Best Moments

[brewcity77]

-- The game before "that" Kentucky game, I took a first date to the Milwaukee Ale House to watch the game against Pitt after learning that my buddy had a ticket for me to see us play Kentucky if we won, pretty much everyone there knew that if we won, I'd be going to the Elite 8 game, and it made for a great atmosphere and great excitement. Though 7 years on, I can't remember anything about the girl for the life of me 
-- The UConn game, I was working at Channel 18 and we were putting on a newscast at the time, every commercial break I'd run in from the studio to the breakroom to watch. When Steve hit that 3 from just inside half-court like it was just your run-of-the-mill 16-footer, I nearly peed myself. Awesome game.
-- About 2 weeks ago, finally being able to afford a pair of season tickets at the BC.
-- Someone mentioned that Pitt upset when they had Aaron Grey, was there and that game was awesome, the only drawback being I bought two seats for my buddy and me, and they were the first seats I ever bought online. Ended up buying them a row apart on accident, so we sat staggered 

[MUSF]

- MU wins last game at UW Field House

- Win over Cincy 01-02 season

- Kentucky Elite Eight game.  I was watching in an Atlanta sports bar packed with Kentucky fans.  When I walked in with my gold We Are Marquette shirt on I must have gotten about 30 douchey comments from the UK crowd.

"Where's Marquette?"
"Why do they keep talking about this Dwyane Wade guy?"
"You must be really happy that they made it this far."

By halftime, I was pretty well hydrated and I spent the rest of the game celebrating loudly.  There were probably 8 UK fans left in the place by the end of the game.

[MUSF]

This doesn't really qualify as one of the "best moments," but one of my most memorable MU moments was the UW game in DWade's first year.  We lost the game but I remember it as the moment I realized how special DWade would be.

I was at the game in Madison with my future in-laws, who are UW season ticket holders.  Wade and MU played poorly in the first half.  Wade had 2 or 3 fouls and only a few points in the first half and MU was down a bunch.  At halftime I heard countless "Wade is overrated / not that good," comments.

Early in the second half Wade took over the game.  There was a stretch for about 5-10 minutes that he absolutely dominated and brought MU back into the game.  You could feel the air go out of the Kohl Center as everyone collectively realized that Wade was far and away the best player on the court and the best player to play in the UW / MU rivalry in a long, long time.

MU made it close but ultimately lost.  Wade ended up with something like 28 points, almost entirely in the second half.  As I left, I took some joy in watching the UW faithful realize that they had just seen something / someone very special, even if they wouldn't openly admit it.

[Daniel]

 - Novak hitting the jumper from the corner as the clock ran out to beat Notre Dame Oooo that was soooo sweet.

 - Anytime and everytime we beat ND

 - And of course any and every win in the NCAA tourney.

[nycwarrior]

In 2001 I was living in a small apartment in New York City.

My wife's family was bravely visiting the city for the first time for Thanksgiving, just a few months after 9/11. There was literally still a smoking hole downtown.

They took our room and after a day of sight-seeing my wife and I were going to sleep on an air matress that was luckily set up just in front of my TV in my darkened living room.

Two things about living way outside Milwaukee:
1) Really hard to find Marquette games on TV ("Do you have satellite with transponder 6...")
2) There'd be vague mutterings about what some kid had been doing in practice

That night, around midnight, I was hoping against hope the game would be on I tuned in just in time to see MU tip off against Indiana.

"Marquette hasn't beaten Indiana since 1932...the legendary Bobby Knight's on the other bench..."

That night was the first time I saw Dwyane Wade. He was all over the floor. He was playing absolutely a different kind of basketball than I'd ever seen in the blue and gold. He dominated on D, in the passing lanes, on the wing. He finished plays with AUTHORITY. He was a revelation.

I watched the game in the dark trying to muffle "holy sh#%'s" into the air mattress so as not to wake the sleeping in-laws. Holy hell was that a different kind of Marquette game.

All the good stuff that followed: the conference championship, the Final Four season, a new-found recognition for my alma mater ("Marquette - isn't that in Michigan?" "Didn't you guys have a basketball program once?". The BIG EAST, The AL.

It all started that dark night when my city was still pretty much ripped apart. I'll never forget it.

