Heartbreak...

[1977Hawkeye]

I actually graduated college that same day. My sister almost bought me tickets for my grad present. Glad she didn't.

The day of that Drake game, I was at home watching while a contractor was at my house doing some work (in the same room I was watching the game, too). I remember feeling the obligation to restrain myself from yelling too much since he was there. I always feel stupid yelling about sports when there are other people in the house that aren't usually there. That was difficult!

Someone mentioned that Iowa may have been the odds on favorite in the 1987 Final Four had they made it.. IIRC, Indiana was a #1 seed so I would guess Vegas would have tabbed them as the favorite, but Iowa beat them pretty handily in IC that year, and lost in Bloomington, so I believe an Iowa/Indiana Semi game may have been the national title game that year and would've been a great neutral court game.. Not that Syracuse would've been a pushover if Iowa had gotten to the title gamem, but I really believe Iowa would win it all that year.. Then it all came crashing down in that 2nd half against UNLV. It will forever haunt me until Iowa makes a Final Four!

One other game that kind of sucked for me was last year's game against Creighton.. Although last season still turned out to be a definite improvement from the year before, that game was a real kick in the crotch when I was hoping coming in that Iowa had improved a lot.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

not a game but the 2 biggest losses that had the biggest affect on Iowa BB, the death of Chris Street and the death of Bucky O'Connor shortly after taking Iowa to back to back Final Fours. those 2 events had a bigger impact than any game could have

+1000000 to that.

 

[tm3308]

The next time a loss in any sporting event keeps me up at night, will be the first.

Maybe not the right way to phrase that, but you know what I mean

 

[homes]

for all who never saw or want to see it again, I present Exhibit A:

LOUISVILLE VS IOWA basketball FINAL FOUR 3-22-1980 FULL GAME and 1st half ucla vs.purdue - YouTube

FYI - Ted Danson in the Michelob Light Commercial at :57.

 

[Cydkar]

For me it's not close. 87 UNLV

That game killed me as well. Iowa losing doesn't bother me any more though.

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

Won't some of you old ducks just die already? C'mon man.

I wish we didn't lose any game. So I name all of the games we lost. Duh.

 

[sioux34]

Ohio state 61.

 

[UncleHawk]

Actually Indiana beat Iowa in Bloomington that year. That being said, Iowa/Indiana/Syracuse/Providence. Iowa may have been tabbed as the odds on favorite had they been there.

Yeah, it was a split with IN that year 1987. We won in IC 101-88 and lost there 75-84. 1980 would have been a great championship but 1987 was needed to go to the next level. That's why I consider it a turning point for today.

So a championship almost happened twice in our lifetimes. This is for Sportstalent who doesn't believe it is possible.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Yeah, it was a split with IN that year 1987. We won in IC 101-88 and lost there 75-84. 1980 would have been a great championship but 1987 was needed to go to the next level. That's why I consider it a turning point for today.

So a championship almost happened twice in our lifetimes. This is for Sportstalent who doesn't believe it is possible.

Twice in a 7 year span, actually, Iowa had a shot to win it all. Iowa just needs a good coach that can recruit up a storm (and his assistants too), and it can compete. George Raveling's talent + Tom Davis's coaching = 30 wins in 1987. 'Nuff said. Hopefully Fran is the guy.

 

[hawkmatt]

Teh OP says no B1G or NCAA games and then he names two B1G games in his answer and the first person to respond names all NCAA tourney games. GREAT THREAD GUYS!!!!

Haha..Ooops I meant to add tournament after those else we'd all have similar answers. Like 1980 Louisville or 1987 to UNLV or 1999 to UConn or 2002 OSU or 2006 NW St or that year we lost to Michigan in the BTT when Lick was here. Anyway I hope it was obvious that I left out tournament..because aren't all our games NCAA games? Can I say my biggest heartbreak was the Creighton scrimmage or did we win that sucker?

Edit: I will add I actually do have a game from Tom Davis that i remember decently. It was 1997 vs Minnesota...so I guess technically we won the game...but we lost by 2 in a battle between Bobby Jackson and Andre Woolridge. I remember watching with my mom and my sisters us being all upset then we went to the Y and played basketball for a few hours trying to make our own winning shots for Iowa I guess.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Who cares?

Wut????? They are rules and must be followed!!!! AAAAGGGGHHHH Anarchy!!!

 

[storminspank]

so confused.
too many rules.

 

[atomicblue224]

The unholy foursome:

Iowa vs. San Francisco, 1956

Iowa vs. Jacksonville, 1970

Iowa vs. Louisville, 1980

Iowa vs. UNLV, 1987

I'm old enough to remember only the last, but each of these losses ripples through the tortured soul of every Iowa basketball fan whether they know it or not.

Artis Gilmore almost went to Iowa! I'm familar with Jacksonville University as I lived there most of my life.

 

[LGEND24]

for all who never saw or want to see it again, I present Exhibit A:

LOUISVILLE VS IOWA basketball FINAL FOUR 3-22-1980 FULL GAME and 1st half ucla vs.purdue - YouTube

OMG, I didn't notice that someone had put this up, thanks. I wish someone would put up the UNLV game so I could see it.

 

[hawkmatt]

so confused.
too many rules.

1. Not a Conference Touney or NCAA Tourney game.
2. Close game.
3. Don't pick a game just to change the standings.
4. Try to pick games spread out...like by era's.

Basically I was looking for a game that always stuck with you for some reason, it may not have been the biggest game but just one that you think of from time to time. Then a little bit of what you remember from the game or when you were watching it like a personal experience.

 

[sportstalent]

Yeah, it was a split with IN that year 1987. We won in IC 101-88 and lost there 75-84. 1980 would have been a great championship but 1987 was needed to go to the next level. That's why I consider it a turning point for today.

So a championship almost happened twice in our lifetimes. This is for Sportstalent who doesn't believe it is possible.

I didn't say it wasn't possible, I have just accepted that it won't happen in my lifetime...