Herkyalert
Banned
I never saw a game there in person or on TV, but I have been told the atmosphere was epic. Anyone care to share some stories/memories about the place?
Tell me about The Fieldhouse
- Thread starter Herkyalert
- Start date
troy
Well-Known Member
It was like a big, old school, high school gymnasium with an upper deck. There were pillars in the upper deck that could block your view. I saw my first games in the 1970's, and the place echoed and got loud because the fans were very close to the court and the bench area. When Carver opened up, it was like going into a spaceship because it was so modern.
koolhandlick
Well-Known Member
The crowd rocked but the facilities were terrible. Twenty people lined up at drinking fountains at halftime . Restrooms were even worse.
It reminds me of where Butler plays today. Sort of an old rickety gym with some terrible sight lines in places, and it seemed like the elevation was amazingly steep. I remember sitting in the nosebleed section for a game and worrying as a kid if I leaned forward to far I would go flying onto the court.
It was also hot typically. But, all in all, it was probably a much better atmosphere than the morgue that is Carver today.
I remember the last game I saw there -- Brad Lohaus was a freshman and tryed to dunk a ball and ended up missing and the ball flew through the air all the way to half court. I think that was in the last season before they closed it down too.
83Hawk
Banned
I saw a lot of games there, including a few in '69-70.
Yes, it had the feeling of a high school gym and there were seats blocked by pillars in the upper deck.
But....I've NEVER heard the noise level in Carver approach what it would get in the Fieldhouse when it was rockin' and people were stamping their feet.
It was the basketball equivalent of Kinnick Stadium as far as atmosphere.
I remember when they sold popcorn in cardboard "megaphones".
Yes, it had the feeling of a high school gym and there were seats blocked by pillars in the upper deck.
But....I've NEVER heard the noise level in Carver approach what it would get in the Fieldhouse when it was rockin' and people were stamping their feet.
It was the basketball equivalent of Kinnick Stadium as far as atmosphere.
I remember when they sold popcorn in cardboard "megaphones".
I saw Ronnie Lester dunk during the Mich State game in 1979. The crowd went crazy. Unfortunately, the Hawks lost.
Top Ten Field House memories:
1) 1980 welcome home to the Final Four basketball team and the wrestling national champs.
2) Watching the fabulous few in 1980
3) The wrestling team dominate meet after meet
4) One of the Banachs pull an opponent who was trying to run off the mat back to the center of the mat by a leg and then pile driving a take down (crowd was hooting that night)
5) Ronnie Lester dunk against MI State
6) Triple overtime loss to MN in what was supposed to be the last game in the FH
7) Mike Henry pulling down his shorts with his sweats when entering a game
8) 6' Wes Matthews from WI driving the lane and throwing down over Iowa's big guys (I know he was with the enemy, but a dunk I still see in my mind)
9) Playing pick-up basketball on the same court used by the Hawks
10) Sitting a full house every game that was so loud you could barely hear the guy next to you
Top Ten Field House memories:
1) 1980 welcome home to the Final Four basketball team and the wrestling national champs.
2) Watching the fabulous few in 1980
3) The wrestling team dominate meet after meet
4) One of the Banachs pull an opponent who was trying to run off the mat back to the center of the mat by a leg and then pile driving a take down (crowd was hooting that night)
5) Ronnie Lester dunk against MI State
6) Triple overtime loss to MN in what was supposed to be the last game in the FH
7) Mike Henry pulling down his shorts with his sweats when entering a game
8) 6' Wes Matthews from WI driving the lane and throwing down over Iowa's big guys (I know he was with the enemy, but a dunk I still see in my mind)
9) Playing pick-up basketball on the same court used by the Hawks
10) Sitting a full house every game that was so loud you could barely hear the guy next to you
HeneryHawk
Well-Known Member
It was hot, the seating was about 12" wide ( so extremely crowded, and thus a great reason to yell and scream ), the fans loomed over the court, as the front rows were nearly on the sidelines (the type of closeness that is rare, just like in Kinnick, the closeness of the fans is disconcerting to the opposing players), the stands into the Armory looks like they went miles deep, and the LARGE old style Herky on the north wall was great look and tradition.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
I attended every home game there from 1963 until it closed after the 1980 season. We referred to it as the "snakepit" and it truly was one of the great home court advantages in the United States. When Iowa went on a run (which happened often in the Ralph Miller era and Lute Olson years) it got so loud that you could not talk to the person sitting next to you. The crowd stood for much of the game. It was just awesome, frankly.
