Was Iowa Really Preseason #1 in 1988?

[1977Hawkeye]

I was thinking about the "good ole days" of Iowa hoops a little bit this morning, and I know I heard some talk on these boards that Iowa was pre-season #1 in the 1988-89 season.

And I even remember that being mentioned in the BTN's "Greatest Seasons" for that same season (Michigan, the Flying Illini, etc.), showing a magazine cover (Sports Illustrated?) with a pic of BJ Armstrong and a big "#1" on the cover..

But found this link, that was showing us as Top-10, but really nowhere near #1:

1988-89 Polls | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Not that it really matters a lot who is ranked where in the pre-season, but was Iowa really pre-season #1 that year?

Looks like Iowa ended up about #14 in the final polls.

 

[metahawk]

Trying to find that preseason magazine cover I saw that year with Marble, Armstrong, Horton. Not sure what the magazine was, one of those preseason types like Athlon, but I think this was for the season after that '87 tournament run (87-88 season, not 88-89). I seem to remember them focusing on Horton as stepping up to make another run happen, in addition to Marble/Armstrong returning.

 

[sportstalent]

I believe they were ranked No. 1 at one point, but I am not sure they were preseason No. 1, I think they were at the top after they beat UNC at UNC that season. To end the game Marble shot free throws when Horton got fouled and Iowa was down by one with one second left, I think.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Blv it was the '87-88 season when Iowa was ranked No. 1 for a while. My favorite story of that team was when members of the basketball squad, while ranked No. 1, encountered a group of wrestlers, then ranked No. 2 nationally, in a bar downtown. The groups ended up scuffling with the basketball players actually getting the better of them and chasing the wrestlers through an alley and into another bar before police broke it up. Sort of a reversal of expected toughness, if you will.

 

[shonblatt]

It was the 86-87 squad that was ranked #1 for a time. I seem to recall the next season may have had a magazine pick us #1 preseason, but not in an acrual poll.

 

[JonDMiller]

I was thinking that SPORT Magazine had Iowa preseason #1 for the 1987-1988 season. ..SPORT was published 1946 to 2000

I am not 100% certain..perhaps that was 1988-1989

I also think Sport had Iowa football #1 preseason 1988 too..that team was so hammered by injuries..I think they went 6-4-3

 

[Jackjoehawk]

It was the 88-89 Sporting News mag that had BJ and Herky on the cover with the caption "Iowa Is No.1" Herky is wearing a big foam number 1 finger, and BJ is holding a basketball with a big black I. It is literally right here in front of me, and if I were smart enough, I would post it on here so everyone could see it.

 

[JonDMiller]

It was the 88-89 Sporting News mag that had BJ and Herky on the cover with the caption "Iowa Is No.1" Herky is wearing a big foam number 1 finger, and BJ is holding a basketball with a big black I. It is literally right here in front of me, and if I were smart enough, I would post it on here so everyone could see it.

Sweet...thanks for the confirmation...after I made my post, I recalled that SPORT had Iowa #1 in football once, but was unsure of the basketball year

 

[bighawkeyedaddy]

I believe they were ranked No. 1 at one point, but I am not sure they were preseason No. 1, I think they were at the top after they beat UNC at UNC that season. To end the game Marble shot free throws when Horton got fouled and Iowa was down by one with one second left, I think.

I will never forget that game, my dad was so excited to see Marble go to the line instead of Horton he jumped up and hit his head on the ceiling.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Sport magazine had the 1988 Iowa football team ranked preseason #1. Then Iowa lost their opener at Hawaii and lost 2 weeks later at kinnick to Colorado.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Ah ok - that could be.. a magazine picking us #1, not an actual poll. I remember for sure being #1 in the 1986-87 season, because I had the rankings clipped out of the newspaper and taped to my bedroom door with IOWA in bold at the top of the rankings.

I have no recollection of ever making it to #1 in the polls since that season.. I thought the 1987-88 team may have gotten to maybe #2 or #3 at one point before conference play started, and the 2002 football team reached #3 in the AP and/or Coaches poll at one point if memory serves.

