My long lost good friend, Rutgers basketball is BACK!

[Scarlet Shack]

See...I grew up a bit unique as a kid in the 70s.with Rutgers basketball being an eastern power. I remember 76...my first year as a fan. I’m one of the younger posters who was around for Rutgers heyday in hoops

Remember beating the USSR and Louie and Bouie in the first year of the RAC...remember how we used to be a draw to the garden and remember winning the 1978 holiday festival. (At both games)

Knew way too much about basketball at age 10 to know Tom young really screwed up against St. John’s in the eastern regional.

Even after bailey moved on, i remember as a a teen, even though the Roy Hinson era that every time we walked in the gym, we knew we had a real shot to win. We were a real program. We were respected. When people beat us...it was considered a VERY good win

It was fun.

I can’t beleive that we haven’t won a NCAA game in 37 years. I’m not lamenting about that....

And our current basketball team ...this is exactly what it was like in the late 70s. These kids keep winning, and they are going to be looked at like rock stars on campus. The kids making history and putting us back on the map. Pike is right...one of our big challenges is going to stay focused and not letting being plugged in create distractions.

We now walk into the RAC....and felt like the old Days ...we would win. Against anyone. Don’t feel like we have to play our A+ game to win. We were and are good enough that if we bring the effort, we will win most of the time.

We ran teams out of the barn in 76....and played at 70 and very good defense in 79 to get to the sweet 16.

We play more like 1979 than 1976 now...but it’s the same thing. We have a style and receipt under Tom young back then to win and and we had a lot of very good players.

Now...we have a style and a LOT of good players.

Scary part...?

a lot of this players team still has significant upside in their game. A LOT. And this team can get a LOT better

I have started and erased a half of dozen posts about how this team has a chance to be (fill in the word). Yes, I’m tempering my upside ...and cant say it....but I can sense it. I just don’t want to jinx it and say it...taking pike advise and enjoy the build.

But, this is how Rutgers basketball used to be like in our heyday...and My old friend I
sense

It is here to stay

Go RU!

 

[fbc1866]

True, I missed my friend also. But, glad he is back.

 

[richthedentist]

I like you started watching Rutgers basketball in 74-75 when my oldest brother went to Rutgers and of course I also went to Rutgers 80-84 and like you the memories of 75-76 are etched in my memory bank forever but of course my all time favorite game was Rutgers/Ohio State at the garden.
Like you say I and many others are really starting to enjoy this ride and also people are really forgetting this is a young team with many flaws but there is one thing that they do well that keeps them in every game despite these flaws and that is DEFENSE so let’s keep going to every game at the RAC and root our team on and enjoy this RIDE

 

[shields]

Good post. And I hate what the holiday festival is now. Remember listening to Ohio State game on radio. What a great game that was.

 

[RUSCFORMERLYRULOU]

I became a fan of all things RU sports related thanks to my Dad who also enjoyed good Rutgers b-ball teams in the 70’s and early 80’s. I remember freezing outside the RAC during the Wenzel years looking for someone selling extra tickets. He is loving this right now.

 

[rufeelinit]

This team does have a chance, but I am glad you have refrained from defining it further. It can still go either way at this point and I prefer to recognize that and just see what develops over the next few weeks. What gives me a degree of confidence, is that while we can be offensively challenged for significant periods of time, our defense has been consistently good and that should travel as well. Also when I look at the conference, there are many potentially good teams but I see a lot of parity with the possible exception of MSU. I don't dread any match-up this year. I think the NCAA tournament will be wide open as well.

I think we have improved more as a team rather than individuals with the greatest improvement in learning how to play solid team defense. We have added a couple of increasingly reliable pieces to retain our depth. Offensively, the biggest issue for us and many teams it seems, is getting consistent play from individual players. We don't have seniors like Sellers and Dabney. On the plus side, a number of guys have shown the ability to shine on a given night. If I was defending us, I would continually try to take away drives and the inside game and make us hit 3's to beat me.

