Best 4 years to be a student fanatic?

[MarsupialMadness]

I'm curious, and sorry if this has come up as a thread topic before, but what do you all think were the best/exciting 4 years of Marquette basketball to witness on campus as a student?

Obviously anyone who graduated in the late 70's has an argument, the 03 Finalf Four team with Wade, Diener, etc...

We can debate about the best 1 year of MU bball, but how about the best 4 year span?

Mine was interesting.  I graduated in '08, so I was able to witness the following on campus (with my highlights):

04-05: C-USA, Tom Crean (whom everyone on campus loved at the time) Travis Diener, Steve Novak, Dameon Mason, Joe Chapman, Ousmane Barro (I add him because he was in my class, so I was really able to see him develop over the course of 4 years at MU). Beating Wisconsin at home, loss to #15 Arizona at home was at least an exciting game to be at, Travis Diener was killing and we all thought we were going far in the tourney until he went down with a season ending injury with a few games left. Heartbreaking.

05-06:  The year everything changed.  Big East.  Birth of the Three Amigos.  Novak's senior year, dominating.  Beat #2 UCONN at home in first Big East game ever, lot's of new rivalries, still loving Crean, and still watching Ousmane develop (while wishing we had someone/anyone better -- although I would take Ousmane in a heartbeat this year!) Finish 4th in BE. Heartbreaking loss to Alabama in tourney.

06-07:  Welcome Maurice Acker, David Cubillan, Lazar Hayward, amigos still killing, Ousmane still starting, Crean still here.  For some reason not much stands out about this year except the bad loss to MSU in the tourney.

07-08:  Crean's last year, returning all starters from last year.  Pre-season rankings, big expectations.  Good run in BE tourney, actually won a NCAA tournament game before a devastating, devastating loss to Stanford.

While I admit, not at all the most exciting 4 years on campus, but I was able to witness C-USA play and Big East play, the end of Tom Crean's reign at MU, 3 amigos, 4 future NBA players, a crapload of exciting wins and a handful of heartbreaking losses.

So what was your experience like at Marquette, and what 4 year span do you think would be the best times for a student?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Well it wasn't mine: 1987 - 1991.

[GGGG]

I can guaranty you that my four years (1986-87 through 1989-90) were the absolute worst.  The three Dukiet years, and the first O'Neill year.  Two first round NIT exits.

[TallTitan34]

It has to be a student from 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, and 1976/77.  Two final four runs and a National Championship.

More recently, I'd say a student from 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, and 2005/06.  While your sophomore and junior years would have completly sucked, you would have seen a final four with Wade and the three amigos leading Marquette to a 4th place finish in the Big East.

[MUMac]

Whoever started in '73 and graduated in '77 wins, hands down.  Two Final 4's (one Champion - '77, the other a runner up - '74), a Regional finals loss, in a matchup of #1 v #2, to the eventual champion in '76.  '75 was a tournament team.

Combined record during those 4 yeas was 103-16.  Anyone that was here for those 4 years, wins hands down.

[robmufan]

04-05: C-USA, Tom Crean (whom everyone on campus loved at the time) Travis Diener, Steve Novak, Dameon Mason, Joe Chapman, Ousmane Barro (I add him because he was in my class, so I was really able to see him develop over the course of 4 years at MU). Beating Wisconsin at home, loss to #15 Arizona at home was at least an exciting game to be at, Travis Diener was killing and we all thought we were going far in the tourney until he went down with a season ending injury with a few games left. Heartbreaking.

In the same class as you...

This year really sucked, nothing says awesome like losing to Western Michigan at home in the first round of the NIT!

[LloydMooresLegs]

Not me; 1982 -86.  Doc leaves early, steady decline, 0-6 vs. ND.

[TallTitan34]

In the same class as you...

This year really sucked, nothing says awesome like losing to Western Michigan at home in the first round of the NIT!

But we (marqptm, robmufan, mrs marqptm, mrs robmufan, and myself) had great seats for that Western Michigan game!

[mugrad2006]

It has to be a student from 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, and 1976/77.  Two final four runs and a National Championship.

More recently, I'd say a student from 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, and 2005/06.  While your sophomore and junior years would have completly sucked, you would have seen a final four with Wade and the three amigos leading Marquette to a 4th place finish in the Big East.

Obviously the 70's run is number one.  But I'd have to go with your assessment of the '02 - '06 run being the best in recent memory, both for on the court excitement (final four run) and off the court (moving to the big east).  Then again, I'm biased because that was my run.  

[ringout]

Whoever started in '73 and graduated in '77 wins, hands down.  Two Final 4's (one Champion - '77, the other a runner up - '74), a Regional finals loss, in a matchup of #1 v #2, to the eventual champion in '76.  '75 was a tournament team.

Combined record during those 4 yeas was 103-16.  Anyone that was here for those 4 years, wins hands down.

I agree completely, with 69-73 being pretty good also.

I was at MU form 78-82.  The beginning of the descent into oblivion.  At least I was kinda local, so I did enjoy the golden years.

[MarsupialMadness]

In the same class as you...

This year really sucked, nothing says awesome like losing to Western Michigan at home in the first round of the NIT!

Although the ending sucked, I'm grateful I got to experience a year of C-USA basketball with Trav before joining the Big East.  The atmosphere of MU bball completely changed our soph year with the introduction of the 3 amigos and BE notoriety.

[MUMac]

I agree completely, with 69-73 being pretty good also.

I was at MU form 78-82.  The beginning of the descent into oblivion.  At least I was kinda local, so I did enjoy the golden years.

I had thought about '69-'73.  The "what might have been" era.  Probably the best two teams.  One ends with a horribly officiate game against Ohio State, the other ends when Chones leaves mid year.  Combined record was 104-12.  Would have/could have been better had Chones stayed the remaining 1 1/2 years.  