Carver is not even close and never will be.
Carver is not even close and never will be.
poncho72
Well-Known Member
I am 80 now but remember going to the boys HS state tournament games there. It was loud and at the time Davenport with Paul Moon coaching was dominant. The place was loaded with Dport fans and I can still hear and see the Dport cheer leaders getting their fans into it. Was only one class of teams and Roland was one of them that nearly upset the big boys---it was always a packed place. Davenpooooorrtt
JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Awesome! Welcome aboard pops!
My first Hawkeye memories are in the Fieldhouse...Iowa vs ISU dual meets in 79 and 80...walking down by the benches and taking pics of Payne and Stokes (two guys that I thought could walk on water) ... Carfino.. Hansen... Gannon... Waite..Special K...
Those were some good days.
Agree. Jon; those were the days. The old barn was awful, but great. Much better location for students to get to than Carver when it's 10 below. There was excitement, noise and intimidation there. God, we had more stud players then -Freddy, JJ, Super Sam, Pervall, Peeples, Calabria, The Stick, Ronnie , etc. God, what has happened to Iowa BB? Those guys could probably work out for a week and beat this years team- most of thenm are in their 60's.
Drakebulldog93
Well-Known Member
IIRC, didn't the tickets say "Obstructed Vision" if you sat in a seat where the I-Beams blocked your view of one basket? My last game at the Fieldhouse ( I was 17) was Indiana the year they won the title with Benson, May, Buckner etc. Iowa had Scott Thompson go off in the first half but May ended up with 42 points IIRC. At halftime I went down by the Indiana lockerroom and slapped the Hoosiers and Bobby Knight on the back as they came out. That is when Bobby wore that Red Crimson and Cream plaid sports jacket.
The upper deck literally swayed when the crowd got rockin'. Great, great memories.
The upper deck literally swayed when the crowd got rockin'. Great, great memories.
IATrainMaster101
Well-Known Member
I remember going to several games there as a kid. I remember leaving hot and sweaty ears ringing.
I remember thinking that Ronnie Lester was the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball. Watching him live in person it was amazing how easy he made the game look.
I remeber the Tree Henry sweat pants incident.
I also remember being at Carver in it's first season. My first impression was WOW!! when we walked in. It was amazing. Modern, comfortable. After teh game I remember thinking, this wasn't Iowa basketball anymore. It was too quiet. Nothing like the field house. It grew on me but atmospere has never come close to being comperable to the old field house.
I remember thinking that Ronnie Lester was the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball. Watching him live in person it was amazing how easy he made the game look.
I remeber the Tree Henry sweat pants incident.
I also remember being at Carver in it's first season. My first impression was WOW!! when we walked in. It was amazing. Modern, comfortable. After teh game I remember thinking, this wasn't Iowa basketball anymore. It was too quiet. Nothing like the field house. It grew on me but atmospere has never come close to being comperable to the old field house.
ColumbusHawk
Well-Known Member
I've seen a game in every Big Ten football stadium and many of the basketball venues. I also have seen NBA, NFL, MLB & NHL games across the country.
Other than the Polo Grounds, the old place is the biggest dump I've ever experience a major sporting event. When I when I was a young lad, I saw numerous Met & college football games at Coogan's Bluff.
The Fieldhouse is still the best environment I've ever seen a game. There was very little permanent seating. The only permanent seating were the upper decks and the seats immediately below the upper decks.
The whole upper deck was sheet metal without any bleachers. There also were huge steel beams right in the middle of the upper decks. Imagine Kinnick Stadium without the bleachers. You would sit on the concrete. That's the way the upper deck was, except it was sheet metal
There were four rows of folding metal chairs around the court. On the sides and the north end zone the old place had folding bleachers. The south end zone was a very large bleacher like you would see at most high school football fields. The south bleachers were taken down after the season.
