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Topic: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Topic: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

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OhioStunter
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Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/5/2016 11:49:28 PM

There's no wrong answers here, but how would you rank your most memorable NCAA Tourney games Ohio was in?

1. Ohio vs. Florida -- I know this was a loss, and how can it be #1, but I was there. It was my first NCAA tourney game and I loved the gutsy comeback and how the partisan crowd (including Villanova fans) erupted when we hit the three to tie the game with 2 min. left.

2. Ohio vs. Georgetown -- Watched at a bar in Chicago with rabid fans. "Hoya Destroyas!"

3. Ohio vs. North Carolina -- I know, another loss. But this was an amazing game. And watched at an "overflow" standing room only bar in Chicago with all but two people in the crowd as Bobcat fans. Seriously, two dudes were there with Tarheels jerseys on and they looked like they were going to poop their pants the whole game. Walking down the street in my Ohio gear after the game, Big Ten fans were high fiving us for the near upset.

4. Ohio vs. Indiana -- Watched the entire first half in a hot tub with women.

5. Ohio vs. Michigan -- Michigan sucks almost as much as Miami.

FlashGary
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 2:02:29 AM

Interesting question. I put the overtime loss to North Carolina first because of the game's magnitude; it would have put us in the Final Eight. Watched it at home and had no voice for three days or so.

The win over Georgetown second. I thought we'd be able to make the game competitive, but the domination was surprising being that was such a young Ohio team. This win had to help our recruiting.

The late Robert Tatum's shot that beat sixth-seeded Illinois State in 1983 I ranked third, as it started a run of three post-season tournament appearances in four seasons (two NCAA, one NIT) for Danny Nee-coached teams. What some of the more "youthful" Bobcat rooters may not be aware of is Ohio's previous win in the NCAA tournament followed the 1962-63 season, when Jim Snyder's team beat Louisville (71-69) AND fourth-seeded Kentucky (85-69) before falling to second-seeded, Cazzie Russell-led Michigan (69-57) in the Mideast Regional final. No kidding!!!

Listing two more only because I have everlasting memories having attended them. The Walter Luckett-led teams' only NCAA appearance ended in an 85-59 drubbing to third-seeded Marquette in Terre Haute, IN, in 1974. That Marquette team featured Maurice Lucas and had a big-time freshmen in Bo Ellis. Covered that one for The Post.

I attended as a fan the game against fifth-seeded Indiana in Landover, MD, in 1994. Really thought that Larry Hunter-coached, Gary Trent-led team had a chance with the score tight at the intermission. But the Hoosiers dialed up the defense in the second half--I'm sure Bob Knight had some "choice" words for his guys at halftime--and won by 12.

Thanks, Ohio Stunter, for bringing back these memories.

Last Edited: 4/6/2016 2:10:51 AM by FlashGary

GoCats105
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 8:48:28 AM

Win over Georgetown is tops in my book. Ohio didn't just win, they kicked Georgetown's ass. Nothing will ever top the DJ flip back to the Devo for the slam and both Bill Raftery and Verne Lundquist praising the Bobcats.

I wasn't alive for the Elite Eight run back in 1964, but beating both Louisville and Kentucky in the same tournament is pretty darn impressive.

The UNC game was one of the most thrilling I've ever witnessed. When Nick and Walt started raining threes down on the Heels I was almost in tears thinking they were going to pull that thing off. Plus it was so, so, so, so awesome to watch ole Roy lose his collective sh*t.

OUVan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:15:08 AM

GoCats105 wrote:

That's my #1 as well. I'd put the Illinois State game #2.

OUVan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:18:54 AM

FlashGary wrote:

I attended as a fan the game against fifth-seeded Indiana in Landover, MD, in 1994. Really thought that Larry Hunter-coached, Gary Trent-led team had a chance with the score tight at the intermission. But the Hoosiers dialed up the defense in the second half--I'm sure Bob Knight had some "choice" words for his guys at halftime--and won by 12.

