CSTV shows some really good classic games in the afternoons on their Retrovision series. Today, they showed an old game from 1990 between Loyola Marymount and LSU. There was greatness all over the court that day. Bo Kimble and the late Hank Gathers suited up for LMU, while Chris Jackson (now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf), Stanley Roberts, and a young Shaquille O’Neal played for LSU. LSU won the game, 148-141 in overtime.
Loyola Marymount played a breakneck style of ball, scoring over 100 points in 27 games that year. They ran up and down the floor, jacking up three-point shots almost at will. The team was best known for their run they made in the NCAA tournament. Star forward Hank Gathers collapsed and died during the middle of their semifinal game in the West Coast Conference post-season tournament. The team was given an undeserved 11 seed in the West regional, but went on an improbable run led by Gathers’ boyhood friend Kimble. Kimble is best remembered for shooting the first free throw of every game in that tournament left-handed, in honor of Gathers. The Lions ran over New Mexico State, Michigan, and Alabama before losing in the West regional final to eventual national champion UNLV (another great team).
Which brings me to an even bigger point: 1) The author of this blog is getting old man’s disease, and 2) college basketball was a better game back then. Quality players were playing at least a couple of years in college, if not three or four. Teams played a more entertaining style of ball, symbolized by teams such as UNLV, Loyola Marymount, and Oklahoma, who specialized in trying to score triple digits and trying to run other teams out of the gym. Getting to the NBA was very important, but so was winning at the college level. Winning at the college level is still important to today’s players, but getting to the Association is the primary goal. Winning at the college level is as important to coaches as ever, probably even more so as salaries have escalated. However, the college game just doesn’t look as fun as it once did.
I don’t know if the world was a better place back then, but the game was better then. The Loyola Marymount teams of the late 80’s were greatness.
2 comments:
The early to mid eighties is what I remember in college basketball. Like Georgetown and the like. I don't get CSTV so I don't get to watch those great games.
I do miss watching games on ESPN Classic where I'd get to see the greatness of the 80s Celtics play the Flakers or the Cry-baby Pistons. Those were some great games. Man, I loved the Celtics back then.
The Celtics of the 80s were awesome. So were the Lakers, even though I hated their guts. What's new? I still hate the Lakers.
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