This day in Big East History

[stever20]

For Jan 27- couldn't find too much but did find this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDpXOEu2SU

if you have any suggestions for future days, don't hesitate to let me know. I know I have some good ones set up for the near future.

[billyjack]

Lol, these are great. I'm getting nostalgic walking down memory lane. Not a problem for me reliving old Friar games.

I was actually at this game in Chestnut Hill with my father and brother. Games at BC for us were often like home games, especially in 1990 when BC sucked big time, while PC had some key senior talent (guys recruited by Pitino who were freshmen from the 87 Final Four team).

Anyway this was on a cold Saturday evening. I went with my father and brother. I turned 22 later that year. We were maybe 10 rows up, on the opposite side on the BC bench. At some point i'll watch closely to try to hopefully find us. I just looked it up, and BC was 0-7 coming into this game. It was an unexpectedly tight game from what i can remember.

Early on my brother started giving us his analysis of the BC players, being honest and insulting ("ok we want this guy on BC to shoot a lot cuz he sucks," or "Shamsid-Deen should dominate the glass withbthis BC sub in the game")... when the game remained close (the Friars won), a couple of old gray 70-something BC alums turned around and started cackling at my brother as a "know it all" or something. Which was pretty funny cuz you know, they didn't have a tire iron or anything, and besides they eere probably afraid of us cuz we were from Providence haha thats definitely a joke.

This is a great memory of nice times when my parents were still alive and my father, brother and i would go together to a bunch of sporting events, like games at Fenway, plus the Dunk, plus even like games at Brown at old Marvel Gym. Like another lifetime it seems So thanks for posting.

The Friars had made the NCAA's in 1989, losing by 3 to Virginia 100-97, at Vanderbilt on that court with a raised floor, and i think with the team benches behind the baskets or something asinine, like they were behind the endzone.

1990 we again made the tourney, but had another soul-crushing loss, this time to Ohio State in the 8/9 game, out on the Utah Utes court... the Huntsman Center? We were up on OSU by 3 with 10 seconds left, but we missed a free throw, and allowed the Buckeyes to sprint downcourt without us fouling, and drill a tying three-- a Rick Barnes Special... then we lost in overtime. OSU might have had FS1's own Jim Jackson, but im not sure and i don't feel like checking, haha. The 1-seed was UNLV who was unstoppable that year.

Boston College finished 1-15 in 90, in the middle of a sh-tty stretch os seasons.

Among the people in action this game were:

Announcers:
Gil Santos and Dom Perno. Santos was a local guy from like Fall River or New Bedford. Good trustworthy announcer. He was the radio play-by-play guy for the Patriots for years, from the mid 80s at least, through to at least 2010... kind of a homer, but a good guy. He passed away a few years ago. ... Dom Perno, as UConn fans know of course, was the UConn Huskies coach from the late 70s through maybe 86... replaced by the living legend Jim Calhoun. Perno was the fdace of the Huskies in the early fledgling Big East, with Corny Thompson and Jim Abromaitis, and later weaker UConn teams featuring Vernon Giscombe and later-GW-coach Karl Hobbs (i think).

Pre-game it shows that Channel 12 in Providence carried the game.

Coaches:

Jim O'Brien was the BC coach, having replaced Gary Williams after his move to Ohio State in 87. O'Brien's Eagles sucked for years, til they had an Elite-8 run in 93 while beating UNC i think. O'Brien then at some point eventually took the Ohio State job himself, after Gary Williams moved to his alma mater Maryland. O'Brien had good years at at OSU but a lot of that success was vacated.

Rick Barnes was the Providence coach, in his 2nd season. He came from George Mason, and replaced our disastrous 88 coach Gordie Chiesa (see Jerome Lane thread for more information, haha). Barnes was a super recruiter and solid coach back then, but was horrendous in late game situations. He stayed thru 94, after his Big East Tourney championship, when he moved to Clemson i think. Good guy and has been a consistent winner for 30+ seasons.

Players:

Marty Conlon, Friar center, future Celtic. Gangly kid who could hit threes.

Carlton Screen, Friar point guard, good ballhandler and excellent free throw shooter which helped at ends of games of course.

Eric Murdoch, Friar shooting guard, future NBA star with the Jazz. Finished at PC as the all-time NCAA steals leader. He carried the team in 91 as a senior.

