1970 Iowa Hoops Article: Iowa breaks NCAA record 121 points

[JonDMiller]

'MAD' Moments: March 1970 - IOWA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

College basketball is certainly a sport that is not as good (or entertaining) as it once used to be.

 

[JonDMiller]

Their record setting win against Notre Dame came AFTER they had lost to Jacksonville All the more impressive. (EDITED: not Final Four)

 

[woodyk1]

Their record setting win against Notre Dame came AFTER they had lost to Jacksonville in the final four, and meant they were playing for 3rd place. All the more impressive.

Well, this was actually for 3rd place in the Mideast Regional, not the Final Four. Defense was optional at this time in basketball (especially consolation games). Check out the other Regional consolation scores (see link below):

1970 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NC State 108-Niagra 88 (East)
Kansas State 107-Houston 98 (Midwest)
Santa Clara 89-Long Beach State 86 (West)

Also, check out the coaches of those teams (including Tark at Long Beach State).

I think will show you how much sports has changed in the past 40 years (consolation games in regionals).

 

[eyekwah]

http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/072010aab.htmlCollege basketball is certainly a sport that is not as good (or entertaining) as it once used to be.

Could you pinpoint some explanations for what is not as good or entertaining? I'm not disagreeing with you because I've felt the same way for sometime. Game attendance for basketball has been down nationally.

In the past I watched games of other teams even when Iowa was having a down year. I don't do that anymore. I think the worse thing the NBA did was require one year of college play to be eligible for the draft. It seems to have created an environment that encourages the worse instincts.

 

[JonDMiller]

Could you pinpoint some explanations for what is not as good or entertaining? I'm not disagreeing with you because I've felt the same way for sometime. Game attendance for basketball has been down nationally.

In the past I watched games of other teams even when Iowa was having a down year. I don't do that anymore. I think the worse thing the NBA did was require one year of college play to be eligible for the draft. It seems to have created an environment that encourages the worse instincts.

I think a big factor for many of us is that Iowa is pretty much irrelevant so we don;t care as much about the sport. I know that is how I am. That, and the style of play in the league I have always followed is 1940's slow. It's just ugly on most nights. I look forward to breaking that opinion out on The Pulse on the BTN this winter and see what comes back

The 1980's era of Big Ten basketball was freaking high flying, unreal athleticism, little thuggery and open.

 

[hawkeyescott]

And the amazing thing about scoring 121 points was there wasn't a 3 point line back then either everything was 2 point buckets.

 

[SDK46]

Chuck Taylor's and tube socks pulled up to just below your knees...fashion certainly has changed.

 

[troy]

The three point shot, shot clock, and Sportscenter ruined college basketball. All players want to do is jack up 3's and dunk.

 

[joelbc1]

I heard after THAT game, Ralph Miller said at the practice the day before, everyone was so "down" he threw the ball out on the floor and told the team to "do something, we have an hour to kill."

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Could you pinpoint some explanations for what is not as good or entertaining? I'm not disagreeing with you because I've felt the same way for sometime. Game attendance for basketball has been down nationally.

In the past I watched games of other teams even when Iowa was having a down year. I don't do that anymore. I think the worse thing the NBA did was require one year of college play to be eligible for the draft. It seems to have created an environment that encourages the worse instincts.

Players jumping early to the NBA is far and away the top reason for the decline in college basketball talent. With players leaving after just a year they never get to really bond with teammates like they would if they stayed four years. Also, a lot of the players are terrific athletes but still pretty raw in terms of actual basketball talent. The UNC team that won the title two years ago was the rare example of what happens when players stick around. Imagine how good OSU would have been with Oden, Conley, Cook, Mullins, Koufas and Turner all on the same team. Or UCLA with Love, Collison, Westbrook, Mbah a Moute all returning. I wish players had to stay in school in three years so we got the chance to see these teams grow together and watch the top players develop for more than one season.