Best MU Hoops Memory

[JTBMU7]

No doubt, 2003, MU vs. Kentucky in the Metrodome.
Obviously it was awesome to see us win, move on to the Final Four, D Wades triple double, etc, but the best part was how the MU community took over the whole arena/city.
Of the 4 schools in that regional, we were by far the smallest, but you wouldn't have known it by how much Gold there was in the stadium. You couldn't go anywhere that night without running into someone in an MU shirt.
My hope is we, as fans, can do the same this week in Cleveland. We are due for a nice tourney run and it starts Friday night! We have a chance to play spoiler and get some payback for the last 3 years of heartbreak, so show up, be supportive, and be LOUD!
Always Warriors!

[dgies9156]

March 1977, without a doubt. There is nothing like a national championship.

Nothing compares. Absolutely nothing.

That's why alumni of my generation think that going to the big dance isn't enough. We want "little" MU back on top of the world. I was cleaning my basement the other day and found yellowed copies of both the Journal and Sentinel (yes, they were different papers in those days) from the day we won it all. They're precious reminders of a better time we bhope to get to again.

[Avenue Commons]

I was still shitting my pants in 1977 and have no memory of that NCAA Championship.

My personal best memory is beating Kentucky in 2003. Great moment. Second would be beating Kentucky in 1994 to (unexpectedly) go to the Sweet 16 and give Duke and Grant Hill a run for their money.

[MUfan12]

No doubt, 2003, MU vs. Kentucky in the Metrodome.
Obviously it was awesome to see us win, move on to the Final Four, D Wades triple double, etc, but the best part was how the MU community took over the whole arena/city.
Of the 4 schools in that regional, we were by far the smallest, but you wouldn't have known it by how much Gold there was in the stadium. You couldn't go anywhere that night without running into someone in an MU shirt.

That was mine as well. Was a senior in HS, and drove up Friday night for the game. Had a good feeling after UK looked vulnerable, but never thought MU would blow them out.

One of the best days of my life.

[Blackhat]

First actual memory of MU hoops is watching MU, Mac, Keys and O'Neill beat Pitino and Kentucky in the NCAA's the early 90's.

The other MU-Kentucky game in 2003 has to be the best for us younger folk.

[radome]

For me this has to be live. Doc Rivers beating #5 Notre Dame in 81. I'm in the military and lived all over so I was only at an occasional road game between 83-07. Jerel stealing the ball against USF at the last second was a good memory too, although I had given up on us winning the game at that time (I think it was 06 maybe 05). I've only had season tickets from 79-83 as an undergrad and now since 07, back to living in Milwaukee.

Nevertheless, Doc beating Notre Dame was huge.

[TallTitan34]

Events I Have Been To:

1) January 3, 2006 - Marquette vs. Connecticut

2) March 13, 2008 - Marquette vs. Notre Dame
We had split the regular seson match up so this was the rubber game in the Big East Tournament.  Before the game Lazar asked if he could borrow the Eagle head and did some pre-game warmups in the back with the head on.  After the game as the Eagle and cheerleaders were leaving MSG, hundreds of fans broke into a "We Are Marquette" chant.  When crossing the street a cop asked us if we beat Notre Dame through his car speaker.  When we said yes he said "Good, I hate Notre Dame".

3) November 20 & 21, 2006 - Marquette vs. Texas Tech and Duke
Beating Robert Montgomery Knight and Coach K in back-to-back nights was awesome.  For the Duke
game the crowd started out pretty pro-Duke but then turned to our favor when they realized they could see an upset.  I remember waiting in line at the drinking fountain in full Eagle costume while a bald man in front of me was getting a drink.  It was Dick Vitale and when he was done he told me it would be a perfect SportsCenter commercial.  He is actually a normal person when the cameras are off.  Sadly, this is the only time I've seen Marquette cut down the nets in person: for the CBE Classic.

Events I Watched On TV:

1) March 29, 2003 - Marquette vs. Kentucky

2) March 6, 2004 - Marquette vs. Louisville
Dameon Mason's basket and free throw to win it

[mugrad2006]

Watching MU beat Kentucky at the Humpty Dome in 2003, no doubt.  Wade's triple double in that game is still the greatest athletic performance I've ever seen live. 

