Elite Eight Memories

[Northside Hawk]

1987 was my junior year. I was home for spring break. The Iowa UNLV game was Sunday afternoon. The day before I got a call from a high school buddy who was playing baseball for Loras College. They were having batting practice early Sunday afternoon, would I like to come over and shag flies.

I got home, in full baseball uniform just as the ball was tipped off. Not wanting to miss any action I didn't change out of my uniform. When the first half went well I didn't want to move. We were going to the final four.

Of course you all remember what happened in the second half. I started by whipping my glove at the TV. Then my cap. The lead was down to single digits. Off came the jacket, the shoes, the socks. The area around the TV was full of discarded uniform.

UNLV took the lead. I was running out of things to whip at the TV. It was over. By the time reality hit and I realized we weren't moving on I had cleared my entire family and three of my brother's friends from the room, and you don't want to know what I was down to for clothing.

 

[Marinehawk]

1987 was my junior year. I was home for spring break. The Iowa UNLV game was Sunday afternoon. The day before I got a call from a high school buddy who was playing baseball for Loras College. They were having batting practice early Sunday afternoon, would I like to come over and shag flies.

I got home, in full baseball uniform just as the ball was tipped off. Not wanting to miss any action I didn't change out of my uniform. When the first half went well I didn't want to move. We were going to the final four.

Of course you all remember what happened in the second half. I started by whipping my glove at the TV. Then my cap. The lead was down to single digits. Off came the jacket, the shoes, the socks. The area around the TV was full of discarded uniform.

UNLV took the lead. I was running out of things to whip at the TV. It was over. By the time reality hit and I realized we weren't moving on I had cleared my entire family and three of my brother's friends from the room, and you don't want to know what I was down to for clothing.

Did this lead you down the road to becoming a male stripper? If it did I'll understand.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Did this lead you down the road to becoming a male stripper? If it did I'll understand.

Iowa sure played the second half of that game like their pants were down.

 

[HawksMN]

That game was my biggest heartbreak to date. Cried at the end. Final Four talent wasted.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

Unlv was cheating, those players were paid to play. Iowa was one of the top honest programs.

 

[BigD]

I took a portable tv to church and sat out in my car and watched the game using a car charger connected to the cigarette lighter. Wasn’t my best day at church afterwards.

 

[PCHawk]

I took a portable tv to church and sat out in my car and watched the game using a car charger connected to the cigarette lighter. Wasn’t my best day at church afterwards.

Thanks for nothing god.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

Thanks for nothing god.

Why would God favor Iowa over UNLV?

As for the game, I still can't believe Mr. Davis tried to take the air out of the ball in the second half. Classic playing not to lose instead of playing to win.

 

[bogeyman]

That game was my biggest heartbreak to date. Cried at the end. Final Four talent wasted.

Correction - NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP talent wasted

I was only 10 but I can still remember this one and its one of the main reasons I never thought Tom Davis was a high level coach. No way a great coach could choke away that lead with that talent.
Been so long since Iowa has made a tourney run I have forgotten what it feels like. I long for the day this happens again for a little March excitment.

 

[WindsorHawk]

When did Gamble pick up his 3rd (or was it 4th) foul? Because that was a major factor in this game as I recall.

 

[99topdawg]

Unlv was cheating, those players were paid to play. Iowa was one of the top honest programs.

And the refs called the game as though they were paid off. Brutal. We should have won by 30.

 

[HawkGold]

Unlv was cheating, those players were paid to play. Iowa was one of the top honest programs.

UNLV was cheating there is no doubt. The team was largely recruited by a coach with no connections to the Midwest who got several players away from a team known for cheating in the Midwest. On staff with the next coach was Pearl. You so sure?

 

[SpiderRico]

What's interesting is if you ask people their memory of this game, they remember Iowa leading up until the very end and then gave it away. In all actuality, UNLV had something like a 24-2 run in the first 10 mins of the 2nd half.

I hate Gerald Paddio!

 

[NEIChawk]

I'm still fucked up from that game. Literally a 31 year hangover. I could not believe what I was seeing.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Despite all the three point shooting, what really cost Iowa the game is that they had no answer for Arman Gilliam inside. Gerry Wright was their most athletic rim protector, hell their best athlete, but he was only 6'7". Lohaus was 6'11" but didn't like to mix it up inside. Ed Horton did, but Gilliam was half a step quicker than Eddie. Arman had an absolute monster game in the paint. Lord knows how big the halftime lead might have been if Gilliam didn't give Vegas some semblance of a pulse in the first half.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Unlv was cheating, those players were paid to play. Iowa was one of the top honest programs.

Yeah.

UNLV went to the Final Four, and won a national title, and another Final Four a few years later. Iowa? Not so much. Cheaters never win, eh? In college sports, it seems they do. Who cares about vacated wins.. It doesn't change the on-court results.

That was our one and only shot to win it all, unless the stars really align for us again someday. It's hard to believe Iowa has gotten past the first weekend of the tournament exactly two times since that game. Depressing.

This game still haunts me, mainly because I don't believe I'll see another Iowa team that good in my lifetime.

 

[HawkGold]

Was grading papers watching it at school. The Big was more dominating then and the loss was a shock. Going from the previous game to that was emotional

 

[MelroseHawkins]

1987 was my junior year. I was home for spring break. The Iowa UNLV game was Sunday afternoon. The day before I got a call from a high school buddy who was playing baseball for Loras College. They were having batting practice early Sunday afternoon, would I like to come over and shag flies.

I got home, in full baseball uniform just as the ball was tipped off. Not wanting to miss any action I didn't change out of my uniform. When the first half went well I didn't want to move. We were going to the final four.

Of course you all remember what happened in the second half. I started by whipping my glove at the TV. Then my cap. The lead was down to single digits. Off came the jacket, the shoes, the socks. The area around the TV was full of discarded uniform.

UNLV took the lead. I was running out of things to whip at the TV. It was over. By the time reality hit and I realized we weren't moving on I had cleared my entire family and three of my brother's friends from the room, and you don't want to know what I was down to for clothing.

Kind of weird dude.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

That game was my biggest heartbreak to date. Cried at the end. Final Four talent wasted.

I remember watching it with my friends in one of my friends basement. I think I was a sophmore in HS.

Damn right, That was the one time in my life (that I remember) that Iowa was viewed as a legit National Champion contender. Nobody was interested in playing Iowa and that full court press. I think they were a 2 seed, correct? Iowa was one of the studs of that year. My brother-in-law and I still talk about how disheartening that game was. B-in-law states that was the game that broke him as a fan, or at least ALL IN Iowa. Crushing to say the least.

Man, what could have been. I think UNLV was the one hurdle in the way that year.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I took a portable tv to church and sat out in my car and watched the game using a car charger connected to the cigarette lighter. Wasn’t my best day at church afterwards.

Uh, why didn't you just stay home or drive back home? I'm no Rocket Surgeon...............buuuuuut?