So as someone else said lets enjoy the ride and hope that at the same time next month we can truly have discussions about how our body of work stacks up against other contenders for a tourney bid.

 

[ecojew]

Good post. And I hate what the holiday festival is now. Remember listening to Ohio State game on radio. What a great game that was.

That remains the best bball game I've ever seen in person. Triple OT! The only time I've seen that live. And to top it off, it was my two alma maters playing one another! Rutgers, though, is my fan interest. I don't have anywhere near the same psychological investment in OSU sports as I do with RU, which is my undergrad alma mater (plus 2 later degrees as well).

 

[hoquat63]

My frost year was the Lloyd/Valvano NIT team. Had closed circuit tv in the gym annex to watch after the barn was filled to capacity.
Ticket office screwed up first game tickets at the garden - no limit on tickets, first 8 guys in line bought out the entire allotment. After that, limit of 2 per id. Got to see 3 of the games, only one I missed was SIU and Clyde defeating RU

 

[ecojew]

My frost year was the Lloyd/Valvano NIT team. Had closed circuit tv in the gym annex to watch after the barn was filled to capacity.
Ticket office screwed up first game tickets at the garden - no limit on tickets, first 8 guys in line bought out the entire allotment. After that, limit of 2 per id. Got to see 3 of the games, only one I missed was SIU and Clyde defeating RU

I was also a freshman that year. And we also didn't get tix for the SIU game, the one we ultimately lost despite leading by 8 at the half IIRC.

 

[hoquat63]

I was also a freshman that year. And we also didn't get tix for the SIU game, the one we ultimately lost despite leading by 8 at the half IIRC.

Yeah I listened on the radio. Second half it was Frazier doing everything

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

 

[richthedentist]

This team does have a chance, but I am glad you have refrained from defining it further. It can still go either way at this point and I prefer to recognize that and just see what develops over the next few weeks. What gives me a degree of confidence, is that while we can be offensively challenged for significant periods of time, our defense has been consistently good and that should travel as well. Also when I look at the conference, there are many potentially good teams but I see a lot of parity with the possible exception of MSU. I don't dread any match-up this year. I think the NCAA tournament will be wide open as well.

I think we have improved more as a team rather than individuals with the greatest improvement in learning how to play solid team defense. We have added a couple of increasingly reliable pieces to retain our depth. Offensively, the biggest issue for us and many teams it seems, is getting consistent play from individual players. We don't have seniors like Sellers and Dabney. On the plus side, a number of guys have shown the ability to shine on a given night. If I was defending us, I would continually try to take away drives and the inside game and make us hit 3's to beat me.

So as someone else said lets enjoy the ride and hope that at the same time next month we can truly have discussions about how our body of work stacks up against other contenders for a tourney bid.

I agree of course we are flawed but it comes like every game someone one or two different guys step up which is great because we know we are offensively challenged as we even witnessed in the Indiana game as we had I believe 2 droughts that totaled 10-12 minutes where we scored only 4 points so we have to avoid those but again with good defense we will be in every game we just have to do enough offensively to win!!

 

[richthedentist]

That remains the best bball game I've ever seen in person. Triple OT! The only time I've seen that live. And to top it off, it was my two alma maters playing one another! Rutgers, though, is my fan interest. I don't have anywhere near the same psychological investment in OSU sports as I do with RU, which is my undergrad alma mater (plus 2 later degrees as well).

I am with you greatest game ever live!!

 

[e5fdny]

My frost year was the Lloyd/Valvano NIT team. Had closed circuit tv in the gym annex to watch after the barn was filled to capacity.
Ticket office screwed up first game tickets at the garden - no limit on tickets, first 8 guys in line bought out the entire allotment. After that, limit of 2 per id. Got to see 3 of the games, only one I missed was SIU and Clyde defeating RU

I was also a freshman that year. And we also didn't get tix for the SIU game, the one we ultimately lost despite leading by 8 at the half IIRC.

I won’t speak for everyone but I for one love hearing from our more seasoned alums when we hear stories from guys like you two.