[Goose]

Anything that happened in Al era. From playing USSR at midnight, to breaking out new uni's for national TV, to Al's walk to salute ND students at his last game there to winning NCAA. Fortunately or unfortunately for me it is a time that will never be duplicated. The man spoiled  the entire MU community and set a bar that will be nearly impossible to match.

For the younger posters the Al era was even better than us old timers remember it.

[StillAWarrior]

Live, it would have to be the victory over Notre Dame in 1989 when we stormed the court.  How sad is that...that my best memory that I witnessed live was a victory over a team with a losing record.  I guess that's what it's like when you attended during the "dark ages" of Marquette basketball.  I'm really hoping that by 10:00 Friday night I'll have a different answer to this question...and then still another answer on Sunday.

On TV, there is no question that it was the victory over Kentucky in 2003.

[Skatastrophy]

Beating DWade at Halo in Humphrey.  He couldn't handle my circle-strafe.

[leever]

Anything that happened in Al era. From playing USSR at midnight, to breaking out new uni's for national TV, to Al's walk to salute ND students at his last game there to winning NCAA. Fortunately or unfortunately for me it is a time that will never be duplicated. The man spoiled  the entire MU community and set a bar that will be nearly impossible to match.

For the younger posters the Al era was even better than us old timers remember it.

Goose, I'm with you.  I know it would be considered small beans now, but the NIT championship was a pretty big deal 'back in the day' and I'll always remember the students celebrating by taking over Wisconsin Ave.

On a personal note, I remember one game when my roommate yelled to Dean Meminger as he was coming out of the locker room "Go wild, Dean".  Meminger very calmly stopped and answered "But, I'm not a wild person".

[JTBMU7]

#2 for me is Feb 3, 2002. MU beats #4 Cincy 74-60, we stormed the court, carried D Wade off on our shoulders with the American Flag waving... great picture, great game, i believe at the time it was the largest crowd in WI basketball history, which we promptly broke when L'Ville came to town.

[groove]

Al jumping on the scorer's table after Maurice Lucas hit a jump shot to beat Wisconsin in 1974

[TomW1365]

#2 for me is Feb 3, 2002. MU beats #4 Cincy 74-60, we stormed the court, carried D Wade off on our shoulders with the American Flag waving... great picture, great game, i believe at the time it was the largest crowd in WI basketball history, which we promptly broke when L'Ville came to town.

That's a great one.  I watched that on TV and wished I was there.  If I don't count the Kentucky final four game, two come to mind. 

Our narrow victory over #3 Cincinnati in '98-'99 season.  Wardle lit them up that game even though we were only a .500 team. 

Our inaugural season opener in the Big East vs #2 UConn... I've never seen a player on fire as much as Novak was that game... I think he had 15 rebounds too. 

[Earl Tatum]

What people don't remember is to win the 1977 NCAA Championship. It was the full court pass
from out of bounds under the oppositions basket to Jerome Whitehead, who was stationed underneath the MU basket and stuffed it over Cedric Maxwell (Played for Celtics) against UNC-Charlotte with about 1 second left. On Monday we beat North Carolina for the Championship. McGuire gambled and won on that pass. Forgot who threw the pass.

[willie warrior]

For me this has to be live. Doc Rivers beating #5 Notre Dame in 81. I'm in the military and lived all over so I was only at an occasional road game between 83-07. Jerel stealing the ball against USF at the last second was a good memory too, although I had given up on us winning the game at that time (I think it was 06 maybe 05). I've only had season tickets from 79-83 as an undergrad and now since 07, back to living in Milwaukee.

Nevertheless, Doc beating Notre Dame was huge.

That was a great one among many great ones. Here are my about top 10 or so:
1. 1977 Championship--Al breaking down at the end. What a great team!
2. 1974 Runner -up
3. Don Kojis making All American, his senior year averaging about 20 points and 15 rebounds
4. 1970 NIT Champion. Al telling NCAA to take a hike--back then I believe they only took 16--going to the NIT, when it still meant something, and winning the whole damn thing-Sewell coming up big in the title game.
5. The Career of George Thompson--Al's first big time recruit
6. The 2003 run to the Final 4
7. Rivers half court shot to rip the heart out of ND
8. Tony Miller breaking the Ky. press to put us in the Sweet 16, under Kevin Oneill, bringing MU basketball back from the brink
9. The game at the arena against Joe Wolf and UNC, that we almost won, on national TV, Al doing the color. Did not see the TV because I was at the game. The atmosphere at the Arena was razor sharp electric.
10. Al standing on the table inciting the MU and UW fans after beating Bucky, with the Hughes twins dad flipping Al the bird. Look at that picture and remember the sideburn days.
11. Any time Mandy Johnson made a steal
12. Wardle draining a game winning three against Louisville
13. Novak scoring about 40 against UCONN on out BEast debut
14. Tony Smith's career during some of our down years.