I was there for that game and thought the same thing. Not only did Indiana (and Alan Henderson) turn it up in the 2nd half but Gary didn't look right coming out of the locker room. He sat on the bench while the rest of the team warmed up and just didn't display very good body English IMO. If I remember correctly he had an abdominal issue late in the year and I was thinking that maybe he had tweaked it.

OU_Country
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:20:30 AM

GoCats105 wrote:

All of this, plus the Florida game, minus the Elite Eight run. Why? Because I was at the game in Nash-vegas. And like was said earlier, the whole arena that wasn't wearing blue and orange backed the Bobcats as they made the comeback that ultimately fell short. The beauty of March Madness!

shabamon
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:45:37 AM

I actually enjoyed the South Florida game more than the Michigan game because I honestly did not expect us to play so well. My gut told me we would beat Michigan, but South Florida was just so huge at every position. I thought they were a very bad matchup for us.

OUVan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 12:10:00 PM

shabamon wrote:

I agree. South Florida had been playing very well and were a tremendous defensive team. They gave us fits early but eventually we started to figure them out. Walt hit a couple of huge shots but the one that I remember most vividly was one that Nick hit. It was a subtle play but it was huge. Nick and DJ were along the left side of the court outside the 3 point line (deep elbow?) when Reggie Keely came out to set what looked like it was going to be a pick for DJ. Instead Nick did a small slide step to his left and Anthony Collins just hesitated for a millisecond getting around Reggie but it was enough for DJ to find Nick for a huge 3.

FlashGary
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 12:18:13 PM

In case anyone is wondering why a loss to North Carolina ranked higher than some really good Ohio NCAA tournament wins, my criteria was based on my emotions and reaction during each game. Once we got back into that game against UNC, after the we're-going-to-get-blown-out-of-here start, I wanted THAT win more than any other and actually got ratcheted up more than any game I can remember. In case anyone is wondering why I didn't rank the wins over Louisville and Kentucky at all on the list, those occurred way before my time. I'm not THAT old! Probably should have listed the Michigan win due to Jalen Rose's "Michigan by 20" prediction on one of the network pre-tournament broadcasts. I really thought Ohio could win the game and that prediction was silly.

Last Edited: 4/6/2016 12:20:23 PM by FlashGary

The Optimist
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 12:30:35 PM

2010 and 2012 had very different feels heading into those opening round games.

In 2010 I remember Joe Lunardi giving us no shot against Georgetown. Coming out and beating them like we did really gave that a true "upset" feel to it. I watched that game at my buddy's house on Hocking Street. Leaving his house immediately after the game there was a roar in the air. The atmosphere walking up Mill Street then hitting Court Street with people going insane was awesome. That is my favorite night in Athens.

With the 2010 win so fresh, I was definitely over-confident for the Michigan game even though we were only a #13 seed. Not many #13 seeds had the kind of NCAA tournament experience that OHIO team already had. Beating Michigan, I felt validated in thinking we were better than just some random #13 so I again felt pretty good about the USF game.

UNC is the only tournament game I've got to see in person. Even though we lost, that ranks right up there with Georgetown. Like others mentioned, watching the fans of other schools (I'd say about 70% Kansas fans) come alive to root on Ohio as we mounted that huge comeback in the 2nd half was awesome. Maybe the Sweet 16 ALWAYS has this feel, but that stadium felt electric. Very mixed emotions after we lost. Crushed we lost but that game was special.

Last Edited: 4/6/2016 12:31:56 PM by The Optimist

I've seen crazier things happen.

GoCats105
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 12:36:46 PM

OUVan wrote:

shabamon wrote:

That's funny because I'm the exact opposite. After Ohio beat Michigan and saw what USF did in the first round, I thought the Bobcats would win that easily. Remember how putrid both Temple and USF were in the game? It was 19-15 Temple at halftime. Of course the Bulls turned it around after that, but they didn't have the shooters to match up with Ohio IMO, which you need during tournament time.

The Optimist
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 12:40:46 PM

Another awesome thing about the Georgetown game was reading their message board after we beat them.