Boy, was it loud! The crowd would go nuts when the Hawks came onto the court and chant "Lute, Lute, Lute, Lute..." The fans in the upper deck would be stomping on those metal bleachers. The whole place was shaking. It was like you were experiencing an earthquake. Remembering it, still sends a chill down my spine.
You cannot believe what the place was like when the Hawks beat the undefeated & No. 2 ranked Gophers in double overtime back in '73.
Other than the Polo Grounds, the old place is the biggest dump I've ever experience a major sporting event. When I when I was a young lad, I saw numerous Met & college football games at Coogan's Bluff.
The Fieldhouse is still the best environment I've ever seen a game. There was very little permanent seating. The only permanent seating were the upper decks and the seats immediately below the upper decks.
The whole upper deck was sheet metal without any bleachers. There also were huge steel beams right in the middle of the upper decks. Imagine Kinnick Stadium without the bleachers. You would sit on the concrete. That's the way the upper deck was, except it was sheet metal
There were four rows of folding metal chairs around the court. On the sides and the north end zone the old place had folding bleachers. The south end zone was a very large bleacher like you would see at most high school football fields. The south bleachers were taken down after the season.
Boy, was it loud! The crowd would go nuts when the Hawks came onto the court and chant "Lute, Lute, Lute, Lute..." The fans in the upper deck would be stomping on those metal bleachers. The whole place was shaking. It was like you were experiencing an earthquake. Remembering it, still sends a chill down my spine.
You cannot believe what the place was like when the Hawks beat the undefeated & No. 2 ranked Gophers in double overtime back in '73.
Herkyalert
Banned
These are some fantastic stories here. Man it sounds like I missed out on a lot. Being born in 1976 I don't remember anything Iowa basketball until Raveling got there.
Thanks for the posts so far. They are awesome.
Thanks for the posts so far. They are awesome.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
http://archiveattic.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/hawkeyebasketball.jpg
In addition to the rocking atmosphere during games, my most fond memory happened in 1980 after we beat Georgetown a few days before we left for the Final Four. Some high school buddies and I skipped class one afternoon and drove to the Fieldhouse to attend a practice. We were so jacked up after watching that stunning defeat of the Hoyas. Aside from the players and coaches there were only a handful of fans there. Maybe a half-dozen not counting us. No closed practice. Did Lute ever have closed practices? A few things stand out. Lute took Steve Krafcisin and Steve Waite (the twin towers) to one of the side baskets and ran those two through low-post "one-on-one" drills for seemingly a half-hour. Basically it was just those two beating on each other. It was great. The other was watching Kevin Boyle (who arguably is maybe the best Hawkeye defender ever) get increasingly frustrated as he tried over and over to stop Vince Brookins in their "one-on-one" drills. Vince would take a couple of power dribbles stop and pop 18-footers. The offensive guy would get the ball back until the defender stopped him. Vince had such a sweet jump-shot. After practice we went down on the court and talked with all the players individually and got their autographs. It was so informal and everyone was so accommodating. Ronnie Lester was so amazing. He had such a spark about him and was so genuine and modest. Kenny Arnold later came up into the stands (carrying apparently a prized disco album) and just sat and talked with us for 15 minutes. Bobby Hansen had that swagger, even as a freshman. None of them had ever met us before. We didn't solicit their time or anything. Just a great bunch of guys. What might have been if Ronnie hadn't gone down with the knee injury against Louisville in the Final Four. He was matching "Dr. Dunkenstein" Darrrell Griffith basket for basket. A great time for Iowa BB and the Fieldhouse was a big part of that experience. Carver is such a sterile environment in comparison. The fans were literally on top of the action and so much more involved in the Fieldhouse. In Carver, the fans literally "flow away" from the action given the design.
____Memories From the Mike_____
Rich Chvotkin has broadcast more than 900 games during his 31-year career as Georgetown's play-by-play announcer. Here are the games he considers to be the most memorable:
1. March 29, 1982: North Carolina 63, Georgetown 62 (NCAA championship).
"Michael Jordan's shot and Freddy Brown's pass. That was a headliner, great talent on the floor."
2. April 2, 1984: Georgetown 84, Houston 75 (NCAA championship).
"Great defense from Georgetown. That whole tournament, they shut down teams."
