Best 4 years to be a student fanatic?

[77ncaachamps]

Gotta reiterate: great thread.

Does someone want to poll up the 4 year periods covered here?

I say that because I'm pretty sure there are watchers that aren't posters who would participate in the poll.

[CTWarrior]

I'm going to have to vote for the recent era since every game is on tv and online now. You get to actually enjoy every victory.

This is no small point, especially living in Connecticut.  The first few years after I graduated in the early 80s I used to call the Marquette SID office just to find out if they'd won their recent games.  The games used to finish too late for even the score to make the papers around here.  I remember in the late 80s calling some phone number at 50 cents a minute or whatever and try to time it so I could listen to the last 5-10 minutes of the radio call of the game (I didn't have a lot of disposable income back then).  It was a huge deal for me the 2 or 3 times a year they were on TV back then.  Now I moan if I have to listen to the Mount Saint Mary's game on the internet radio instead of watching on TV.  What a difference!

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Back to that game against Bucky and the Hughes twins at the Mecca.  Mo hits the turnaround J at the buzzer and the place exploded.  (3 votes for Maurice Lucas as MU's all time Fav???--that sure speaks to the board's followers--I wonder why--there should be more older guys?) 

Thing was as the Arena emptied there was a major snow storm going on.  Bars were crazy...in part with the anticipation of school being called off.  If memory serves it was a school night--and school eventually was called off.

At least I never went.   Yeah, that was just one highlight of my time on the Hilltop, '72-76, though I dated a girl a year my junior and was up there for all/most of the '77 championship hysteria.  Including VICTORY and the triumphant march down wisconsin ave to the lake.  Why to the the lake?  We weren't sure about that once we got there either.

Another memory of that era; I'll bet there is not one of us who doesn't think the '76 team should have beaten the undefeated Quinn Buckner-Kent Benson-Scott May-Bobby Wilkerson National Champion Hoosiers.  The score says 65-56.  It was a lot closer than that.

And no, we were WARRIORS then, never Hilltoppers.

We ran out of road! 

The usually not-so-tolerant Milwaukee police of that era were actually quite tolerant that day.

[MUMac]

Marquette was ranked #2 in the country before that loss to the eventual champs in the tourney, had won 23 straight and finished the season 27-2.

That team might be a third place finisher to the two Finals teams that played in the four year period between'73-74 and '76-'77.  Those were the days.

The '71 team was still, IMHO, the best ever.  28-1, with the loss in a horribly officiated game - the only time Dean the Dream ever fouled out.  That was a complete team.  The '72 team could have challenged them for that spot, if not for Chones departure mid season.
 
As for the '76 team, Quinn Buckner had an offensive game no one expected and Lucky Lloyd was off that day.  Disappointing end.  And a travesty that the #1 v #2 was in the Regional Final.  That was the way the NCAA was back then.

STill remember the build up to the game.  Even without ESPN, it had national interest.  My favorite quote was from a former MU player, who said "You could lock Buckner alone in they gym overnight and he still wouldn't score."  Unfortunately, that comment came back to haunt them.

[ringout]

I know I am in the running for Old Fart of the Year, but here goes.

Marquette was a top 5 team most of the 70's, many times top 2 behind UCLA (9 straight NCAA tourney championships).

I love that younger alums have a warm spot for their era, but man, being a Marquette fan during the Al era rocked.

[jsglow]

I know I am in the running for Old Fart of the Year, but here goes.

Marquette was a top 5 team most of the 70's, many times top 2 behind UCLA (9 straight NCAA tourney championships).

I love that younger alums have a warm spot for their era, but man, being a Marquette fan during the Al era rocked.

Agreed.  Sometimes it seems like we could hang another 'retired' banner or two from those teams.  It's a little like that somewhat silly conversation that was occurring about the 2011 Packers team being the best of all time during their streak.  Ummmm.  No.

[ecompt]

This was a very cool thread. Going over each memory from each poster reminded me that despite some of the grief we give each other we are all one in our love of MU hoops.

[Lennys Tap]

This was a very cool thread. Going over each memory from each poster reminded me that despite some of the grief we give each other we are all one in our love of MU hoops.