[dgies9156]

I'll throw in one more game memory. I was in high school in Nashville in 1971 and Marquette was to play Tennessee at the Arena. Since I came from a Marquette family (and graduated from MU seven years later), I "knew" what was coming. My Big Orange friends had NO idea just how good we were. Add to that the fact that Tennessee was still all white and played finess ball while we played our own brand of "take no prisoners" ball.

Tennessee showed up at the Arena and the game was beyond my wildest imagination. It was 12-0 before Tennessee got the ball across center court, due to a painful full-court press, and 26-10 at halftime. It could have been double the 26, but that wasn't the game Marquette played at the time. The game ended 56-30, with "Crazy" Ray Mears promising never to come back to Milwaukee again (he never did). More privately, he must have promised himself never to recruit again in all-white neighborhoods. The next morning, I never had so much fun at school in my life.

A year later, Tennessee was a more integrated team and had managed to recruit Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. They took us to overtime but, we still one.

[Ari Gold]

MU @ Madison
When we put up a c-note on UWM
Novak's clinic against UConn

[wojosdojo]

True, we would never have gone to the Final Four and still be in Mike Deane territory, playing in Conference USA and happy with NIT bids.

...because I agree with you, add the greatest player in MU history.

[HoopsMalone]

For short term memory, the Louisville beat down at home and the Villanova win at the Garden were great days to be an MU fan.  Those two games and the two Jimmy shots were the highlights of the year for me.

[Tommy Brice for Coach]

MU @ Madison
When we put up a c-note on UWM

We've actually dropped 100 on UWM twice

I will never forget the 2007-08 game when we played at Madison in Crean's last year. We were loaded that year, and playing well. I scored two tickets to sit in the Madison student section from a friend of a friend of a friend, so me and my buddy went. We decked ourselves out in blue and gold face paint and Marquette gear. It is the only time I've ever gone balls to the wall for dressing up for a game - I usually just wear and MU shirt. The game was close the whole time, we were being heckled in the student section and weren't afraid to talk crap back to their fans. It was great. When we won, we high fived every single MU fan we saw on the way out. It was so, so sweet - especially since I grew up in Madison and all of my friends believe that Bo Ryan is god and they should have a statue of him outside the capital.

[muwarrior69]

I know, 77 champions, but in the semi finals; the full court pass to Whitehead who then crashed the basket to win it in the final seconds, to me, is the all-time best moment.

[muballer10]

I just skimmed through this thread, but I don't think I saw mention of novaks buzzer beater against nd in 05 or 06. The sheer fact that everyone in the arena knew who was getting the ball, nd playing great D, and then just steve being steve.

[drewm88]

I have two. The common one is '03 vs. UK.

The other one is every time I heard "from daKAR, senegaaaaaaaal....." Ous was one of the friendliest people I've ever met, and he always seemed to be loving life. He loved the support he got from the fans, and somebody once showed me his Facebook picture was of the students all making the "O" during intros. Great guy and one of my favorites at MU.

[LAMUfan]

OT win over Mizzu 2003 final 4 run... Novak perfect from 3 in OT

[uncle zeffy]

Mine does not come from any game, rather in April of 2008.

One of my friends was able to score two tables worth of free tickets to the end of the year banquet, being a poor hungry student I jumped at the opportunity. At the banquet, Jerel announced he was coming back for his senior season, but what I remember most fondly was that Buzz went to each and every table there and had a genuine conversation with every shock their hands and thanked THEM for coming out to support the kids and MU Basketball.

This was not like a Politian shaking hands and kissing babies, but he was making real connections with everyone there. He asked our table what’s one thing we wished we had while waiting in line for games. Booze was the first answer followed by laughter, but we said coffee and donuts. The next season he delivered on multiple occasions either delivering them himself or having the players come out.

At the banquet, I realized how special this guy is for MU basketball

*EDIT: Sorry, every time I start typing "quet" I add the extra "te" at the end out of habit...

[reinko]

Mine does not come from any game, rather in April of 2008.