3. April 1, 1985: Villanova 66, Georgetown 64 (NCAA championship).
"Heartbreak. Villanova was near perfect. If they played nobody, they couldn't have done any better."
4. March 16, 1980: Iowa 81, Georgetown 80 (Iowa makes 17 of its final 21 shots and wins on Steve Waite's three-point play in the NCAA East Region final).
"One of the best college games ever, pound for pound. Every possession was a war."
Georgetown Hoyas vs. Iowa Hawkeyes - Box Score - January 01, 1980 - ESPN
The following is a nice summary of the 1980 season. It is remarkable given the adversity. i.e. injuries, etc.
Wine Online: Celebrating 1980, Iowa Hoops Style
Lute's squad to gather this weekend in Iowa City
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Members of Iowa's 1979-80 basketball team have a reunion scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 30-31) to celebrate one of the most memorable seasons in school history. They'll recall the 10 straight victories that opened the season and the injuries and adversity that followed. Finally, and most vividly, they'll remember their serious run at a national championship.
Those Hawkeyes had shared the Big Ten title a year earlier, but previews of the 1979-80 team were mixed, probably because they had lost three of their top five scorers. But Coach Lute Olson, going into his sixth season at Iowa, had a solid group of veterans led by Ronnie Lester, who Olson called "the best point guard in college basketball."
The quicksilver Lester, who had earned all-American honors as a junior, was a shy, modest youngster with a winning smile. As the only senior on the roster, he gave the Hawkeyes an exceptional leader. The team had good size and good shooters, and typical of Olson's teams, played solid defense.
Steve Krafcisin and Steve Waite, both 6-10, lent a strong inside presence, and Vince Brookins had a deadly jump shot. All three were juniors. Kevin Boyle had started every game as a rookie, and Kenny Arnold was another promising sophomore. Key freshmen were Bob Hansen and Mark Gannon.
The Hawkeyes opened the season by pounding their first two opponents at home, then went on the road and won decisively at Detroit, Wichita State and Iowa State. They were moving up fast in the national polls and after seven games had an average victory margin of 27 points.
The season was altered dramatically with seven minutes remaining in the championship game of Dayton's holiday tournament. Driving hard to the basket, Lester was knocked to the floor by a Dayton defender and suffered ligament damage in his right knee. The Hawkeyes had suddenly lost their leader for an indefinite period.
Iowa won that game and went home to beat Drake, then Illinois in the Big Ten opener. Arnold, playing with a broken right thumb, moved from shooting guard to the point. The Hawkeyes were still unbeaten after 10 games, but this was clearly not the same team without Lester.
The winning streak ended with a three-point loss at Michigan, followed by a defeat at home to Ohio State. And adversity struck again when Gannon twisted his knee and was lost for the season. Injuries continued to plague the team when Hansen broke a bone in his left hand, but he never missed a game. Krafcisin's various ailments required so much gauze and tape his teammates nicknamed him "The Mummy."
The Hawkeyes had a near-disaster off the court when assistant coach Tony McAndrews, on a recruiting trip, was seriously injured in a plane crash near Rock Island. He suffered broken bones, plus head and chest injuries that disabled him the rest of the season, leaving the coaching staff short-handed.
Maury White, covering the Hawkeyes for the Des Moines Register, hung a nickname on the team, calling it "The Fabulous Few." In some games only five or six players saw action as Olson searched for able bodies.
Lester got back on the court to help Iowa even its Big Ten record at 4-4, but his knee began bothering him again and he underwent minor surgery. But the gritty Hawkeyes somehow hobbled to a Big Ten record of 8-8, with two critical conference games remaining, both at home.
Shooting a Fieldhouse record 65 percent, Iowa blitzed Michigan 83-67, then got an unexpected lift when Lester was cleared to play against Illinois in the final game of the regular season. After seeing his No. 12 jersey retired in a pre-game ceremony, Lester scored 15 points and controlled the ball in the late stages of a hard fought 75-71 victory.
A 10-8 Big Ten record put the Hawkeyes in a fourth-place tie with Minnesota, a team it had beaten twice during the season. That must have impressed the NCAA selection committee, which gave Iowa a tournament berth while ignoring the Gophers.