Amen

[Marqevans]

We ran out of road! 

The usually not-so-tolerant Milwaukee police of that era were actually quite tolerant that day.

The snow was so bad that kids were "skitching" on the back of cars. Some on the back of "paddy wagons" Over 25 kids were arrested.  I had a part time job with the Treasurers office and we ran a check to the police department to bail out quite a few!

[DoubleMU0609]

I was pretty lucky having my undergrad stint from '02/03' - '05/'06 and then law school from '06/'07 - '08'/09. Never missed a game in undergrad (including first 4 rounds of NCAAs in '03) except when I was traveling with the band for one of the women's trips. I didn't get to quite as many games in law school, but they were good years too and it was great being on campus for them.

[Eye]

This is no small point, especially living in Connecticut.  The first few years after I graduated in the early 80s I used to call the Marquette SID office just to find out if they'd won their recent games.  The games used to finish too late for even the score to make the papers around here.  I remember in the late 80s calling some phone number at 50 cents a minute or whatever and try to time it so I could listen to the last 5-10 minutes of the radio call of the game (I didn't have a lot of disposable income back then).  It was a huge deal for me the 2 or 3 times a year they were on TV back then.  Now I moan if I have to listen to the Mount Saint Mary's game on the internet radio instead of watching on TV.  What a difference!

My two best stories would be calling the SID office to find out if MU had made the NIT in 1990, and staying up 'til 430 in the morning to see an MU - Tulane score on CNN Headline News in about '93. Hasn't been that long since the days when it was near impossible in Western Wisconsin to follow MU.

[Eye]

Showing up in Hank's office without an appointment to ask him about sports agents for a class project, and Hank spending 30 minutes with me.

I was one autograph short of having the entire team in my Classic program at age 7 in '78. Coach Raymonds let me come into the locker room and get that autograph I needed. Been in love for 33-plus years since.

[Eye]

Not to digress but I loved the Milwaukee Classic.  Back in the day my folks weren't season ticket holders but a friend and colleague of my dad was and always gave us access to the Classic tickets.  I was young at the time but feel blessed to have seen all of the 70s greats play.

Went to every Classic from 78 'til I started school in '89. Got to see a lot of great college players, Doc Rivers, Tony Smith, Joe Dumars, Fat Lever, Ron Harper, Mouse McFadden, etc.

[romey]

I know I am in the running for Old Fart of the Year, but here goes.

Marquette was a top 5 team most of the 70's, many times top 2 behind UCLA (9 straight NCAA tourney championships).

I love that younger alums have a warm spot for their era, but man, being a Marquette fan during the Al era rocked.

I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating here.  Marquette had the second highest winning percentage in the 1970's decade behind UCLA, and I believ it was one of the top five winning percentages of any team in the history of college hoops.  I have to find the information and I'll confirm it.

I also remember very well the MU vs. Undefeated Hoosiers game.  We went to a local shop and bought yellow T-shirts before the game and had them iron-on "Marquett Warriors, 1976 National Champs".  That's how fired up we were for the game.  Somewher I have a picture of my brother, my dad and myself in those shirts holding a basketball.

[Warrior3211]

Is it fair to say that us '11 grads had possibly some of the most heartbreaking years? All great seasons overall, but some of the most disappointing finishes. Those four years came down to some nail biting losses when it always felt like we were so close to it being "our year"

'07-'08: Lopez and Stanford take us down with 3 seconds left in the second round of the NCAAs
'08-'09: Start 9-0 in BE play and lose on the road to lowly USF by 1, Villanova beats us in the BE Tourney with a buzzer beater by Dwayne Aderson (his only FG of the game), Lazar steps over the line while inbounding against Mizzou.
'09-'10: We give up countless halftime leads throughout the year, including the final game of the season against a mediocre Wsahington team.
'10-'11: A year that shouldn't have been as good as it was, just wish we could have had a better showing against UNC.

Overall, never had any terrible seasons while I was there, but always felt like they'd bring you up before letting you down with a heartbreaker.