 

[restartRU]

My dad is 80 plus and grew up in New Brunswick and never really left. He’s been going to games since he was a kid and before he attended and graduated from RU. I am so goddam happy that he is sitting near the floor at these sold out games while this team kicks ass and plays with so much heart. He’s seen so many piss poor teams and games in football and hoops the last 40 years.

I know most are looking, understandably, for the NCAAs. My bar is much lower and it’s been met already. Thank you team and Coach Pike

 

[Joey Bacala]

My long lost friend is back and he owes me a few thousand bucks for my season tickets during the FHJ and Jordan years. Make the tourney and we'll call it even.

 

[RUtrumpet92]

I don't go back quite that far, but I was a freshman in Wenzel's first season. Four years, two NCAA bids, two NIT bids, and one A-10 title in what was one of the top sporting events I have ever attended. The RAC was mentioned right up there with Cameron Indoor as one of the toughest road environments. That building can ROCK.

We have been roaming in the desert for far too long. It's time. One game at a time. Bring the energy and defense every night, and let's make this happen.

 

[fluoxetine]

I'll say the things you won't say..

According to Bart, Rutgers has
A 7.8% chance of winning the Big Ten outright.
A 17.2% of at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title.
A 63.6% chance of a top 4 seed (double bye) in the Big Ten tournament
A 9.6% chance of winning the Big Ten tournament.

96.8% chance of making the tournament
96% into R64
63.1% into R32
31.1% into sweet 16
15% chance into elite 8
7.1% chance into final 4
3.2% chance into championship game
1.4% chance to win it all

Edit: realized the top 4% includes ties so it isn't really correct

 

[fluoxetine]

Basically his model says we have an equal chance of missing the tournament vs. making the championship game.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

We’re on the same timeline my good friend!

 

[S_Janowski]

People laugh and make fun of how old our fanbase is sometimes but kudos to those who’ve stayed on board, followed and supported the programs during long and tough times.

I’m 30 so I have plenty of disappointing seasons under my belt across a lot of sports but can’t imagine following a team at a young age only to go 37 years without a tournament win.

It seems like this school and AD are finally figuring things out and we have real and good times ahead in a number of sports.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Man...I am SOOOO excited to start making this crappy trek to THE RAC for hoops again more than 1-2 games per year!!

 

[ruready4somefootball]

Graduated HS in 73, went to plenty of Bball games at the Barn, and loved when they opened the Rac back in the late 80's. This is by far the most exciting team since John Battle played here.

 

[Degaz-RU]

See...I grew up a bit unique as a kid in the 70s.with Rutgers basketball being an eastern power. I remember 76...my first year as a fan. I’m one of the younger posters who was around for Rutgers heyday in hoops

Remember beating the USSR and Louie and Bouie in the first year of the RAC...remember how we used to be a draw to the garden and remember winning the 1978 holiday festival. (At both games)

Knew way too much about basketball at age 10 to know Tom young really screwed up against St. John’s in the eastern regional.

Even after bailey moved on, i remember as a a teen, even though the Roy Hinson era that every time we walked in the gym, we knew we had a real shot to win. We were a real program. We were respected. When people beat us...it was considered a VERY good win

It was fun.

I can’t beleive that we haven’t won a NCAA game in 37 years. I’m not lamenting about that....

And our current basketball team ...this is exactly what it was like in the late 70s. These kids keep winning, and they are going to be looked at like rock stars on campus. The kids making history and putting us back on the map. Pike is right...one of our big challenges is going to stay focused and not letting being plugged in create distractions.

We now walk into the RAC....and felt like the old Days ...we would win. Against anyone. Don’t feel like we have to play our A+ game to win. We were and are good enough that if we bring the effort, we will win most of the time.

We ran teams out of the barn in 76....and played at 70 and very good defense in 79 to get to the sweet 16.

We play more like 1979 than 1976 now...but it’s the same thing. We have a style and receipt under Tom young back then to win and and we had a lot of very good players.

Now...we have a style and a LOT of good players.