One of my friends was able to score two tables worth of free tickets to the end of the year banquette, being a poor hungry student I jumped at the opportunity. At the banquette, Jerel announced he was coming back for his senior season, but what I remember most fondly was that Buzz went to each and every table there and had a genuine conversation with every shock their hands and thanked THEM for coming out to support the kids and MU Basketball.

This was not like a Politian shaking hands and kissing babies, but he was making real connections with everyone there. He asked our table what’s one thing we wished we had while waiting in line for games. Booze was the first answer followed by laughter, but we said coffee and donuts. The next season he delivered on multiple occasions either delivering them himself or having the players come out.

At the banquette, I realized how special this guy is for MU basketball

Banquette?

[TallTitan34]

1) November 21, 2006 - Being on the court in the Eagle costume as Marquette beat Duke in the CBE Championship in Kansas City. During halftime, I went to get a drink from the drinking fountain with the the costume still on and turned around to find Dick Vitale waiting in line to get a drink. 

2) January 3, 2006 - Sitting in section 106 with marqptm and robmufan as Marquette defeated #2 UConn in its first Big East Game.  The best part was when Novak scored 3 of his 41 points with a shot from the monogram.    

3) March 13, 2008 - Marquette defeats Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament. Prior to the game as Marquette was warming up underneath the stands, Lazar asked for the Golden Eagle head and warmed up for a few minutes with the head on.  Afterwards as the Eagle and cheerleaders left MSG, "We Are Marquette" chants erupted outside the arena from the many Marquette fans in attendance.

4) January 20, 2006 - Watching the Novak buzzer beater against Notre Dame from the VIF section.

5) March 3, 2007 - Endless hours waiting outside for the college game day show and game.  Digger's pissed off face when a F the Irish chant broke out was priceless.

6) March 7, 2009 - Syracuse defeated Marquette which sucked but it was Senior Night for the three amigos and my last game as the eagle at the Bradley Center. After the game as me and my girlfriend walked down the tunnel in the back, Eric Devendorf was passing us on his way to arena control. As he approached my girlfriend pressed the button on her umbrella ready to attack if need be.      

[GOMU86]

All the above plus the 4 games in 4 nights win in Conf USA Tourney 1995 (I believe) with Anthony Pieper.

[ohiomarqfan]

I'll add one. The 03 game at Louisville. Down 18 in the first half, I believe. Then Wade goes off, then Vitale goes crazy. I pull that one out on the ole VHS and watch it now and then and it still pumps me up.

[Skatastrophy]

When Travis Diener came to McCormick (I was working the front desk) to meet up with some frosh girl.  He waited for 45 minutes and she stood him up.  I lol'd

Coach Crean waiting outside of the McCormick cafeteria my freshman year with Oluoma Nnamaka.  He was meeting and greeting students and asking us to come out to the basketball games that year (it was about time for the pre-season to start).  I told him I might check it out so he handed me 4 tickets for right behind the bench.  I immediately loved the guy.

Waiting outside the BC for the home games in January and February the year that we made our Final Four run.  Being obscenely drunk and freezing while Coach Crean stood up on the edge of the planters and gave us, the lowly students, a pep talk before the games.  He was also nice enough to deliver doughnuts and coffee most mornings

[reinko]

Coach Crean waiting outside of the McCormick cafeteria my freshman year with Oluoma Nnamaka.  He was meeting and greeting students and asking us to come out to the basketball games that year (it was about time for the pre-season to start).  I told him I might check it out so he handed me 4 tickets for right behind the bench.  I immediately loved the guy.

Waiting outside the BC for the home games in January and February the year that we made our Final Four run.  Being obscenely drunk and freezing while Coach Crean stood up on the edge of the planters and gave us, the lowly students, a pep talk before the games.  He was also nice enough to deliver doughnuts and coffee most mornings

Why do you hate Buzz so much?

[MU B2002]

Sitting in my freshman year english comp class with Cordell Henry having him talk trash to me about Peoria Manual, and how Whitney Young dominated them @ state the year before.  (Of course having Quentin Richardson on that team didn't hurt.)


And my favorite moment... Sitting in the Metrodome realizing that the Kentucky comeback run that everyone was expecting, was never going to happen.

[Skatastrophy]

Why do you hate Buzz so much?

There were a distinct lack of free t-shirts at games last year...