I know our hoops history is "spotty"...

[spartanhusker]

And it's easy to name our failures... But what have been your best three Husker hoops memories?
Mine are a mixed bag...
* I was at the Big 8 tourney game where the Polish Rifle torched OU in Tubbs last game there
* watching our players / fans on selection Sunday two years ago when we were announced
* watching Tyronn play

I got more... You?

 

[jedihusker]

I've got two easy ones.

No Sit Sunday against Wisconsin a couple years ago. Most fun I've had at a Husker game, regardless of sport.

The Selection Sunday from the same year. I was there, it was a lot of fun.

 

[mwulf]

That Big 8 Tourney Game with OU is an all timer...put that on BTN Classics....

 

[spartanhusker]

Mwulf, Spanier was sitting one row down from us at that game... We were sitting by two already in the sauce KU fans and they rode Spanier for no reason the whole game... They were brutally funny!

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

I've got two easy ones.

No Sit Sunday against Wisconsin a couple years ago. Most fun I've had at a Husker game, regardless of sport.

The Selection Sunday from the same year. I was there, it was a lot of fun.

Was at both as well. What a run.

 

[Tulsa Tom]

Watching Jack Moore and Andre Smith dominate. Neither one was a great athlete but Moe got everything possible out of those two.

 

[mothmonsterman]

I think it was 1993 when we beat Oklahoma State and Kansas in back to back games when they were ranked in the top 5. The game against Kansas ended with Jamar Johnson making a three at the buzzer to win it. We had some great teams back then, it never made sense that we didn't at least make a Sweet 16 one of those years.

 

[spartanhusker]

Mwulf, Spanier was sitting one row down from us at that game... We were sitting by two already in the sauce KU fans and they rode Spanier for no reason the whole game... They were brutally funny!

oops! meant that for jedihusker

 

[Dean Pope]

Early 80's, an undefeated and #1 Missouri team led by Steve Stipanovich and Jon Sundvold were taken down in Columbia by our Huskers by 16 points. As the game went on, the Huskers played better and better and the crowd got angrier and angrier. By the end of the game, Kent Pavelka was literally whispering the play by play into the microphone because the crowd was so quiet and Kent was concerned for his own safety.

Another great memory for me was the Huskers making an NIT run with the red, white and blue basketball. I don't think Stan Cloudy ever missed a shot with that ball. I think it was around '83 or '84. The team made it to the Final Four and everyone in Devaney sang "New York, New York".

 

[spartanhusker]

Stan Cloudy!!! Loved him!!!

 

[dinglefritz]

oops! meant that for jedihusker

Just hearing the name Cookie Belcher on the radio. His has to be one of the all time great sports names. IF only he had been a 350 lb offensive guard on the football team it might have been the best ever. The best moment was witnessing in person the upset of #1 Mizzou. Maybe going to watch the Huskers with my dad back in the 60s in the old Coliseum. We had Stu Lantz and Nate Branch both HOFers now. Must have been 1967 or so. I was pretty young but I still remember the old wooden bleachers and how how bad the guy next to us smelled.....

 

[spartanhusker]

I loved the old Coliseum!!! We got tickets a lot when I was a kid because my optometrist was on board of regents! Leroy chalk....

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

Was at both as well. What a run.

Also went to the tourney game in San Antonio. Fun trip, shitty game.

 

[HuskerBlueDevil]

Stan Cloudy!!! Loved him!!!

I remember Moe saying that he was the only Division 1 coach who could take a JUCO small forward in Cloudy and be forced to turn him into a Big 8 power forward.

That Big 8 Tournament game against OU was a classic. Back in the pre-DVR and DVD days I recorded that game on VHS tape. Ran out of tape before the end. Still pisses me off.

I was at the game against Mizzou in the Coliseum where Jerry Fort (still my favorite NU player) went off for 40. Willie Smith for Mizzou had something like 28 that night. What a great game. NU won something like 80-78 in OT.

I was at the UAB game that went 4 OT's (or was it 5?). Definitely got my money's worth.

Leroy Chalk tipping in a miss at the buzzer to beat the Cliff Meely led CU team.

Beating the Alex English led South Carolina team. Was the freshmen Carl McPipe and Brain Bank's coming out party. Held English to 4 points and Banks schooled USC's hotshot guard Ricky Galloon. Student seating was open, so got to the Coliseum 4 hours before game time and 4 of us played 10 point pitch to pass the time.

Oops, that's more than 3.