Scary part...?

a lot of this players team still has significant upside in their game. A LOT. And this team can get a LOT better

I have started and erased a half of dozen posts about how this team has a chance to be (fill in the word). Yes, I’m tempering my upside ...and cant say it....but I can sense it. I just don’t want to jinx it and say it...taking pike advise and enjoy the build.

But, this is how Rutgers basketball used to be like in our heyday...and My old friend I
sense

It is here to stay

Go RU!

Good thread, Shack. I don't go as far back as the 1970s glory days. My older sisters went to Rutgers in the early/mid 1980s, but I didn't really start following the team rabidly until I went to Rutgers from 1985-1990.

I had the pleasure of covering the team for the Targum in 1988-89, which included the magical run at the Palestra in the Atlantic 10 tournament. I think I still have audio tape of John Chaney going ballistic in the post-game press conference over a call that went against the Owls in the waning moments of our win down there. I then had a birdseye view at the RU/PSU Atlantic-10 final, as they put the "overflow press" -- which included me -- in the corner of the handicapped section, so I was just a few yards away from the basket when Tom Savage was cutting down the net after the victory.

It certainly has been a looooooooonnnnggg 30 years since Wenzel got us to the tournament in 1989 and 1991. There have been a lot of exciting moments in those 30 years -- the Big East 2nd round victory over Georgetown, Rashod Kent clamping down on Troy Murphy, the run we made under Gary Waters with Jerome Coleman raining threes from downtown Piscataway (before the collapse at Virginia Tech scuttled our NCAA hopes), I Doubylieve, the NIT final (and the train rides before and after), the Jonathan Mitchell 4-point play, and more recently the run Pike made in the B1G tournament at the Garden a few years ago.

But nothing will compare to hearing the Rutgers name called on Selection Sunday. We are on the precipice, and I'm praying Lucy just leaves the football on the ground so the collective Charlie Brown fanbase that is Rutgers Nation can just blast it through the uprights...

 

[e5fdny]

My dad is 80 plus and grew up in New Brunswick and never really left. He’s been going to games since he was a kid and before he attended and graduated from RU. I am so goddam happy that he is sitting near the floor at these sold out games while this team kicks ass and plays with so much heart. He’s seen so many piss poor teams and games in football and hoops the last 40 years.

Again, hearing stuff like this...:)

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Hobbs should release metrics of how much the sellouts help the program.

Ticket sales revenues
Parking revenues

Concession and merchandise sales
Break it up, beer, food, etc.

50/50

 

[Joey Bacala]

Graduated HS in 73, went to plenty of Bball games at the Barn, and loved when they opened the Rac back in the late 80's. This is by far the most exciting team since John Battle played here.

The RAC opened in 1977.

 

[goru7]

See...I grew up a bit unique as a kid in the 70s.with Rutgers basketball being an eastern power. I remember 76...my first year as a fan. I’m one of the younger posters who was around for Rutgers heyday in hoops

Remember beating the USSR and Louie and Bouie in the first year of the RAC...remember how we used to be a draw to the garden and remember winning the 1978 holiday festival. (At both games)

Knew way too much about basketball at age 10 to know Tom young really screwed up against St. John’s in the eastern regional.

Even after bailey moved on, i remember as a a teen, even though the Roy Hinson era that every time we walked in the gym, we knew we had a real shot to win. We were a real program. We were respected. When people beat us...it was considered a VERY good win

It was fun.

I can’t beleive that we haven’t won a NCAA game in 37 years. I’m not lamenting about that....

And our current basketball team ...this is exactly what it was like in the late 70s. These kids keep winning, and they are going to be looked at like rock stars on campus. The kids making history and putting us back on the map. Pike is right...one of our big challenges is going to stay focused and not letting being plugged in create distractions.

We now walk into the RAC....and felt like the old Days ...we would win. Against anyone. Don’t feel like we have to play our A+ game to win. We were and are good enough that if we bring the effort, we will win most of the time.

We ran teams out of the barn in 76....and played at 70 and very good defense in 79 to get to the sweet 16.

We play more like 1979 than 1976 now...but it’s the same thing. We have a style and receipt under Tom young back then to win and and we had a lot of very good players.

