden.
 

nooram said:
1980 Louisville Cardinals with Darrell Griffith, aka Dr Dunkenstein
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Glad this one showed up. I don't watch as much as I did in the 1970s and 1980s, but the Louisville teams from Darrell Griffith through Pervis Ellison was one helluva run. Always loved watching Denny Crum's teams play.

Phi Slamma Jamma was also a blast.
 

I forgot about Louisville and Dr. Dunkenstein.

The games with Kentucky were a bloodbath.

Brilliant Nooram. I forgot all about them.
 

gophereric30 said:
Yes! Tim Stoddard also on squad. One of only 2 guys to ever play in world series and play in final four. The other one was kenny lofton!
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Wasn't Tom Burrelson their center? I think he went on to become a Congressman as well (House of Rep).
 



50PoundHead said:
This game was much closer than the final score and it was the most entertaining basketball game I have ever watched.

1983 Houston-Louisville Final Four Semifinal Game
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When I was a kid I loved those early 80's Cardinals as well. Must've been a hell of a team if Billy Thompson is coming of the bench.

Still one of my favorite names ever: Lancaster Gordon. When I was "playing my own games" I was frequently him or Milt Wagner.
 


I have a few good friends who went to Gonzaga, so I tend to pull for them.

The one team I really liked that stood out to me was the 2001-2002 Maryland team that won the National Championship. Also really enjoyed the Villanova team with Kyle Lowry, Randy Foye, and Allan Ray.
 

Really liked the North Carolina team that had Bob McAdoo transfer in from Vincennes JC, if I remember correctly. Team also had Bobby Jones and George Karl. Was stationed at Ft Bragg at the time and loved reading the newspapers about the basketball games. Also liked a couple of Bobby Cremins teams with Mark Price on them. Thought he was a great college player.
 

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