NIT final in 1995

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm purging a boatload of old video tapes from the garage and converting over to DVD once and for all.  I'm watching the NIT Final tonight...wow was that an offensive machine.     It's 16-16 and almost halftime right now (3:30 to play), and that with a lot of decent interior players (McCaskill, Abrams) and good guards (Hutch, Pieper, Miller) along with Eford and Crawford playing on the wing.

At halftime they had an interview with Georgia's new coach....Tubby Smith.  Time flies.

I found a bunch of the old NIT run in the garage...good times.  Mike Deane looked like he had 5 heart attacks that week.  The foul at the end of the South Florida game at the MECCA still may be one of the worst fouls I've ever seen call (no exaggeration).  Wow.

[MUBasketball]

I'm a younger guy (mid-20's) and have been following Marquette for 10 years (started going to games and becoming a fan the last year of the Deane era).

Any chance I can get my hands on some old footage? I'd love to see some games from a little earlier in Deano's tenure.

[MUfan12]

I'll never forget that run, I was 9 at the time and was crushed after Ace Custis hit those free throws.

That being said, the USF game at the Arena is in my top 5 games I've attended. What an atmosphere that night.

[bma725]

As great as the atmosphere has been at the BC in recent years, the Mecca during that South Florida game was the best crowd I've ever seen.  That place is just perfect for basketball, and the BC can't compare it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'll never forget that run, I was 9 at the time and was crushed after Ace Custis hit those free throws.

That being said, the USF game at the Arena is in my top 5 games I've attended. What an atmosphere that night.

Actually it was Sean Smith that hit the two game winning free throws.  We were 6 of 16 from the line, that's where we lost it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

As great as the atmosphere has been at the BC in recent years, the Mecca during that South Florida game was the best crowd I've ever seen.  That place is just perfect for basketball, and the BC can't compare it.

Yup, I found that game in the garage as well...playing New York, NY at the end was a nice touch...good job VC!!!

[MarquetteDano]

I concur... that South Florida game was the loudest crowd I have ever been a part of.  Too cool at the end of the game playing "New York, New York" with Hutchins doing the "Can Can" on the scorer's table... the place just went nuts!

 - Dano'

[Eye]

Didn't Pieper narrowly miss about a half-court shot at the end of regulation that would have won the tourney for MU?

[Harrison]

The younger fans may not remeber the game as well as some of us older guys...MU '92...does that make me old?   Anyways while Ace Custis was the player everyone remebers the player that many of us will never forget is Shawn Smith who hit the FT's.   Speaking of bad calls maybe the worst call I have ever seen if I recall to allow VT to get the game to OT was the block that was call on Peiper.  Despite a perfect helpside slide into position adn what had to to be a full second of being set before contact a block was called on Pieper.  Simply a terrible terrible game changing call.  I have it on VHS too.  never been watched but I remeber those two plays like yesterday. 

[HarveysWallbangers]

That was a GREAT run to the NIT Final, led by freshman Hutchins, who hadn't really played much the entire season. Tons of fun to watch those games.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Didn't Pieper narrowly miss about a half-court shot at the end of regulation that would have won the tourney for MU?

Yes, he missed about a 40 footer that was dead straight but hit the front of the rim.

[MUfan12]

Shawn Smith... sure enough. If I remember right, Faisal bit on a pump fake and got him.

Doesn't seem like a big deal now but damn that game hurt at the time.

Looking back on that team it still amazes me they didn't make the tournament. Pieper, McCaskill, Eford, Crawford, Miller, Abraham all were pretty good ballplayers.

[augoman]

you said it, we were 'loaded'!  I can see why we had the successes we did, and am surprised we didn't go further.
also, strongly concur w/BMA, the arena was an outstanding Bball forum.  If only it held more fans, we'd be playing there still.

[nycwarrior]

i remember that run well. man that was a ton of fun. hadn't even moved to nyc yet at the time and was stunned to see how many of the older fans in the arena remembered al and the great mu teams from the glory days.

any chance some of those games could be posted somewhere here?

[77ncaachamps]

I concur... that South Florida game was the loudest crowd I have ever been a part of.  Too cool at the end of the game playing "New York, New York" with Hutchins doing the "Can Can" on the scorer's table... the place just went nuts!

 - Dano'

I remember that night...it was cold and rainy. My brother from CA was at MU on a college visit. We ran to the lake...got the pics still...what memories!

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

I love this because I've never seen MU at the MECCA and my impressions as relates to basketball are the exact opposite. I only went to one game there, a UWM-SLU game in 2005 with MUfan12 and some friends from hs who went to SLU.

It was like college basketball bizarro world. UWM Student Section on Choir risers. Tables like for some comedy club set up on the other end. MAYBE 2,000 fans there. Weird.

Had my gold 2003 Final Four t-shirt on, and some UWM old crotchety guy tapped me on the shoulder, pointed to those banners and said something to the effect of "You see those banners? hehehehe." I merely responded, "You are aware that the sport of basketball existed BEFORE 2003, right?"

He didn't bother us the rest of the game.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I love this because I've never seen MU at the MECCA and my impressions as relates to basketball are the exact opposite. I only went to one game there, a UWM-SLU game in 2005 with MUfan12 and some friends from hs who went to SLU.

It was like college basketball bizarro world. UWM Student Section on Choir risers. Tables like for some comedy club set up on the other end. MAYBE 2,000 fans there. Weird.

Had my gold 2003 Final Four t-shirt on, and some UWM old crotchety guy tapped me on the shoulder, pointed to those banners and said something to the effect of "You see those banners? hehehehe." I merely responded, "You are aware that the sport of basketball existed BEFORE 2003, right?"

He didn't bother us the rest of the game.

Did the old crotchety guy have a goatee, a bowtie and go by a name that rhymes with afghan, ann, anne, bagman, ban, barman, batman, bedpan, began, brainpan, bran, can, cancan, cayenne, chessman, cheyenne, clan, corban, dan, deadman, deadpan, deskman, diane, dishpan, divan, doorman, dustpan, earthman, fan, flagman, foreran, fortran, fran, free-man, frogman, hangman, hardpan, he-man, iceman, jan, japan, keyman, khan, klan, kneepan, koran, lawman, legman, madman, mailman, man, milkman, newsman, oilcan, outran, packman, pan, pecan, pitchman, plan, postman, preplan, pressman, prolan, propman, ran, rattan, reran, sampan, sandman, saran, saucepan, scan, sedan, sideman, snowman, spaceman, span, spokane, stan, stockman, strongman, stuntman, sudan, suntan, suzanne, tan, tarzan, than, toucan, trackman, unman, van, wingspan, woodman, yardman