Now...we have a style and a LOT of good players.

Scary part...?

a lot of this players team still has significant upside in their game. A LOT. And this team can get a LOT better

I have started and erased a half of dozen posts about how this team has a chance to be (fill in the word). Yes, I’m tempering my upside ...and cant say it....but I can sense it. I just don’t want to jinx it and say it...taking pike advise and enjoy the build.

But, this is how Rutgers basketball used to be like in our heyday...and My old friend I
sense

It is here to stay

Go RU!

Shack, great nostalgic post. I was a freshman when the team went to the Final Four. Slept out for Final Four tickets at the Spectrum , all night outside the Barn . Joined WRSU and started broadcasting games and did some of the classics. I broadcast the the Ohio State triple overtime game at the Holiday Festival with Bailey and Andersen besting Kelvin Ramsey and Herb Williams 98–97. Unfortunately they did not put us on the floor but at the top of the green seats. The players looked like ants and relied heavily on the binoculars. Made it a difficult game to broadcast but an awesome result .

I also broadcast the next to last game at the Manley Fieldhouse against the dreaded Cuse, who I still hate to this day , where we got hosed. We were up 10 at half and they proceeded to foul out the entire starting five, Bailey, Andersen,Kelvin Troy , Brown, and Darryl Strickland. Worst officiated game I ever saw and we were court side broadcasting this one.

My last game was one I never got to broadcast which kills me to this day. The year was 1979 in Greensboro in the Sweet Sixteen. Duke and Carolina has lost and 4 eastern teams, Rutgers, Syracuse , St, John’s and Penn infiltrated Greensboro. We had beaten St. John’s 2 times already . My good buddies Doug Meyer and Dave Siegelman broadcast the Johniees game and my other buddy Tony Malanga and I were going to broadcast the regional Final on Sunday. We were up 10 at half and Tom Young went into a stall and Wayne McCoy for St. John’s tip in a miss at the buzzer and we lost by 2. Everybody was stunned and bitterly disappointed. We would have killed Penn and played Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the Final Four with Larry Bird waiting. We beat Bird at the RAC the year before in the NIT . This was pre ESPN and pre cable. So we would have broadcast the Final back to 250,000 people back in Central Jersey. To say heartbreak is not a strong enough word.
Since Hinson and Battle left in 1983 , it has been mostly pathetic with little glimmers of hope these last 35 years . To give people perspective, we were the best team in the Northeast along with Syracuse and St. John’s for those 8-10 years. Then the decision not to join the Big East did us in.

This team plays man to man defense like those last 70’s teams and hopefully it gets us back to our rightful place at the top of the northeast basketball powers where we belong despite the 37 year detour. . It is fun every night like it was for the Final Four team every game, that happened 45 years ago, that I remember like it was yesterday .

 

[LBusDoor90]

Just pulled this baby out of storage. Photo from the Targum the day after the 1989 A10 final win over PSU sold at Scarlet Fever in its infancy, blown up big for mounting and framing. Had it on the wall of my single in Davidson on Busch my senior year (and the office in my homes since).
Tom Savage leading the rabid crowd with a raised fist at the RAC...

 

[knights1212]

I have followed RU since 1965-1967 in the 3 years of Jimmy Valvano and Bob Lloyd. I remember the great run to 3rd place in the NIT in 1967 when only 23 teams made the NCAA and only 14 got into the NIT. I attended my first game in March 1971 when Penn State got defeated by RU. My wife graduated from Douglass in 1972. A woman was a teacher aide at the school I taught at and her husband worked in financial aid and she and her husband got me to become a really avid RU fan. I was so upset in 75 when Louisville beat us in the NCAA. In 75-76 we got to 31-0 and I got to 13 games. When the RAC opened in 1977 I attended almost every home game. I think I have only missed about 5 home games since it opened.

