Do It Right Because.....

[Goose]

The Loyola loss in '78 was very hard to take. It marked a very rare loss to lesser opponent, something that seldom happened during Al's tenure. The MU magic had been lost after that game to some degree.

[Marqevans]

Al's worst loss in my four years was to Creighton.  I'm guessing 1971-1972 season. They went into a four corners delay and upset Marquette at home.  After that Al called it the "Creighton delay" and put it in himself.

[🏀]

Al's worst loss in my four years was to Creighton.  I'm guessing 1971-1972 season. They went into a four corners delay and upset Marquette at home.  After that Al called it the "Creighton delay" and put it in himself.

1973-1974 season.

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/creighton

[dgies9156]

And in the following year 77-78, Hank's first, wasn't MU the preseason #1?  I think they held on to it for a good while, too.
All I can recall is that horrible ending in the first round of the tournament (we may still have been #1) to who?  Miami of Ohio?  This was crushing.  It was the beginning of a long, slow, painful slide.  That team was loaded (only Bo was gone).  Like the 1971 group, it deserved a much longer run against the best teams in the country.  The 78 and 71 teams may have been MU's finest.  Maybe this is best left to another thread. 
I loved Hank and Rick but whatever Al added: flair, panache, NYC connections--was missing.  National TV coverage dropped off with the graduation of Butch, Boylen and Whitehead after that sour finish.  MU's prospects diminished as a national power.  It remained a very well-coached team with very good players like Doc but not a real contender anymore-- at least not for #1 status.

At the time of Miami of Ohio, we were very angry. I was a senior and Marquette being Marquette, most of knew at least part of the basketball team. They lived and studied among us at the time. It was, for many of us, a personal downer because we knew the guys.

We didn't fully grasp what really happened until years later. We always kind of expected the music would continue and Hank, being Al's right hand guy, would step right in and things wouldn't change any. A year later, with the rise of Depaul, the signs were there and the Administration should have known it. Everything bad between Hank and Kevin O'Neill that happened could be traced to that single game and the implication it had on Marquette. I don't think we really shed the impact of that game until 2003, when the Tanned One got us back to the Final Four.

Perhaps I'm overly corporate today, but when a leader blows a game like Miami of Ohio, someone in administration needs to conduct what could become a very painful situation audit. Marquette needed to be realistic about its place in the world and its leadership in basketball. I'm totally convinced that then, as now, certain undercurrents existed within the university community that raise serious questions about the role of sports, including basketball. Why for example is Marquette highest paid staff member its head basketball coach? (answer: Market economies speak loudly!).

Let's hope the O'Hara Hall gang (or wherever they reside today) love our basketball as much as we do. Letr's hope they see it for what it is.

Let's hope we never have the Hiroshima moment we had in March 1978 again!!!!

[keefe]

Let's hope we never have the Hiroshima moment we had in March 1978 again!!!!

What does Hiroshima have to do with the Miami of Ohio loss?

[LloydMooresLegs]

Raymonds went by memory 24-4, 22-9 and 18-9 before going on an upswing. Buzz went 25-10, 22-12 and 22-15 before going on an upswing last year.

1977–78   Marquette   24–4         NCAA 1st Round
1978–79   Marquette   22–7         NCAA Sweet 16
1979–80   Marquette   18-9         NCAA 1st Round
1980–81   Marquette   20–11         NIT 1st Round
1981–82   Marquette   23–9         NCAA 2nd Round
1982–83   Marquette   19–10         NCAA 1st Round
Marquette:   126–50      

[Marqevans]

1973-1974 season.

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/creighton

Wow it was my senior year.  I remember a friend of mine that went to Creighton came up to the game. It was quite a shock. My dad also was there because my fraternity had a father and son event.

[slingkong]

Or it was simply a case of an "underperforming" team getting its head out its asses when it mattered.

My dad used to say about that team that it was on the one hand Al's worst coaching job during the regular season, but his best during the tournament.

+1

If destiny determines winners and losers, why play the games at all?

[bilsu]

+1

If destiny determines winners and losers, why play the games at all?

Because you do not know who is destine to win the game. Although, given MU's history of winning under Buzz when someone is suspended you could of said we were destined to win the game against Uconn. Given how the game played out, I would argue we won because we were destined to win the game. That is the only way you can explain Uconn going the wrong way in overtime, a team hitting a three pointer to tie the game after going 0-14. Throw in a wide open dunk that the dunking player gets called for offensive goal tending on.

[GGGG]

Because you do not know who is destine to win the game. Although, given MU's history of winning under Buzz when someone is suspended you could of said we were destined to win the game against Uconn. Given how the game played out, I would argue we won because we were destined to win the game. That is the only way you can explain Uconn going the wrong way in overtime, a team hitting a three pointer to tie the game after going 0-14. Throw in a wide open dunk that the dunking player gets called for offensive goal tending on.

No, it couldn't be because Junior is a talented basketball player and because the referees made a mistake.

It was obviously "destiny."   

[Lennys Tap]

Or it was simply a case of an "underperforming" team getting its head out its asses when it mattered.

My dad used to say about that team that it was on the one hand Al's worst coaching job during the regular season, but his best during the tournament.

I think your dad made a valid point. Al announced his upcoming retirement prior to the season - I think he thought it would make the transition to Hank smoother and help the team focused, but it backfired. Maybe the team tuned Al out, maybe he was distracted - don't know. Somehow, though, Al and the team came together late, went on a roll, got a bid and played like a team with nothing to lose in the tournament.

[4everwarriors]

Al's announcement, following a team dinner at The Clock restaurant, was made on Friday, Dec.17. The Warriors then proceeded to lose to Denny Crum at The Arena on Saturday and also to Minnesota on Dec.21.

[Goose]

4ever

I always try and forget that Friday in December. The two home losses were a shock, especially Minn game. If memory serves me we fell behind big and made a run to start second half but ultimately fell short. Lot of home losses that year and final game was a ball buster.

[4everwarriors]

Nothin' worse than losin' to the Shockers on senior night.

[bilsu]

No, it couldn't be because Junior is a talented basketball player and because the referees made a mistake.

It was obviously "destiny."   

I grew up on seashells and balloons, so my theory seems perfectly logical to me.

[Dawson Rental]

I agree that everything bad that happened to us started at this game in March 1978. But, are you kidding me?

Marquette never should have allowed Miami of Ohio to be that close. Period. That's like losing to UW-GB. No way, no how should a team like Marquette have let Miami get within 20 points of us that late in the game. We were defending national champions. They were an also-ran.

That was a coaching breakdown, dude, and the whole world knew it. To still be blaming the referees 34 years later reaks of sour grapes.

Oh and as for Walter Downing. We had him, lost him to DePaul and had him transfer back.

"Marquette never should have allowed Miami of Ohio to be that close. Period. That's like losing to UW-GB."

So, If we follow the logic you're using throughout this thread, MU made a mistake hiring Buzz Williams -based on misguided loyalty since he was an assistant coach- and as a result the program is spiraling downward as evidenced by the loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay.

[Dawson Rental]

Nothin' worse than losin' to the Shockers on senior night.

Especially when their best player was nicknamed "Cheese".