On the Banks: Times the RAC rocked
- Thread starter dpwhite
- Start date
Would love to see video of that one. I was a freshmen and have this memory of the crowd just being relentless
Yup ...I remember watch a lot of those games on NJ public tv ....and sadly the final four.
We got to go to games in the garden though....which, people now, might not believe, but Rutgers basketball was a huge draw at the garden first with sellers and right through the James bailey era ...
to me it was under Bannon...my last years in school was 98-99...GTown debacle (most devasting loss as a RU fan for me)...crushed shoe, Nova, beat Cuse in 97, BIg MOnday games...and Billet's shot at MSG vs GTown in quarters was special...so was going to BET semis...best atmosphere I've been to for college bball...was Cuse vs Johnnies in one semi, us vs UConn in other...
OF course the Kobo slam to start the game home vs # 1 Umass (sit-in game) is up there as a moment...
OF course the Kobo slam to start the game home vs # 1 Umass (sit-in game) is up there as a moment...
I think the story about Bird hitting someone after the Rutgers win over ISU is true. I remember being on the court celebrating and seeing the paramedics run by. I asked Joe Boylan what happened and he said a student jumped on Bird's back and called him Birdsh*t. Bird then knocked him out.
We were in the NIT after losing in the first round of the Eastern Eight tournament as the #1 seed to West Virginia. I believe that was at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Huge disappointment.
We were in the NIT after losing in the first round of the Eastern Eight tournament as the #1 seed to West Virginia. I believe that was at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Huge disappointment.
I was a college student for 4 of them! Oh man we're those some good times with exciting teams that were bombing threes The RAC was rocking back in the Coleman Shields Douby era!!
I remember trying to storm the court after the Syracuse Herve bank 3 game with a buddy and no one followed us! Security just shoved us back when we tried to jump over
Can't wait for the RAC to get back on the map as a dredded away game when teams see it on the schedule. Place gets LOUD plus the hard nosed Pike coached D is gonna lead to some upsets like the good ole days
I remember trying to storm the court after the Syracuse Herve bank 3 game with a buddy and no one followed us! Security just shoved us back when we tried to jump over
Can't wait for the RAC to get back on the map as a dredded away game when teams see it on the schedule. Place gets LOUD plus the hard nosed Pike coached D is gonna lead to some upsets like the good ole days
One of the loudest moments I remember was in a loss. In one of the close Villanova games, we were down 3 with under 5 seconds to go. Rutgers inbounded from the baseline, and the only player who came open was 6’9 C Jimmy Inglis at the top of the 3 pt arc. He caught the ball, threw it up, and it banked in to tie the game and send into over time. When the ball went through, I’d never heard anything so loud in my life. Too bad we lost the game, or that would be considered an all timer.
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the last 3 or 4 minutes of that game was amazing..... it seemed everything we threw up went in the basket...... and just when we thought we were cooking, a little used big man for nova threw up a three and seemingly put us out of the game, down about 5 I think.... but we kept coming back
this game was the best finish for RU I can remember, as far as pure action..... the georgetown comeback at home has to be close
as far as games that truly mattered to win or lose, I always favor the finish against St Johns at the garden in the 76 season, and the most totally exciting game, triple ot vs Ohio state at the garden...
That’s right. The Earl Johnson breakaway dunk followed by a hip thrust into 118 was the single loudest moment in RAC history. I was two rows away behind the bench. Then Dance revoked.
One of many walk of shames leaving the arena between Rutgers basketball and football throughout my history.
Though it wasn't a really important game, the NIT game against Clemson was loud as hell too. I remember being at that game and even though people were saying the NIT was a crap tournament, you could hardly hear.
So ... my upload of the Rutgers vs Penn State Atlantic 10 Final in 1989 ... low quality video and audio, from my long-ago VHS recording, commercials edited out:
Always a great watch for inspiration, despite the low quality video and audio.
By the way ... if you go to the 32:20 mark of the video you will get to see Savage's absolutely ferocious POSTERIZING of Penn State on a drive from the wing.
But then keep watching, because at 35:45 to 35:55 Dadika makes a tremendous reverse baseline drive, throwing the ball HIGH up on the backboard to make a lay up late in the 1st half.
Every basket by RU was followed by an explosion of sound and cheers.
There were also a series of deep, deeper and deepest 3-pointers by Dadika ... one in the 1st half, and 2 in the 2nd half - in the latter portion of the 2nd half. The 1st of the 2 deep 3's by Dadika late in the game came at the 1:12:00 mark, to break a tie and give RU a 64-61 lead. And then he finishes Penn State off, practically, at the 1:15:00 mark - or so ... with another 3, to give RU a 6 point lead, I think, with 2 minutes left.
Several of the things you will see in this game are:
1) Unbelievable defensive intensity by RU.
2) A great 1-3-1 defensive execution.
3) Anthony Duckett seemingly getting every rebound.
4) Terrific, and key, plays from almost every RU player: Not only Dadika and Savage and Duckett ... but also C. Carter, Dixon, Lee Perry, amongst others.
That team had Wenzel in his 1st year as head coach ... but his top 2 assistants were pretty good also: Eddie Jordan and Jeff Van Gundy.
Always a great watch for inspiration, despite the low quality video and audio.
By the way ... if you go to the 32:20 mark of the video you will get to see Savage's absolutely ferocious POSTERIZING of Penn State on a drive from the wing.
But then keep watching, because at 35:45 to 35:55 Dadika makes a tremendous reverse baseline drive, throwing the ball HIGH up on the backboard to make a lay up late in the 1st half.
Every basket by RU was followed by an explosion of sound and cheers.
There were also a series of deep, deeper and deepest 3-pointers by Dadika ... one in the 1st half, and 2 in the 2nd half - in the latter portion of the 2nd half. The 1st of the 2 deep 3's by Dadika late in the game came at the 1:12:00 mark, to break a tie and give RU a 64-61 lead. And then he finishes Penn State off, practically, at the 1:15:00 mark - or so ... with another 3, to give RU a 6 point lead, I think, with 2 minutes left.
Several of the things you will see in this game are:
1) Unbelievable defensive intensity by RU.
2) A great 1-3-1 defensive execution.
3) Anthony Duckett seemingly getting every rebound.
4) Terrific, and key, plays from almost every RU player: Not only Dadika and Savage and Duckett ... but also C. Carter, Dixon, Lee Perry, amongst others.
That team had Wenzel in his 1st year as head coach ... but his top 2 assistants were pretty good also: Eddie Jordan and Jeff Van Gundy.
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But then we won the Eastern 8 tournament the following year when we weren't favored. I think we had to beat Pitt in the final which was a home game for them. Sam Clancy was their center and I think he went on to play football for the Browns. He was undersized for basketball, but a bull like Rashod.
I sat in the 2nd row behind the visitors bench during that time. Bird actually punched out one of his own Asst Coaches. Nobody ever heard why.
During that era, The Showcase Lounge, the Go Go bar on Easton Ave near the train station was a very happening spot. We would often spot Visiting Coaches there, lol
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I might have missed the tackle, I was following the flight of the desperation shot.
We had the best record overall, but finished 3rd...and yes, did win the final over Pitt at the Civic Arena.
http://www.jonfmorse.com/wiki/index.php?title=1979_Eastern_8_Conference_Men's_Basketball
Still, not making the NCAA's in 77 or 78 after being in the Final Four put a big damper on recruiting.