In the A-10 Championship win over Penn State I sat in the first row at mid court behind the official scorer thanks to a former cross country runner of mine whose husband was the assistant athletic director at the time. My son still attends every home game with me & I live and breathe each game. I attend many road games as well. I was at the heartbreaking loss to St. John's at Greensboro in 1979. I was at our last NCAA win on March 18, 1983 over Southwest Louisiana in Hartford. I returned 2 days later and saw St. John's defeat us led by Chris Mullin. I went to Toronto this year and to Washington DC for our win over Ohio state in the BIG in 2016 and all 3 games at MSG in the BIG in 2017. I have been to DC to see us play Georgetown several times and took Court Club bus trips to play Connecticut and Villanova. We had a huge win at Villanova one year. I have been at almost every game RU has played at the Palestra since the mid 70's. I have been at almost every game with Seton Hall & St. John's over the last 30 plus years. I even went to Stony Brook when we played them in Steve's first year. I attended MSG for just about every game we played in the BIG East Tournament. I was at our great win over Ohio State in the Holiday Festival at MSG as well as great wins over UCLA and Notre Dame at the Meadowlands. Not many people live & die with RU like I do. I have suffered so much more than most RU fans so I am enjoying the ride so much. I try to attend practice once or twice a week as Steve has become a personal friend and I have a standing invitation and I love how hard this team works and gets along together. I cannot imagine how organized every practice is right down to every last second and every last detail. We are so lucky to have Steve as our head coach. Trust me if we should make the NCAA it will be difficult for many people to enjoy that moment more than I will. I never thought I would ever see that happen again during my lifetime. There is a lot of work still to do but everyone must take one game at a time starting with tomorrow against Minnesota. We cannot take things for granted.

 

[e5fdny]

I have followed RU since 1965-1967 in the 3 years of Jimmy Valvano and Bob Lloyd. I remember the great run to 3rd place in the NIT in 1967 when only 23 teams made the NCAA and only 14 got into the NIT. I attended my first game in March 1971 when Penn State got defeated by RU. My wife graduated from Douglass in 1972. A woman was a teacher aide at the school I taught at and her husband worked in financial aid and she and her husband got me to become a really avid RU fan. I was so upset in 75 when Louisville beat us in the NCAA. In 75-76 we got to 31-0 and I got to 13 games. When the RAC opened in 1977 I attended almost every home game. I think I have only missed about 5 home games since it opened.

In the A-10 Championship win over Penn State I sat in the first row at mid court behind the official scorer thanks to a former cross country runner of mine whose husband was the assistant athletic director at the time. My son still attends every home game with me & I live and breathe each game. I attend many road games as well. I was at the heartbreaking loss to St. John's at Greensboro in 1979. I was at our last NCAA win on March 18, 1983 over Southwest Louisiana in Hartford. I returned 2 days later and saw St. John's defeat us led by Chris Mullin. I went to Toronto this year and to Washington DC for our win over Ohio state in the BIG in 2016 and all 3 games at MSG in the BIG in 2017. I have been to DC to see us play Georgetown several times and took Court Club bus trips to play Connecticut and Villanova. We had a huge win at Villanova one year. I have been at almost every game RU has played at the Palestra since the mid 70's. I have been at almost every game with Seton Hall & St. John's over the last 30 plus years. I even went to Stony Brook when we played them in Steve's first year. I attended MSG for just about every game we played in the BIG East Tournament. I was at our great win over Ohio State in the Holiday Festival at MSG as well as great wins over UCLA and Notre Dame at the Meadowlands. Not many people live & die with RU like I do. I have suffered so much more than most RU fans so I am enjoying the ride so much. I try to attend practice once or twice a week as Steve has become a personal friend and I have a standing invitation and I love how hard this team works and gets along together. I cannot imagine how organized every practice is right down to every last second and every last detail. We are so lucky to have Steve as our head coach. Trust me if we should make the NCAA it will be difficult for many people to enjoy that moment more than I will. I never thought I would ever see that happen again during my lifetime. There is a lot of work still to do but everyone must take one game at a time starting with tomorrow against Minnesota. We cannot take things for granted.

Love this.

 

[ruready4somefootball]

The RAC opened in 1977.