Although Lester was far from 100 percent, his presence energized the Hawkeyes, who opened the NCAA tourney at Greensboro, NC. They beat Virginia Commonwealth and North Carolina State, winning both games by double digits. Arnold scored 23 points the first game as Lester dished out eight assists. Brookins' 17 second-half points were critical in the next contest.
Playing with renewed confidence, the Hawkeyes moved on to the Eastern Regional at Philadelphia to play Syracuse, the No. 1 seed. Iowa surged in the second half and won going away, 88-77, shooting better than 50 percent for the fifth straight game. Brookins had another big game with 21 points and Boyle added 18.
"I'm not surprised we're still in this tournament, I think we can play with anybody," said Olson when a reporter pointed out that Iowa was the only unranked team left in the NCAA field. "We're looking forward to Sunday."
At high noon Iowa faced Georgetown -- the winner advancing to the Final Four -- and the two teams played one of the great games in tournament history. Collectively, they made 64 of 106 shots (60 percent) and 33 of 36 free throws (92 percent). Lester had nine assists and no turnovers, and Brookins scored 22 points.
But Waite was the hero when he made a driving lay-up with five seconds remaining, then added a free throw to give Iowa a three-point lead. Georgetown's basket at the buzzer made the final score 81-80, and the Hawkeyes cut down the nets.
Unlikely as it might have seemed three weeks earlier, they were on their way to the Final Four. At Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, they were the Cinderella team that would face Louisville in the semifinals. UCLA and Purdue were in the other bracket.
For 12 minutes Lester put on a brilliant performance as he scored 10 points and dished assists to his teammates. Then, suddenly, he was knocked to the floor in a collision that ended his Iowa career and his team's chances of winning a national championship. Hawkeye fans among the 16,637 sat in silence as their star player was helped to the sideline.
Iowa played valiantly without its leader, but it had no answer to Darrell Griffith, Louisville's All-American , who pumped home 36 points. The final score was 80-72, and an unforgettable Iowa season was over.
I had a good visit with Lute Olson after he had moved on to Arizona and won a national championship. He had fond memories of his 1979-80 Iowa team that started the season with great promise, fought through adversity and came tantalizingly close to reaching the top.
Olson thinks that club had the ability to win the NCAA title with a healthy Lester. "We were an awfully good team when Ronnie was 100 percent," he said, somewhat wistfully. "Even when he was playing hurt we were very hard to beat."
At their reunion this weekend, Lute and his 1979-80 Hawkeyes will reflect back 30 years and remember an unforgettable basketball season. They may also shake their heads a little sadly, and imagine what might have been.
In addition to the rocking atmosphere during games, my most fond memory happened in 1980 after we beat Georgetown a few days before we left for the Final Four. Some high school buddies and I skipped class one afternoon and drove to the Fieldhouse to attend a practice. We were so jacked up after watching that stunning defeat of the Hoyas. Aside from the players and coaches there were only a handful of fans there. Maybe a half-dozen not counting us. No closed practice. Did Lute ever have closed practices? A few things stand out. Lute took Steve Krafcisin and Steve Waite (the twin towers) to one of the side baskets and ran those two through low-post "one-on-one" drills for seemingly a half-hour. Basically it was just those two beating on each other. It was great. The other was watching Kevin Boyle (who arguably is maybe the best Hawkeye defender ever) get increasingly frustrated as he tried over and over to stop Vince Brookins in their "one-on-one" drills. Vince would take a couple of power dribbles stop and pop 18-footers. The offensive guy would get the ball back until the defender stopped him. Vince had such a sweet jump-shot. After practice we went down on the court and talked with all the players individually and got their autographs. It was so informal and everyone was so accommodating. Ronnie Lester was so amazing. He had such a spark about him and was so genuine and modest. Kenny Arnold later came up into the stands (carrying apparently a prized disco album) and just sat and talked with us for 15 minutes. Bobby Hansen had that swagger, even as a freshman. None of them had ever met us before. We didn't solicit their time or anything. Just a great bunch of guys. What might have been if Ronnie hadn't gone down with the knee injury against Louisville in the Final Four. He was matching "Dr. Dunkenstein" Darrrell Griffith basket for basket. A great time for Iowa BB and the Fieldhouse was a big part of that experience. Carver is such a sterile environment in comparison. The fans were literally on top of the action and so much more involved in the Fieldhouse. In Carver, the fans literally "flow away" from the action given the design.