[Da 'Lanche]

Pre-college days:  The championship game in 1977....probably influenced my eventual decision to attend MU

While at MU:   The game against #1 UNC and Joe Wolf.   I was at the Mecca and agree with Willie that the atmosphere was the most electric I had ever experienced at MU.  The whole weekend was that way after we beat a ranked Dayton (I think on Thursday or Friday) and then got ready for the #1 team to visit.....the final result was just painful.

Post campus days:   The win against Kentucky to get to the sweet 16 was so fantastic after so many dark years.   The game to clinch the final 4 against Kentucky, again, had to be the highlight.   I thought MU had a great chance that year as Wade was going wild and had a strong supporting cast.   The following embarrassing crushing loss to KU was really anticlimatic and just sad.

On a personal note....one highlight was working at the REC center while Majerus was running a camp and Doc Rivers (playing for Atlanta at the time) came through and in the most sincere and authentic manner walked around and introduced himself to everyone working in the building, especially the students.  He asked everyone what they were studying and wished them well.  That remains a good memory and I root for Doc today even though I hate the Celtics.

[MUEng92]

Al's walk to salute ND students at his last game there

I don't seem to remember hearing about this story.  Can you provide details?  Was this anything like the Badger Dad's salute to Al?

[NotAnAlum]

No doubt the Regional Campionship in Minni.  Walking back from the dome to the team hotel I don't think my feet actually touched the ground.  Then watching other Regional Final with everybody else (including many MUScoop posters) knowing we were safely in the Final Four.  What a day!

[Goose]

Willie---The MU-UNC game  was an unreal experience. After beating Dayton on Saturday afternoon the excitement grew until game time Sunday. I will never forget walking into the arena and the place was packed an hour before game time. Truthfully I get goose bumps thinking about it now.

Only negative was I had my girlfriend at "fever" pitch that weekend and after the loss I lost me "enthusiasm" for the moment. From top of the mountain to bed at six o'clock alone and hungover.

[Goose]

MUEng--It is the classic picture of AL with arms raised over head and smirk on his face. It is my favorite picture of Al.

[MUEng92]

MUEng--It is the classic picture of AL with arms raised over head and smirk on his face. It is my favorite picture of Al.

I didn't know the back story on that photo (not sure how I wouldn't have heard that somewhere along the line the last 25 years).  Thanks for the info.

[nathanziarek]

3) November 20 & 21, 2006 - Marquette vs. Texas Tech and Duke
Beating Robert Montgomery Knight and Coach K in back-to-back nights was awesome.  For the Duke
game the crowd started out pretty pro-Duke but then turned to our favor when they realized they could see an upset.  I remember waiting in line at the drinking fountain in full Eagle costume while a bald man in front of me was getting a drink.  It was Dick Vitale and when he was done he told me it would be a perfect SportsCenter commercial.  He is actually a normal person when the cameras are off.  Sadly, this is the only time I've seen Marquette cut down the nets in person: for the CBE Classic.

As the Duke/MU game started, that arena was LOUD. I don'd remember the first MU bucket, but I do remember the confetti explosion in the stands. The guy in front of me turned to his buddy and said "This is big time." It felt like we had arrived that game.

[tower912]

I, too, was at the famous UNC-MU game.   What an atmosphere.   It is hard for me to choose a loss, even though it was the most exciting thing that happened while I was there.    The 77 championship was the second time my parents let me stay up late to watch a sporting event.  (Game 7, 75 World Series was first).    I was watching tv for the Doc Rivers shot.   Nothing, though, has impacted me like the 2003 Kentucky game.   The only time other than my children being born that I have cried as an adult.