The 1985 football team was definitely #1 for a while that year.

 

[sportstalent]

Blv it was the '87-88 season when Iowa was ranked No. 1 for a while. My favorite story of that team was when members of the basketball squad, while ranked No. 1, encountered a group of wrestlers, then ranked No. 2 nationally, in a bar downtown. The groups ended up scuffling with the basketball players actually getting the better of them and chasing the wrestlers through an alley and into another bar before police broke it up. Sort of a reversal of expected toughness, if you will.

It was Horton and Hill

 

[trj]

Blv it was the '87-88 season when Iowa was ranked No. 1 for a while. My favorite story of that team was when members of the basketball squad, while ranked No. 1, encountered a group of wrestlers, then ranked No. 2 nationally, in a bar downtown. The groups ended up scuffling with the basketball players actually getting the better of them and chasing the wrestlers through an alley and into another bar before police broke it up. Sort of a reversal of expected toughness, if you will.

Ed Horton was a baaaad man, a very bad man. I think Jay Burson would agree.

 

[StatelineHawk]

It was the 88-89 Sporting News mag that had BJ and Herky on the cover with the caption "Iowa Is No.1" Herky is wearing a big foam number 1 finger, and BJ is holding a basketball with a big black I. It is literally right here in front of me, and if I were smart enough, I would post it on here so everyone could see it.

You are correct Jack.

 

[thejumper5]

It was the 88-89 Sporting News mag that had BJ and Herky on the cover with the caption "Iowa Is No.1" Herky is wearing a big foam number 1 finger, and BJ is holding a basketball with a big black I. It is literally right here in front of me, and if I were smart enough, I would post it on here so everyone could see it.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Ed Horton was a baaaad man, a very bad man. I think Jay Burson would agree.

Actually, Ed Horton was never the same after that foul (NOT thuggery, just trying to prevent an easy basket) on Burson. Burson missed rest of season in a halo, and Horton never got remotely aggressive after that.

He never took a charge, never COMMITTED a charge (which were frequent when he'd get on one of his awesome, "I-can-dribble-the-length-of-the-court-like-a-point-guard!" jags after pulling down a rebound), and basically just floated aimlessly the rest of the 1988-89 season.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Tom Davis used to have his teams aggressively guard the in-bounds pass right up to (and frequently over) the line, and EH often got the duty. As I recall, Bobby (there, I said it...) Knight had one of his thugs throw the ball directly into Ed's face. Was clearly a direct attempt to harm and intimidate. I don't recall whether Ed retaliated; IIRC he may have and received a technical. I recall Davis consoling him immediately after. Anyone else recall that?

 

[Section136]

Tom Davis used to have his teams aggressively guard the in-bounds pass right up to (and frequently over) the line, and EH often got the duty. As I recall, Bobby (there, I said it...) Knight had one of his thugs throw the ball directly into Ed's face. Was clearly a direct attempt to harm and intimidate. I don't recall whether Ed retaliated; IIRC he may have and received a technical. I recall Davis consoling him immediately after. Anyone else recall that?

Too young to remember this incident but Indiana also did the exact same thing to Jacob Jaakes also. Dirty bastards.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Too young to remember this incident but Indiana also did the exact same thing to Jacob Jaakes also. Dirty bastards.

For some reason I was thinking it was Kent Hill who got the ball in the face in 1987 or 1988, but maybe it was Horton. But I know it was one of those two players for sure, and I remember the same thing happening to Jaacks.

I never could stand Indiana basketball, Bobby Knight, or their players. It didn't help matters any when Indiana's fans cheered when Luke Recker got hurt up there in 2002, even though Knight wasn't their coach by that point.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Tom Davis used to have his teams aggressively guard the in-bounds pass right up to (and frequently over) the line, and EH often got the duty.

I remember that. Our players getting a little overly aggressive on the press, and would end up out of bounds with the player inbouding the ball.

I also remember some pretty wild elbow swinging back in the 1980's or early 90's when it was still allowed.. Les Jepsen was one of the masters at clearing out space after a defensive board.