1980 Final Four Team

At the FieldHouse to welcome them home after the elite 8 as a 5 month old...I am sure that's when I decided that the Hawks were pretty sweet.
 
Brookins was a class act. Was an 8 year-old at the time and he was really cool when I got his autograph. Ronnie Lester was an awesome guy, too - went to get his autograph during a game at N. Illinois when he was injured (not suited up) and he let me sit and talk to him for 20 minutes.

If I wasn't already, they developed a Hawk for life.
 
Camped out to get final four tickets. Ran out as I was about to get in the Fieldhouse ticket office. D#%. Still remember to this day.
 
Hawke said:
I partied on occasion with Vince Brookins in 78/79.
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Vince Brookins was my favorite hawk of all-time.

When I shot in the driveway it was always 3-2-1 Brookins from the corner. It's GOOOOD the Hawks win, the Hawks win!!!!!!!!!!:)



Vince Brookins was drafted by the Pistons in1981 the same year as first round picks Thompson and Kelly Kipuka. By, the start of the regular basketball season Brookins was released from the Pistons.
Brookins went on the play 8 years of professional basketball over seas, including contracts in England, France, Japan.
Brookins is a self employed businessman, living in a suburban area outside of Cleveland is married with two teenage children. He also, founded a Non Profit Company, Brookins Academics and Physical education, Inc. geared towards improving students preparedness for post high school both academically and athletically.
 
Brookins was back for the first Kenny Arnold benefit game, and man his game had expanded after a couple of years in Europe. Still the same great shooting, but quicker, faster, and much improved ball handling. It was awesome.
 
The opening minutes of the final four game was something. Ronnie Lester vs Darryl can't remember his last name. Those two went head to head up and down the court and then Ronnie reinjures his knee. Ah, what could have been.
 
tomhawk80907 said:
The opening minutes of the final four game was something. Ronnie Lester vs Darryl can't remember his last name. Those two went head to head up and down the court and then Ronnie reinjures his knee. Ah, what could have been.
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Ronnie was absolutely CONTROLLING that game. Had a semi-breakaway layup (IIRC, off a steal) when Roger Berkmann blatantly and intentionally undercut him. Still can't believe, to this day, that Berkmann wasn't ejected OR Denny Crum, Louisville's coach. Darrell Griffith may have turned out to be a cokehead and semi-wasted potential, but he was the ONLY Louisville guy who showed any concern when Ronnie got hurt. Of course, he was also getting schooled by Ronnie.

Griffith ran around, over and past anyone who guarded him that year until he played Ronnie. He was lost with Ronnie guarding him. (admittedly, Ronnie was getting help on switches from Boyle and Brookins).

Basically, Louisville could direct more attention to Brookins after Ronnie went down. Georgetown made the mistake of keying almost exclusively on Ronnie even AFTER Vince got hot in the second half.

Great as that run was, the following season was just a major disappointment, losing final couple games to blow Big 10 title, then going down to Wichita State on that stupid foul during a scramble for the ball on a missed shot attempt, THEN calling time-out when we had none left. Gene Smithson's kid (Gen was coach at Wichita State at the time) hit four FTs in a row to put the dagger in.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
Ronnie was absolutely CONTROLLING that game. Had a semi-breakaway layup (IIRC, off a steal) when Roger Berkmann blatantly and intentionally undercut him. Still can't believe, to this day, that Berkmann wasn't ejected OR Denny Crum, Louisville's coach. Darrell Griffith may have turned out to be a cokehead and semi-wasted potential, but he was the ONLY Louisville guy who showed any concern when Ronnie got hurt. Of course, he was also getting schooled by Ronnie.

Griffith ran around, over and past anyone who guarded him that year until he played Ronnie. He was lost with Ronnie guarding him. (admittedly, Ronnie was getting help on switches from Boyle and Brookins).

Basically, Louisville could direct more attention to Brookins after Ronnie went down. Georgetown made the mistake of keying almost exclusively on Ronnie even AFTER Vince got hot in the second half.

Great as that run was, the following season was just a major disappointment, losing final couple games to blow Big 10 title, then going down to Wichita State on that stupid foul during a scramble for the ball on a missed shot attempt, THEN calling time-out when we had none left. Gene Smithson's kid (Gen was coach at Wichita State at the time) hit four FTs in a row to put the dagger in.
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Great post. Thanks for the info. What I remember about that year, as an 7th grader, was that the US Olympic Hockey team had their success, and then in March the Hawkeyes got on their roll. Syracuse was very good that year with Roosevelt Bowie and Louis Orr, and I think NC State had a couple of guards that went on to play on their championship team in '83. I still can't believe how Iowa had that miracle comeback against a very good Georgetown team in the Regional Final. What a shot by Steve Waite! 1980 was the heart of the glory years of Big Ten guards with Magic in '79, Ronnie in '80, and Isiah in '81.
 
Not sure I would totally agree with Griffith being lost with Ronnie on him. You can read the link below which is written from the Louisville perspective, but with 10:31 left in the first half, Louisville was leading Iowa 18-17 and Griffith had 16 of Louisville's points.

Tales from the 1980 Louisville Cardinals - Google Books

There are some other interesting points made in this excerpt including Lute Olson saying Lester was under strict orders not to take the ball to the basket in Iowa's half court offense. The play he was hurt on was a breakaway, but that's still interesting how good Lester was playing under those orders.
 
I was at the Fieldhouse for the Welcome Back party. It was awesome!! We gave up a HUGE home court advantage moving from the Fieldhouse to CHA. It had to be done but when the FH got rockin', it was phenomenal.
 
Born in 82 so no recollection for me. But my sister was born on St. Pattys day in 80. The story is my mom went into labor during the game and my dad wouldn't take her to the hospital until it was over
 
woodyk1 - Great post - Thanks!

I always said that the 1980 team before Lester hurt his knee was the second best Hawk team I ever saw play! Because of Lester I think it is a little better than Davis' first team.
 
DuffMan said:
I cant believe that team was 19-8 and 10-8 B10 in the regular season.
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Lester was healthy until the Dayton tourney which as 8 games into the season. He did not play in a bunch of Big 10 games (see games below):

12/1 * Northern Illinois W 86-43
12/3 * Colorado State W 113-66
12/6 * Northern Iowa W 78-46
12/8 Detroit W 80-54
12/11 Wichita State W 81-62
12/15 Iowa State W 67-64
Dayton Classic
12/22 Mississippi State W 81-62
12/23 Dayton W 61-54
12/29 * Drake W 77-66
1/3 Illinois W 72-71
1/5 Michigan L 65-68
1/10 * Ohio State L 71-77
1/12 * Wisconsin W 66-65
1/17 Indiana L 69-81
1/19 Michigan State L 67-75
1/24 * Northwestern W 86-64
1/26 * Minnesota W 80-73
1/31 Purdue L 56-70
2/2 Minnesota W 73-63
2/7 * Michigan State# W 44-39
2/9 * Purdue W 74-59
2/14 * Indiana L 55-66
2/16 Northwestern W 60-58
2/21 Wisconsin L 58-62
2/23 Ohio State L 69-70
2/28 * Michigan W 83-67
3/1 * Illinois W 75-71

NCAA Tourney (East)
3/6 VA Commonwealth W 86-72
3/8 North Carolina State W 77-64
3/14 Syracuse W 88-77
3/16 Georgetown W 81-80
3/22 Louisville L 72-80
3/24 Purdue L 58-75
 
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