[Blue Horseshoe]

I think my time from 04-08 was more bitter than sweet.

-Won only 1 NCAA Tourney game
-Known as the Marquette Gold for a week
-Ryan Amoroso’s “Ammo” bicep tattoo
-"Dameon Mason is a pied piper of Marquette" Facebook group
-Dan Fitzgerald mastered giving up the worst shooting fouls (slight tap on the non ball possessing hand)

[🏀]

I think my time from 04-08 was more bitter than sweet.

-Won only 1 NCAA Tourney game
-Known as the Marquette Gold for a week
-Ryan Amoroso’s “Ammo” bicep tattoo
-"Dameon Mason is a pied piper of Marquette" Facebook group
-Dan Fitzgerald mastered giving up the worst shooting fouls (slight tap on the non ball possessing hand)

+1 Ryan Amoroso.

[g0lden3agle]

My 6 year run will be coming to a close this May (Engineering Co-op + grad school adds a couple years).  I must say it's been quite the exciting run.  It felt like I endured heartbreak the first 2/3's of my time here only to be rewarded with a sweet 16 run last year and (hopefully) another 2nd weekend appearance this year.  After 4 years of disappointing first weekends in the tourney it felt great to be able to have MU in that 2nd weekend.  Definitely not the best time to be a fanatic, but up there in terms of gratification.

[marquette09]

My 05-09 years overall were pretty good, can't complain about making the tournament every year.  But, to this day I still ask myself, What would of happened if D. James didn't break his foot? That 09 team was special, and they certainly looked like a sweet 16 team up until the injury.   

All I wanted in my four years was a trip to the sweet 16, and sometimes you have to wait for the good things.  Although I was not a student last year, making it to the second weekend sure was fun.   Here's for more of the same this year.   

[Lazer Sound]

My 05-09 years overall were pretty good, can't complain about making the tournament every year.  But, to this day I still ask myself, What would of happened if D. James didn't break his foot? That 09 team was special, and they certainly looked like a sweet 16 team up until the injury.   

All I wanted in my four years was a trip to the sweet 16, and sometimes you have to wait for the good things.  Although I was not a student last year, making it to the second weekend sure was fun.   Here's for more of the same this year.   

This.  I can't agree with 2011 having been the most heartbreaking, because both 10 (mine) and 09 never made it to the sweet sixteen, which is really all we ever wanted.

And to the D. James point... ouch.  We call that game No-Class-UConn because we skipped class all day in preparation.  Of course UConn also has very little class, so that helps.

[4everwarriors]

73-77

[CTWarrior]

-Dan Fitzgerald mastered giving up the worst shooting fouls (slight tap on the non ball possessing hand)

That's funny.  Around my house a moving screen is known as a "Grimm" and a stupid ticky-tack foul leading to an old-fashioned three point play is a "Fitz", as in, "I can't believe he Fitzed him there!"

I should probably come up with some positive ones.

[Blue Horseshoe]

That's funny.  Around my house a moving screen is known as a "Grimm" and a stupid ticky-tack foul leading to an old-fashioned three point play is a "Fitz", as in, "I can't believe he Fitzed him there!"

My guy. I reference a "Fitz" foul all the time.

[Henry Sugar]

My guy. I reference a "Fitz" foul all the time.

Nobody ever got less value out of his fouls than Fitz.

Also, to stay on topic, I was at Marquette during all five years of the Deane Experience.  Thanks to the engineering co-op program, I missed huge chunks of basketball season the last three years.  "I wouldn't exactly say I've been missing it, Bob".

During my senior year and my senior year, I could not have been more apathetic about MU hoops.  I went to a few games, typically showed up late, and was able to sit lower bowl student section.  Also, I remember one game where they put the words to the fight song on every student's seat because nobody knew them.  Deane's period was a slow descent to mediocrity in a bad conference.

Finally, I've said it before, but one of the highlights of my #mubb experience was rushing the court of the Mecca after beating South Florida to advance to the Final Four... of the NIT.  Others include some big Saturday games (like beating Memphis) and the CUSA tourney run.  Marquette Hoops Fever... '95-99!