Your right,my memory fades,lol.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Brown_Athletic_Center

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Just pulled this baby out of storage. Photo from the Targum the day after the 1989 A10 final win over PSU sold at Scarlet Fever in its infancy, blown up big for mounting and framing. Had it on the wall of my single in Davidson on Busch my senior year (and the office in my homes since).
Tom Savage leading the rabid crowd with a raised fist at the RAC...

I own this photo :)

 

[shields]

1212, good job. I took a bus to Hartford in 1983 when we won our last NCAA game. Want to get to tourney so badly.

 

[knights1212]

Thank you so much e5fdny and shields. I am so psyched for every game. I hope we can bring it again tomorrow.

 

[hoquat63]

1212, good job. I took a bus to Hartford in 1983 when we won our last NCAA game. Want to get to tourney so badly.

We drove up - interstate came to a dead stop for about an hour, got there at the half

 

[trotter]

I was in 8th grade in 1976 .Thats when I got hooked.

 

[satnom]

Just pulled this baby out of storage. Photo from the Targum the day after the 1989 A10 final win over PSU sold at Scarlet Fever in its infancy, blown up big for mounting and framing. Had it on the wall of my single in Davidson on Busch my senior year (and the office in my homes since).
Tom Savage leading the rabid crowd with a raised fist at the RAC...

Man the RAC has not changed. A photo of that moment could be recreated tomorrow with extras wearing the same clothes.

GO RU

 

[rutger80]

Shack, great nostalgic post. I was a freshman when the team went to the Final Four. Slept out for Final Four tickets at the Spectrum , all night outside the Barn . Joined WRSU and started broadcasting games and did some of the classics. I broadcast the the Ohio State triple overtime game at the Holiday Festival with Bailey and Andersen besting Kelvin Ramsey and Herb Williams 98–97. Unfortunately they did not put us on the floor but at the top of the green seats. The players looked like ants and relied heavily on the binoculars. Made it a difficult game to broadcast but an awesome result .

I also broadcast the next to last game at the Manley Fieldhouse against the dreaded Cuse, who I still hate to this day , where we got hosed. We were up 10 at half and they proceeded to foul out the entire starting five, Bailey, Andersen,Kelvin Troy , Brown, and Darryl Strickland. Worst officiated game I ever saw and we were court side broadcasting this one.

My last game was one I never got to broadcast which kills me to this day. The year was 1979 in Greensboro in the Sweet Sixteen. Duke and Carolina has lost and 4 eastern teams, Rutgers, Syracuse , St, John’s and Penn infiltrated Greensboro. We had beaten St. John’s 2 times already . My good buddies Doug Meyer and Dave Siegelman broadcast the Johniees game and my other buddy Tony Malanga and I were going to broadcast the regional Final on Sunday. We were up 10 at half and Tom Young went into a stall and Wayne McCoy for St. John’s tip in a miss at the buzzer and we lost by 2. Everybody was stunned and bitterly disappointed. We would have killed Penn and played Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the Final Four with Larry Bird waiting. We beat Bird at the RAC the year before in the NIT . This was pre ESPN and pre cable. So we would have broadcast the Final back to 250,000 people back in Central Jersey. To say heartbreak is not a strong enough word.
Since Hinson and Battle left in 1983 , it has been mostly pathetic with little glimmers of hope these last 35 years . To give people perspective, we were the best team in the Northeast along with Syracuse and St. John’s for those 8-10 years. Then the decision not to join the Big East did us in.

This team plays man to man defense like those last 70’s teams and hopefully it gets us back to our rightful place at the top of the northeast basketball powers where we belong despite the 37 year detour. . It is fun every night like it was for the Final Four team every game, that happened 45 years ago, that I remember like it was yesterday .

Great recap!
I think I recall in that last game at Manley, one of the refs called 20 (or so) straight fouls on us.
Was in the first row with my brother at the Holiday Festival game against OSU. One of the top 2 contests I've ever been to (Game 7 1992 NLCS)

Got to broadcast Hinson's first game.