____Memories From the Mike_____
Rich Chvotkin has broadcast more than 900 games during his 31-year career as Georgetown's play-by-play announcer. Here are the games he considers to be the most memorable:
1. March 29, 1982: North Carolina 63, Georgetown 62 (NCAA championship).
"Michael Jordan's shot and Freddy Brown's pass. That was a headliner, great talent on the floor."
2. April 2, 1984: Georgetown 84, Houston 75 (NCAA championship).
"Great defense from Georgetown. That whole tournament, they shut down teams."
3. April 1, 1985: Villanova 66, Georgetown 64 (NCAA championship).
"Heartbreak. Villanova was near perfect. If they played nobody, they couldn't have done any better."
4. March 16, 1980: Iowa 81, Georgetown 80 (Iowa makes 17 of its final 21 shots and wins on Steve Waite's three-point play in the NCAA East Region final).
"One of the best college games ever, pound for pound. Every possession was a war."
Georgetown Hoyas vs. Iowa Hawkeyes - Box Score - January 01, 1980 - ESPN
The following is a nice summary of the 1980 season. It is remarkable given the adversity. i.e. injuries, etc.
Wine Online: Celebrating 1980, Iowa Hoops Style
Lute's squad to gather this weekend in Iowa City
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Members of Iowa's 1979-80 basketball team have a reunion scheduled for this weekend (Oct. 30-31) to celebrate one of the most memorable seasons in school history. They'll recall the 10 straight victories that opened the season and the injuries and adversity that followed. Finally, and most vividly, they'll remember their serious run at a national championship.
Those Hawkeyes had shared the Big Ten title a year earlier, but previews of the 1979-80 team were mixed, probably because they had lost three of their top five scorers. But Coach Lute Olson, going into his sixth season at Iowa, had a solid group of veterans led by Ronnie Lester, who Olson called "the best point guard in college basketball."
The quicksilver Lester, who had earned all-American honors as a junior, was a shy, modest youngster with a winning smile. As the only senior on the roster, he gave the Hawkeyes an exceptional leader. The team had good size and good shooters, and typical of Olson's teams, played solid defense.
Steve Krafcisin and Steve Waite, both 6-10, lent a strong inside presence, and Vince Brookins had a deadly jump shot. All three were juniors. Kevin Boyle had started every game as a rookie, and Kenny Arnold was another promising sophomore. Key freshmen were Bob Hansen and Mark Gannon.
The Hawkeyes opened the season by pounding their first two opponents at home, then went on the road and won decisively at Detroit, Wichita State and Iowa State. They were moving up fast in the national polls and after seven games had an average victory margin of 27 points.
The season was altered dramatically with seven minutes remaining in the championship game of Dayton's holiday tournament. Driving hard to the basket, Lester was knocked to the floor by a Dayton defender and suffered ligament damage in his right knee. The Hawkeyes had suddenly lost their leader for an indefinite period.
Iowa won that game and went home to beat Drake, then Illinois in the Big Ten opener. Arnold, playing with a broken right thumb, moved from shooting guard to the point. The Hawkeyes were still unbeaten after 10 games, but this was clearly not the same team without Lester.
The winning streak ended with a three-point loss at Michigan, followed by a defeat at home to Ohio State. And adversity struck again when Gannon twisted his knee and was lost for the season. Injuries continued to plague the team when Hansen broke a bone in his left hand, but he never missed a game. Krafcisin's various ailments required so much gauze and tape his teammates nicknamed him "The Mummy."
The Hawkeyes had a near-disaster off the court when assistant coach Tony McAndrews, on a recruiting trip, was seriously injured in a plane crash near Rock Island. He suffered broken bones, plus head and chest injuries that disabled him the rest of the season, leaving the coaching staff short-handed.
Maury White, covering the Hawkeyes for the Des Moines Register, hung a nickname on the team, calling it "The Fabulous Few." In some games only five or six players saw action as Olson searched for able bodies.