 

[Tulsa Tom]

Early 80's, an undefeated and #1 Missouri team led by Steve Stipanovich and Jon Sundvold were taken down in Columbia by our Huskers by 16 points. As the game went on, the Huskers played better and better and the crowd got angrier and angrier. By the end of the game, Kent Pavelka was literally whispering the play by play into the microphone because the crowd was so quiet and Kent was concerned for his own safety.

Another great memory for me was the Huskers making an NIT run with the red, white and blue basketball. I don't think Stan Cloudy ever missed a shot with that ball. I think it was around '83 or '84. The team made it to the Final Four and everyone in Devaney sang "New York, New York".

Two of my favorites. That night at Mizzou Pavelka was really egging the crowd on at first. They started pouring beer on him and cursing at him and he realized he had to get out of there somehow. Thus, he turned down the volume even while he continued to spew homerisms across the radio.

The announcer at the Bob loved Cloudy. Whenever Stan would make a basket he would hold out "Cloudy" for seemingly four or five seconds. That was a fun team to watch. I was there singing "New York, New York" too.

 

[scarletred]

One comes to mind when Dave Hoppen helped us beat Wayman Tisdale and OU in Lincoln.

 

[Dean Pope]

One comes to mind when Dave Hoppen helped us beat Wayman Tisdale and OU in Lincoln.

My favorite all-time Huskers would have to be Dave Hoppen and Andre Smith. I believe Andre Smith would still be an effective scorer in the low post at 6'7". His array of pivots and shot fakes would eat these 19 year old shot blockers alive.

As for Hoppen, he was the most anticipated Husker basketball recruit of all-time (in my opinion). There was so much talk about the class of '82 with all of its in-state talent. Hoppen was the key to that class and he did not disappoint. Too bad Ron Kellogg didn't sign on to play with the big fella.

 

[Tulsa Tom]

I think if Kellogg came that easily would have been the best years of Husker basketball. Hoppen simply didn't have enough around him and had to carry the team on his back. He just couldn't do it. IMO Kellogg made a big mistake. He had a really nice career at Kansas but could have averaged near 30 points at Nebraska, been a local hero, and taken us deep into the tournament. If we had gotten Cedric Hunter out of Omaha as well that team would have been possible Final Four material.

 

[tpmcg]

didnt larry b. recruit them? kinda hard to pass that up.

 

[spartanhusker]

If I'm not mistaken Danning Manning never won in Lincoln

 

[Tulsa Tom]

Wasn't he on the team the night Kellogg went off for 40 against us?

 

[Dean Pope]

didnt larry b. recruit them? kinda hard to pass that up.

Therein lies the problem that is Husker hoops. When there is local talent, Kansas is next door and will swoop in to take it. The reverse is also true in regard to Nebraska and KC area football talent. Historically, KU has done really well with Nebraska HS players when they have looked to the north.

 

[schuele]

Great memories of Big 8 basketball. I enjoyed watching Moe's teams when I was in college and some of Nee's teams when I still lived in Lincoln. But my best memories are watching games on TV when I was kid, with my dad and my older brother. This was back when it was actually a big deal for your team to be playing on TV, and who can forget Jay Randolph and "former Big 8 All-American" Gary Thompson???

A few of those games stand out for me, but a guy named Bobby Moore knocking down a 35-footer at the buzzer to beat the despicable Kansas Jayhawks tops the list. Was probably 40 years ago, but I can still see that shot ripping through the net.

 

[schuele]

If I'm not mistaken Danning Manning never won in Lincoln

Not exactly true. Kansas started their 1988 national championship run in a regional played in Lincoln.

 

[scarletred]

I can also remember some great wins with Stu Lantz and Tom Baack back in the Cipriano days.
I believe they finish 2nd in the old Big8 days and had the 2nd 20 win season in schools history.

 

[Dean Pope]

Great memories of Big 8 basketball. I enjoyed watching Moe's teams when I was in college and some of Nee's teams when I still lived in Lincoln. But my best memories are watching games on TV when I was kid, with my dad and my older brother. This was back when it was actually a big deal for your team to be playing on TV, and who can forget Jay Randolph and "former Big 8 All-American" Gary Thompson???

A few of those games stand out for me, but a guy named Bobby Moore knocking down a 35-footer at the buzzer to beat the despicable Kansas Jayhawks tops the list. Was probably 40 years ago, but I can still see that shot ripping through the net.