Abdul Shamsid-Deen, Friar center, was a big piece in our lineup, and along with Conlon and Screen was kne of the last holdovers from our 87 run. Lanky with a little hook shot.

Marques Bragg, Friar power forward... only nmentioning him cuz he was jacked, our enforcer built like Schwarzenegger, at least relative to other guys like skinny Conlon and Shamsid-Deen

BC was so weak i can't remember their players-- i think Dana Barros was long gone...

Around the league, it was the era of Mourning and Mutombo and the "other" Charles Smith for Georgetown... Syracuse may have had Billy Owens, and i think Derrick Coleman was a senior, not certain. St John's still had Louie, and had some solid players around 1990... i think the late great Malik Sealy was still with them. Pitt may still have had future Knick Charles Smith.
... 1990 for UConn was their breakout season (after 89 NIT win) with a fun team in newly-opened Gampel Pavilion on their campus, with Tate George, Chris Smith, Scott Burrell, Lyman DePriest, and especially 38-year-old (haha) Nadav Henefeld from Israel... Seton Hall was coming off a National Final with 38-year-old Aussie Andrew Gaze and a stacked team with John Morton, a guy named Cooper, big man Anthony Avent, and some young talent arriving in Terry Dehere, Arturas Karnishivas, and the massive Ramon Ramos. Villanova was in the late Massimino era.

Anywho, if you're stiill here, thanks for reading, lol.

[stever20]

to your point about Vandy- I watched a game this year with them and Temple, and the benches are still in the "end zones". Guess it's something that's always been like that so they're not changing it.

I'll keep on doing these. I'll try to find some stuff as well for X, Creighton, and Butler as well. Hope everyone enjoys them!

[billyjack]

Barnes incoming freshman class for the 91 seasin was really strong...
- Dickey Simpkins, ton of rings with the Bulls and one of my favorite announcers.
- Rob Phelps, top prospect, shooting guard out of NYC.

later signed:
- Eric Williams, future Celtic.
- Abdul Abdullah, a local Providence star, played at Central High with Ed Cooley, amazing ballhandler and passer seriously in the same ballpark as Shammgod.
- Michael Smith, dominant rebounder with PC and later the Sacramento Kings (seriously check out his numbers).

This group was together in 93 and 94... won the BET in 94... had the potential to do more really. Gotvscrewed and missed 93 NCAA's.

[stever20]

the one thing that is so funny on these videos- like hoops22 mentioned- are the rules. in the 85 game clock not stopping on made basket in last minute is one he mentioned. Seeing the free throw lane with 7 guys in there and the bottom spots occupied. at that point 45 second shot clock.

And it's been surprising the ticky tack fouls called.

[stever20]

I'm going with something for Creighton for 1/28. I think they'll like it a lot....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MtjmLiIT8s&t=7s

[Django]

Ha ha ha only worth watching starting at the 1:42 point, where Anthony Tolliver channels his inner Jimmy Chitwood and buries the jumper... my favorite part is the A-Train was such a humble guy (still is after a stellar NBA career) that instead of the team putting Tolliver on their shoulders, he goes over and picks up a teammate from the bench and lifts HIM up in the air (and the dork lifts his arm up like HE made the winning shot). Also nice to see the late great “Dancing Grandma” celebrate... she was our lay-woman’s version of Sister Jean.

[Omaha1]

I'm going with something for Creighton for 1/28. I think they'll like it a lot....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MtjmLiIT8s&t=7s

Thanks Stever. I remember that game very clearly sitting with my son up behind the CU bench. Creighton - Wichita State wasn’t the huge rivalry that it became later as the Jays won like 18 of 20 games over a decade. Dana Altman owned the Shockers. Now promise me that you’ll google Booker Woodfox and get his Arch Madness buzzer beater later this year.

[stever20]

It's funny already in the few games posted how many were at the games.

I have another one for today. Providence this time again. 35 years ago today-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGcMDj1l9bI&t=153s

[stever20]

I'm going with something for Creighton for 1/28. I think they'll like it a lot....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MtjmLiIT8s&t=7s

Thanks Stever. I remember that game very clearly sitting with my son up behind the CU bench. Creighton - Wichita State wasn’t the huge rivalry that it became later as the Jays won like 18 of 20 games over a decade. Dana Altman owned the Shockers. Now promise me that you’ll google Booker Woodfox and get his Arch Madness buzzer beater later this year.

I will- but don't hesitate if you have one to post it here as well.