I was at MU '77-81.  Was at the Ohio U game my freshman year.  Thought it could have been a repeat.  Looking forward to beating up on UK and Kevin Greevy.  That damn Peter Pavia!

[JustinLewisFanClubPres]

I was at MU from 02/03 to 05/06.  While the Final Four was more than I would have expected coming into Marquette, those next two years were extremely difficult to watch.    

Outside of the great run in the 70s, I think you can argue the past 4 years might be the best.  4 tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 while the program appears to be trending upwards.  

I wouldn't give up experiencing that Final Four run but there is something to be said for the consistency that is currently happening.

[EnderWiggen]

I was there from 2000-04.  Sadly, I didn't give a crap about basketball at the time and was annoyed by the noise caused during our tournament win celebrations during our Final Four run.  To this day, I am still embarrassed about this.

[tower912]

84-88 was no picnic.   Transition from Majerus to Dukiet.   0-8 against ND.   Losing to UNC at home.   Player beating up his girlfriend.   Player getting in an unfortunate car accident that left a girl in a coma.   Can you imagine the message board chatter over a Dukiet-era team?   I would have to go with the 73-77 era.  

[robmufan]

But we (marqptm, robmufan, mrs marqptm, mrs robmufan, and myself) had great seats for that Western Michigan game!

FALSE!!!!

I got screwed out of that and sat row 1 in 106.  For compensation i got the halftime knock-out and won!

[MarsupialMadness]

I was at MU from 02/03 to 05/06.  While the Final Four was more than I would have expected coming into Marquette, those next two years were extremely difficult to watch.    

Outside of the great run in the 70s, I think you can argue the past 4 years might be the best.  4 tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 while the program appears to be trending upwards.  

I wouldn't give up experiencing that Final Four run but there is something to be said for the consistency that is currently happening.

This is an interesting point... the last 4 years have been pretty awesome, with this year having potential for a great finish.

[muwarrior69]

Perhaps not the best, but exciting it was from 1965-69. The varsity/freshman game was one of the seasons most anticipated games. Al's freshman teams beat our varsity the firsts two seasons I was there.  I witnessed the birth of Marquette's golden age in basketball, the best of times.

[Stronghold]

As someone who can only speak for the last 4 years, I have been very happy with my experience thus far.  Got to witness the 3 amigos my first year, senior years of 2 NBA guys in Lazar and Jimmy, 3 (soon to be 4) consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, a Sweet 16, the emergence of Buzz, DJO, Crowder, etc.  While the last 2 years may have not been the best seasons in MU history, they were definitely exciting as we were able to pull off some big wins during both and regardless if we won or lost, our games always seemed to be close and exciting.  Playing at the BC is also something I have came to appreciate when compared to many other D1 programs.  There have also been appearances by Wade and other alumni at things such as Marquette Madness.

Overall, it's been a great 4 years.  I'm not saying it's better than any other 4 years because I have nothing to compare it to. Marquette basketball for life anyway.

[jsglow]

I'm going to vote with gold colored glasses.  I'll say that my daughter's era will be second best only behind the '73-'77 era.  She's a Sophomore right now so showed up in Milwaukee to witness a Sweet 16 her 'rookie' year.  I'll bet she gets at least another Sweet 16 this year and a Final Four before dad's tuition money gets cut off!

I think we'd all take that.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

I was 02-03 to 05-06. Had a Final Four my first year, Big East inaugural year my senior year, and in between, two years of basketball that while terrible, also had some good memories.

Frankly, those two NIT years made you realize that nobody is entitled to trips to the NCAA tournament, and it's an accomplishment just to get to the Dance. Making it back to the NCAAs senior year was a last hurrah as a student I won't ever forget.

[77ncaachamps]

The best years were spoken for, but my years (1993/94, 94/95, 95/96, 96/97) were good to me.

93/94 - NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a frosh...and the last class of Warriors; finished #21/#17
94/95 - Runner-Up NIT (heart breaker)...but more "home" games for MU and back-to-back running Wisconsin
95/96 - NCAA tourney; finished #23/#20
96/97 - NCAA tourney (but in a trouncing by Providence that made the KU and UNC drubbings look pedestrian)

[Eye]

Underrated in-between era IMHO would be 94 to 97. A Sweet 16 with an upset over UK, an NIT championship game, another blowout tourney win and two more tourney berths, a Great Midwest regular-season championship, a C-USA tourney championship, and a year as a C-USA regular season and tourney runner-up. The end of McIlvaine, Key and Miller, most of the career of Eford, Hutch (including the shot at Louisville, which I got to witness in person) and McCaskill, and all of the careers of Pieper and Crawford.

[LON]

I was 02-03 to 05-06. Had a Final Four my first year, Big East inaugural year my senior year, and in between, two years of basketball that while terrible, also had some good memories.

Frankly, those two NIT years made you realize that nobody is entitled to trips to the NCAA tournament, and it's an accomplishment just to get to the Dance. Making it back to the NCAAs senior year was a last hurrah as a student I won't ever forget.

Same class as you...took a broke-ass '77 Winnebago with about 10 others down to New Orleans stocked with kegs to watch us get slaughterd by Kansas.  Wouldn't change it for the world.

We broke down in every state.  We broke down in New Orleans and in the very wrong part of town.  Paid the locals in booze and cash to fix us up and they gave us fresh crawdads to eat while we waited on their porch.  I'm pretty sure they also protected us from being robbed.  All of this obviously pre-Katrina.

/I miss college

[madtownwarrior]

come one, from 89-92 you got to see Marquette switch conference alliances from being an Independent to the MCC to the GMC.

And coaches from Bob Dukiet to Mike Deane...

but were always a Warrior (not a Golden Eagle)...