Big 8 basketball game of the week. I would love to be able to find one of those lead ins or intros somewhere on youtube. Great memories. Just one game a week if I recall. I would watch every week. Great way to get to know the players. K-State with Rolando Blackman. Colorado and Jay Humphries. Darnell Valentine and Paul Mokeski at KU. Good times.

 

[scarletred]

Big 8 basketball game of the week. I would love to be able to find one of those lead ins or intros somewhere on youtube. Great memories. Just one game a week if I recall. I would watch every week. Great way to get to know the players. K-State with Rolando Blackman. Colorado and Jay Humphries. Darnell Valentine and Paul Mokeski at KU. Good times.

I believe they had an early day game on TV and a game after at some point during those days..

When Jo Jo White played back then I remember the games were black and white no color yet back in those years.

I do remember Houston and UCLA with Hayes and Alcindor being on color TV and at the time was the biggest buildup for a Basketball game on TV.

 

[schuele]

Do you guys remember when NU had Jerry Fort, Iowa State had Hercle Ivy, Colorado had Scott Wedman and K-State had Mike Evans and Chucky Williams? If there had been a 3-point line in those days, those guys could have all gone for 30-35 ppg. They could light it up from anywhere.

 

[scarletred]

Do you guys remember when NU had Jerry Fort, Iowa State had Hercle Ivy, Colorado had Scott Wedman and K-State had Mike Evans and Chucky Williams? If there had been a 3-point line in those days, those guys could have all gone for 30-35 ppg. They could light it up from anywhere.

Can't remember when Fort and company played but the 3 point line in College went in effect for the 1986-1987 season.

 

[newAD]

I was in my mid 20s for this game. I was sitting diagonally from one of the corners when Wald was shooting these 3 FTs. Probably my favorite non-con game at Devaney that I attended in person. I was going nuts after me made his 3rd, and had Strickland been successful with his steal and prayer shot, I can only imagine what would have happened.

 

[nudan92]

1990 Nebraska vs Michigan State. Steve Smith was walking around the court in the final moments of the game holding up his finger and beating his chest exclaiming either he or MSU was number1. With 2 seconds left in the game Beau Reid launched an NBA range three to win the game and my buddies and I who were students at the time jumped the media table to swarm the court. I got my low five in to Rich King.

 

[newAD]

And it's easy to name our failures... But what have been your best three Husker hoops memories?
Mine are a mixed bag...
* I was at the Big 8 tourney game where the Polish Rifle torched OU in Tubbs last game there
* watching our players / fans on selection Sunday two years ago when we were announced
* watching Tyronn play

I got more... You?

The end of that 1994 season I will never forget, and I don't just mean the Big 8 tournament win.

Nebraska was 4-6 in conference and had a 3 game home stand vs Kansas (With Jacque Vaughn, Scott Pollard, and Greg Ostertag who played with the Jazz for a few years), Kansas State, and Okie State (with Big Country Bryant Reeves). Nebraska has to win all 3 before finishing the season at Mizzou.

Nebraska won all 3 of those games, and they were all a blast at Devaney. Then Nebraska went on the road to Mizzou. Piakowski missed an NBA 3 at the buzzer and Mizzou finished 14-0 in conference, Nebraska 7-7.

Then the tourney. Pike drops 42 on OU. In the semis, Nebraska gets revenge and gives Mizzou it's only conference loss, and at some point during the game, Nee during a coaches discussion with a ref, sticks his finger at Norm Stewart, and tells him off. Then they pulled off the final by beating Okie state for the 2nd time in 3 games for the automatic bid.

Chubbick was an absolute warrior that conference season. It's too bad it ended with another 1 and done, but what they did just to get there was a great ride and a lot of fun to watch.

 

[otismotis08]

I got nothing.

 

[GBR_Atlanta]

No Sit Sunday vs. Wiscy is my favorite current memory. Was the crowd as loud at the arena as it seemed on TV? Amazing game.

 

[GretnaShawn]

We had a player named Cookie Belcher. As a kid, that is something that couldn't be topped.

 

[jay-cheese]

Wasn't Cookie related to Tyron Lue (cousins or something?? Cookie could play some D...

I was at that Mich St game (beau reid 3 for win) and the game where they beat Kansas at home (Chubbick made a tremendous full court hustle play to block a layup for KU).

I didn't see some of the older teams, due to age, but my favorite all time Husker BB team is with Strick, Boone, and Badgett... Anybody confirm any of the old Strickland rumors for what happened when he suited up for a Husker Football practice? He was quite the athlete (played pro for the Marlins, many years for the Dallas Mav's in the NBA...)

GBR