Man when basketball was still basketball...not “hey let’s not play any defense, let’s rebound the ball then sprint up the court as fast as we can and launch three pointers all game long. The game will look like crap, but we’re only gonna be here a year if that!” Man I miss Bobby Knight’s Indiana motion offense and tuff man to man defense. Or Dean Smith’s cunning and innovative offense that was structured toward his teams strengths. Or just the college stars in general that made the tournament what it was. You followed your team all season long. And if or when they made the tournament, your heart was so into it because each team had a identity and story. What I remember most of this tournament, Bobby Knight’s last great Indiana squad. Their hopes all but dashed when Allan Henderson went out with that bum knee. Can Duke and Coach K rally the magic one more time? Can the Fab 5 finally mature and pull through? Can North Carolina make another deep run? Can Rodney Rogers Danny Manning his team to a miraculous tournament? These were the questions me and my basketball junkie high school classmates would talk about all tournament long. We were so vested.
AMEN! I love this post even 2 years later. Had Alan Henderson not bummed his knee, they would have gotten revenge vs KU in E8, setting up the greatest F4 of all time.. E-1 UNC vs MW-1 Indiana and game 2 SE1 UK vs W 1 Michigan. A Final Four that could be played four different times with four different winners!
Man when basketball was still basketball...not “hey let’s not play any defense, let’s rebound the ball then sprint up the court as fast as we can and launch three pointers all game long. The game will look like crap, but we’re only gonna be here a year if that!” Man I miss Bobby Knight’s Indiana motion offense and tuff man to man defense. Or Dean Smith’s cunning and innovative offense that was structured toward his teams strengths. Or just the college stars in general that made the tournament what it was. You followed your team all season long. And if or when they made the tournament, your heart was so into it because each team had a identity and story. What I remember most of this tournament, Bobby Knight’s last great Indiana squad. Their hopes all but dashed when Allan Henderson went out with that bum knee. Can Duke and Coach K rally the magic one more time? Can the Fab 5 finally mature and pull through? Can North Carolina make another deep run? Can Rodney Rogers Danny Manning his team to a miraculous tournament? These were the questions me and my basketball junkie high school classmates would talk about all tournament long. We were so vested.
AMEN! I love this post even 2 years later. Had Alan Henderson not bummed his knee, they would have gotten revenge vs KU in E8, setting up the greatest F4 of all time.. E-1 UNC vs MW-1 Indiana and game 2 SE1 UK vs W 1 Michigan. A Final Four that could be played four different times with four different winners!