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Name That Team | March 9, 2010
By Paul Gotham
****All right gang, try and do this WITHOUT research. Let these numbers sink in for a little bit. Feel free to discuss the possibilities here in the thread. It is not so important as to WHO gets the correct answer as much as it is that we arrive at the answer.
This team can be pigeon-holed under the sleeper category, but do not overlook them. Oh sure, with eight losses (six of them in their conference) it is easy to brush this team aside. But look a little deeper. They stand alone with a field-goal-percentage defense of 37.2. Everybody else is looking up at that statistic. They block over six shots per game (top ten in the country). How about rebound margin and steals per game? Glad you asked. They are in the top 35 of both categories. Offense, you ask? Okay, so they probably won’t win the national title, but they are the type of team that could cause problems in the first couple of rounds. They are 2-2 against ranked opponents. CBS has their strength of schedule ranked 46th. From 1988-1993 they made five NCAA Tournament appearances including the Elite Eight in ’93. In 1972, this school played for the national championship, but they have not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1998.
Name that team.
22 Responses to “Name That Team | March 9, 2010”
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Baylor?
It’s the team that UCLA beat in the title game! (Can’t be wrong with that guess
I’ll just say Houston with Elvin Hayes for grins, but I doubt that’s it cuz they haven’t done much since Phi Slamma Jamma with Drexler and Olajuwon.
I was thinking Houston, but they don’t add up to this answer. National Championship game in 1972. Memphis, but they won one since – WAIT! FSU. I remember that team adavncing sometime around then. Think I nailed it. No research beyond my own memory.
PETE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To THE RESCUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, today’s team is the Florida State Seminoles. After beating Kentucky and North Carolina in the ’72 tournament, FSU lost to UCLA, 81-76. Pete, can you please give us some of your memories of that one.
The current Seminoles play some defense. Remember the name Solomon Alabi. He is 7’1″ from Nigeria. Alabi leads FSU with 2.3 blocks per game. They won’t win the tourney or get to the final four, but for y’all filling out brackets next week, the Seminoles could steal a game or two that first weekend.
I wish I had some memories, but I only remember that FSU was there and lost to UCLA. Was that UCLA of Patterson or Walton? Was it the very next year that Walton went 21/22 against Memphis and Dr. (Larry) Kenon, the FIRST Dr. of basketball, even before Dr. J(ulius) Erving of UMass and the ABA/NBA. At least SOME memories linger. I was at ND in ’72 and ’73. It was tougher to follow NCAA (unless it was Irish) without cable TV and internet. I only read about those games after they happened. I can’t recall even 1 player on FSU ’72 squad. Remember Jacksonville and Artis Gilmore? They were around that time as well I think. Oh well, some memories linger and others fade!
Well done, Pete!!! Which year did ND break UCLA’s legendary 88 game winning streak? Did you see it??? Who were the great ND players? Was that Dantley, Duck Williams, Bruce Flowers, Toby Knight, et al??
Speaking of streaks, props must go to the UConn women, who beat ND last night for the 3rd time this season and have now won 71 in a row, breaking their own record. Props to Nebraska, too … they are also undefeated and feature the Big 12 Player of the Year, Kelsey Griffin, a former Chugiak Mustang from Eagle River, Alaska. Gotta also give credit to the Irish ladies who are ranked #7 and gave UConn the most competition they’ve had in a coupla seasons. ND should be getting a 2 seed in the upcoming ladies tournament.
I did not see the streak breaker (1975) but I did see the other bookend to that. 1973 Austin Carr dumped in 46 and ND beat UCLA, who did not lose again for 88 games. That ’73 game was the most electric sports atmosphere I have ever had the pleasure to experience. The only thing I can imagine being close would be USC in The “Bush Push” game. But in mine we won! 1975 crew was headed by Gary Brokaw and Dwight Clay. Dantley may have been frosh on that squad. 1973 was Carr, John Schumate, Collis Jones, the Townsend brothers (also football players). Actually it all blurs. Some of them may have been earlier or later. Once again, some memories linger and some fade away. I am trying to remember where Kelly Tripucka fits in to the picture. Man, I HATE researching!
Kelly Tripucka, Oooooooooooorlando Woooooooooooolridge, Tracy Jackson, Bill Laimbeer, Bill Hanzlick … all future NBA players … were on what is arguably ND’s “best ever” basketball team that went to the 1978 Final Four. In that Final Four, Kentucky ended up beating Duke (Gminski, Spanarkel, and Tinker Bell) in the chan’ship when Jack Givens was unconscious and scored something like 44 points. (Casey … that’s when I became a Kentucky fan). The 4th team was Arkansas, and they had Sidney Moncrief who went on to a great NBA career.