Marshall-esque meltdown.

I've seen crazier things happen.

Andrew Ruck
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 1:30:29 PM

I honestly think I'd put UNC #1 in my book. Those last 10 minutes of regulation were incredible, and we were an inch away from going to the Elite Eight, and beating the #1 seed might Tarheels. The sports world was watching and rooting for us much more than a 1st or 2nd round game.

Georgetown was pretty awesome too, though. And Michigan. USF was kind of boring game-wise but still awesome.

Andrew Ruck
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OU_Country
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 3:41:56 PM

The Optimist wrote:

With the 2010 win so fresh, I was definitely over-confident for the Michigan game even though we were only a #13 seed. Not many #13 seeds had the kind of NCAA tournament experience that OHIO team already had. Beating Michigan, I felt validated in thinking we were better than just some random #13 so I again felt pretty good about the USF game.

This makes me remember something that showed up in my "Time Hop" a couple weeks ago. Before a game was played in 2012, I said something along the lines of "If you think Ohio Basketball is just happy to be in, you're kidding yourself. They're thinking Sweet 16."

Man, were those two very special weeks!

GoCats105
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 4:03:37 PM

OU_Country wrote:

The Optimist wrote:

I think Gottleib picked Ohio to beat Michigan on Selection Sunday when the brackets were revealed. That made me happy.

OhioCatFan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 5:42:54 PM

Got to put some historical perspective on this:

1. Ohio 85 Kentucky 65 -- put OHIO in the Elite 8. Still remember so vividly listening to the game on WHAS radio and hearing the cracking in Kaywood Ledford's voice when he announced with about two minutes to go that OHIO was putting in the subs. (Keywood, IMHO, was the best basketball announcer that ever lived. He could make it seem as though you had a front row seat to all the action sitting in your living room.)

2. Ohio 65 Michgone 60 -- Great win over the big mouths from Ann Arbor, my youngest daughter's alma mater.

3. Ohio 97 Georgetown 83 -- Watched it at a friend's house up on the North Hill area of Athens. After the game came out of the house and heard all the commotion on Court Street echoing through the hills and dells. It was a great feeling to be part of the excitement and feel the energy coming from all over town.

4. Ohio 51 Illinois State 49 -- Who can forget the late Robert Tatum's buzzer beater as we was falling to the ground? Great memory. Great game. Great hero of the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u41taGZcCA

Last Edited: 4/6/2016 9:44:22 PM by OhioCatFan

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

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OU_Country
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 8:54:26 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

3. Ohio 97 Georgetown 83 -- Watched it at a friend's house up on the North Hill area of Athens. After the game came out of the house and heard all the commotion on Court Street echoing through the hills and dells. It was a great feeling to be part of the excitement and feel the energy coming from all over town.

This one, because of the comments about hearing the commotion and feeling the energy put a huge smile on my face. Good share!

bornacatfan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 10:19:45 PM

It's Cawood, Kerl .... Cawood Ledford...legendary announcer...and one of the guys my Pops always stopped to talk to when we were passing through Lexington.

some folks handle butchering their names Kerl ....and some don't

never argue with idiots, they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Winter comes and asks how you spent your summer.....

The game loves and rewards those who love and reward the game

OhioCatFan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:01:38 PM

Sorry, Thom, I should've done a search on the spelling. ;-). I lived in Massachusetts one year in the mid-1950s, when my father had a Ford Fellowship at Harvard, and I was known as "Cal," so "Kerl" ain't that bad! Bottom line we both apparently agree that Mr. Ledford was a real gem. I remember listening to games he did not only for UK, but WKU and EKU as well. I'd listened at home on my new-fangled transistor radio and on my car radio in old Packard clunker.

Here's another -- Red Rush of Loyola Rambler fame -- in my personal pantheon of all-time great PBP announcers:
http://tinyurl.com/hybzyrz

bornacatfan
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RE: Top NCAA Tourney Games - Ohio Edition

Posted: 4/6/2016 11:49:19 PM

BANG!

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