Lester got back on the court to help Iowa even its Big Ten record at 4-4, but his knee began bothering him again and he underwent minor surgery. But the gritty Hawkeyes somehow hobbled to a Big Ten record of 8-8, with two critical conference games remaining, both at home.
Shooting a Fieldhouse record 65 percent, Iowa blitzed Michigan 83-67, then got an unexpected lift when Lester was cleared to play against Illinois in the final game of the regular season. After seeing his No. 12 jersey retired in a pre-game ceremony, Lester scored 15 points and controlled the ball in the late stages of a hard fought 75-71 victory.
A 10-8 Big Ten record put the Hawkeyes in a fourth-place tie with Minnesota, a team it had beaten twice during the season. That must have impressed the NCAA selection committee, which gave Iowa a tournament berth while ignoring the Gophers.
Although Lester was far from 100 percent, his presence energized the Hawkeyes, who opened the NCAA tourney at Greensboro, NC. They beat Virginia Commonwealth and North Carolina State, winning both games by double digits. Arnold scored 23 points the first game as Lester dished out eight assists. Brookins' 17 second-half points were critical in the next contest.
Playing with renewed confidence, the Hawkeyes moved on to the Eastern Regional at Philadelphia to play Syracuse, the No. 1 seed. Iowa surged in the second half and won going away, 88-77, shooting better than 50 percent for the fifth straight game. Brookins had another big game with 21 points and Boyle added 18.
"I'm not surprised we're still in this tournament, I think we can play with anybody," said Olson when a reporter pointed out that Iowa was the only unranked team left in the NCAA field. "We're looking forward to Sunday."
At high noon Iowa faced Georgetown -- the winner advancing to the Final Four -- and the two teams played one of the great games in tournament history. Collectively, they made 64 of 106 shots (60 percent) and 33 of 36 free throws (92 percent). Lester had nine assists and no turnovers, and Brookins scored 22 points.
But Waite was the hero when he made a driving lay-up with five seconds remaining, then added a free throw to give Iowa a three-point lead. Georgetown's basket at the buzzer made the final score 81-80, and the Hawkeyes cut down the nets.
Unlikely as it might have seemed three weeks earlier, they were on their way to the Final Four. At Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, they were the Cinderella team that would face Louisville in the semifinals. UCLA and Purdue were in the other bracket.
For 12 minutes Lester put on a brilliant performance as he scored 10 points and dished assists to his teammates. Then, suddenly, he was knocked to the floor in a collision that ended his Iowa career and his team's chances of winning a national championship. Hawkeye fans among the 16,637 sat in silence as their star player was helped to the sideline.
Iowa played valiantly without its leader, but it had no answer to Darrell Griffith, Louisville's All-American , who pumped home 36 points. The final score was 80-72, and an unforgettable Iowa season was over.
I had a good visit with Lute Olson after he had moved on to Arizona and won a national championship. He had fond memories of his 1979-80 Iowa team that started the season with great promise, fought through adversity and came tantalizingly close to reaching the top.
Olson thinks that club had the ability to win the NCAA title with a healthy Lester. "We were an awfully good team when Ronnie was 100 percent," he said, somewhat wistfully. "Even when he was playing hurt we were very hard to beat."
At their reunion this weekend, Lute and his 1979-80 Hawkeyes will reflect back 30 years and remember an unforgettable basketball season. They may also shake their heads a little sadly, and imagine what might have been.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Sorry. Went off on major tangent there. It was such an exciting time for the basketball program. There has been a whole generation of kids, arguably, with the departure of Tom Davis, that don't know what it means to be excited about Hawkeye BB.
83Hawk
Banned
I remember watching an Iowa practice when I was a student there. I think it was the year we lost to Wichita State in the NCAA tourney. I observed practice one day the week before that game. Yes, the practice was open to anyone who wanted to watch (and there were only a few spectators).
I used to work with a guy at Hy-Vee....his dad had had season tickets for YEARS. They sat right behind the Iowa bench. And he was not a rich donor either.
I used to work with a guy at Hy-Vee....his dad had had season tickets for YEARS. They sat right behind the Iowa bench. And he was not a rich donor either.