Pete –
If you want to talk “electric atmospheres” and a WIN, my most memorable “I was there” event was ND’s win over #1 Miami in October of ’88 … Catholics vs Convicts and all that. UNBELIEVABLE!! I was also at the Bush Push game a few years ago … and had we pulled that one out, it probably would’ve been the equal of the ’88 game. One game I was not at … and regret it … was the clash of #1 vs #2 “Game of the Century” in ’93 when ND beat Florida State (Charlie Ward) in November. Of course, the Irish went on to lose a close one to BC the next week and would forever regret that. !@#$%#@%#@ Bercich !!!
Great games all. UCLA 1973 was my only in-attendance, but I would have loved to be at ANY of those other games. Was that BC loss the most disappointing ever?
1978 Duke, Bill Foster coaching? They were supposed to win it all! They beat ND in semis. Back then they played for 3rd, and Irish lost to Ark. I think it may have been the last year they played that consi game. How could anyone get up for that situation? I think of that Duke team everytime I hear Spanarkel on TV. Don’t forget Gene Banks and wasn’t Johnny Dawkins on that team? They were LOADED!
Yes … I gotta think the BC loss in ’93 is the worst. I’m still bitter about it (obviously). Kinda how Red Saux fans view Game 6 vs Mets in ’89.
Bill Foster was the coach for Duke back then. Gene Banks was “Tinker Bell” … see above. Dawkins played for Duke mid-’80s on some great teams. There was another good forward on that Duke team … Kenny Dennard?
Frankly, ND was even more loaded than Duke that year and should’ve done better. But anything can happen on one game.
Wally – helmet sticker for the “Tinker Bell” reference. Good stuff.
Bill Foster was the coach of the ’78. Pete, you might be thinking of the next year when referring to Duke’s expectations. The year prior (76-77), Duke was 14-13 (yes, I looked that up – I don’t have that much on recall). Duke returned all five starters for 78-79. Expectations were high. They lost in the Elite Eight. Truth or rumor has it that Gminski’s dad was a little difficult and created problems. Also, Banks and Dennard were freshmen during the run to the title game. Nobody knew what to expect of them. Dennard did not match his performance the following season. I recall a series of injuries.
After their first five, Duke was a lunch pail gang – not much flash. A bunch of guys who got the job done: Bob Bender, John Harrell, Harold Morrisson – not exactly an NBA who’s who list.
By the way, reading Givens’s name still creates a mild amount of physical discomfort. He scored over 40 WITHOUT the three-point arc. I have some pretty clear memories of my father grumbling something about Duke needing to come out of their 2-3 zone to slow down “Goose.”
Johnny Dawkins played on the ’86 team that lost to…(another moment of physical discomfort) Louisville and “Never Nervous” Pervis. Man, those teams from the Bluegrass State did a tag team on Duke. That’s all right. Laettner reversed the karma. “Puts it up…YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Yes … Laettner was severe payback.
Casey — how many other college teams had 5 starters who all went on to NBA careers like the ’78 Irish? Or what college teams boasted the most future NBAers on their roster at one time (frosh thru seniors).
That is a great question.
Casey –
Yes … I know. Please have that report on our desks in the morning. (I’ve always wanted to say that.)
Now that Harangody is the 6th man, we can no longer say that ND doesn’t get any points from its bench. He scored 20 pts and got 10 boards in ND’s 68-56 win over Seton Hall. The Irish will be dancing! Who woulda thunk it ??
ALL of Harangody’s shots were within the offense tonight. He was taking the ball to the rim. He hit a couple of 12 footers. It was great. Tory Jackson was unconscious in the second half.
Oh …and I figured you would take the ND ’78 team and run with it.
I don’t have time for this ….I’m still at work You’re sittin’ there sippin’ a beer. Get ‘er done.
Wally, if you are going to equate pain – get it right.. It was 1986 and the pain is gone..
2004 and 2007 were great bottles of aspirin.
Wally, I could not match your energy and enthusiasm for the ND basketball program.
Sorry Smitty. Boneheaded error by me .. kinda like Buckner’s.
Similarly, my Cubs pain of ’03 with the Bartman Incident and the subsequent meltdown was erased by the WhiteSox taking it all in 2005. I never thought I’d see a Chicago baseball champion in my lifetime … until then.