Ode to the Bradley Center

[Dr. Blackheart]

Opened in October of 1988 with an exhibition game between the Blackhawks and Oilers. Amy Grant was the first concert attended by 6,679 lost souls, bringing in $106k. Whitey Dukiet's team finished 13-15, with Trevor Powell as the leading scorer. Mike Flory was the team captain. I believe the Wisconsin game was the first game I attended (a loss). The Piano Man was fired after that season.

What are your best memories?:

The three best coaches to hate for me were Huggins, Jimmy B., Dixon.  The teams to most hate were ND, Louisville and Cuse...maybe earlier DePaul and UAB teams. Even though KO put life into the program, the games were generally boring except for his swearing and Tony Smith and Mac. Deane's NIT games were a highlight as were his timeouts.  Crean brought in the crowds and a F4 run with the best player of all time (along with pacing and Diet Pepsis)...but also we started to see the NBA migration from MU become more regular.  Joining the BE really changed our trajectory. The UCONN first game. Novak's game winner. CUSA court storm.

With Buzz, every game was a surprise.  From dancing to sweating to OTs. Walk It Out Fosse, the Wrong Way Game, Junior's into OT shot. Wojo gave us Villanova and the 100 Year.

Best promotions: Free tuition shot, Palermo Pizza, Fr. Wild Bobblehead.  Best crowd highlights: The Bat Game, Jump Around Guy, and the set-up Vadger fan who tore off his shirt to reveal MU gear.  Best mascot:  Tall Titan as he is in the HOF.

I sat pretty much everywhere.  The best seats always seem to be near the students. The best Big Head:  Grinch. The best costumes:  Unitard Cowboy, Teletubbies, The Butlers Did It, the Banana guy only because of the liquor he hid in his costume and took out with the help of five guys in a bathroom stall. Best Food:  Carvery. Best intro video:  Tie between Pray and Remember the Titans.

This year, we had four generations attend a game. Last night was my last game. Brought my adult daughter for Al's Night.  Two different cancers beat over this era for her. She was literally undefeated in the BC in her lifetime until this season, but that is on the boy now that found her. We think the streak was 141. Needless to say, we enjoyed our beers. Good way to go out.

[🏀]

unnatural carnal knowledgeing Tall Titan, always getting the mascot love. There were others!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Jae Crowder "it's over" vs Louisville, the Jake Thomas 4 point play vs. Syracuse (Loudest I ever heard it)

My last game as a student against DePaul gets an honorable mention. Marquette was so bad that year but it was nice to go out with a win. You woulda thought it was prom with all the pictures we took after the game.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Georgia Tech vs USC is the best Bradley Center moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9coEYtnDeA

Loudest moment. Novak's shot to beat Notre Dame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6jVDdqVML4

[Dr. Blackheart]

unnatural carnal knowledgeing Tall Titan, always getting the mascot love. There were others!

For every Cher there is a Sonny.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/KgR91Xzfd8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/KgR91Xzfd8Q</a>

[GooooMarquette]

So many, but here are the best that come to mind (of games I attended):

First game with my daughter vs San Francisco in '05. Novak was her favorite player and we hung outside the locker rooms to try to meet him. The security guard said no but Steve's mom overheard me say Steve was her idol. She chatted with us until Steve came over and posed for pics with my daughter.  She was in heaven.

First BE game with a huge win over #2 UConn in '06.  Steve with 41 and 14.

Steve's game-winner vs ND in '06.  Loudest I ever heard the place.

Coobie helping us beat #12 Pitt by scoring 20 points (including 8-8 FTs in the last minute) when he had to start in place of an injured Jerel in '07.  I'm pretty sure that was the game when he shimmied up the court after hitting a 3.

Clinching the C-USA regular season title against UC in '03.

Staying in Milwaukee over President's Day weekend '12 to see wins over Pitt on Saturday and #23 UL on Monday.

Beating #25 UL with Dameon Mason's and-one on a busted play that was supposed to go to Novak or Merritt in '04.

And of course...Bat Game against PC in '13.

So many more....

[wadesworld]

Any time I got to see Wade play.  Even as a 6th and 7th grader, I knew I was watching something special.

[GooooMarquette]

Any time I got to see Wade play.  Even as a 6th and 7th grader, I knew I was watching something special.

Yep.  First time I saw him in person, I told my wife we were watching MU's next NBA player.

Guys like Wesley and Jimmy, you saw it over time.  With DWade, it was clear from the start.

[🏀]

For every Cher there is a Sonny.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/KgR91Xzfd8Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/KgR91Xzfd8Q</a>

Geez, even Bill got a spotlight? Ridiculous. Penalized for graduating in four years!

[brewcity77]

Last night was quite possibly my last BC game as well. Baby is due on March 2, the day before Creighton. Here are some of my favorite memories:

• Wardle scores every point for Marquette in the first half against DePaul. Maybe 1998? My first MU game.
• Wade goes over 1,000 points against Wake Forest.
• Marquette over Syracuse 76-70 in 2011 (first time we'd beaten the Orange since forever) and the Jake Thomas 4-point play in 2013.
• Carlino's three against Creighton. In a down season, that moment was euphoria.
• Double-overtime against Providence. Ben Bentil was insane, Ellenson matched him, such a fun game.
• Villanova.

[GGGG]

My first game at the BC was Marquette's first.  Versus Rice on a Friday night during Dukiet's second year.  They did the whole "turnoff the lights and introduce the team thing," but the lights took about five minutes to get fully bright again so the tip was delayed.  We were all amped to see the beginning of the Gerald Posey era.  He had to sit out as a Prop 48 his freshman year and was supposedly "dominating in practice."  It took me until about halftime to realize he wasn't any good.  Season went down from there.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

Lot of great games there and except for a few at the mecca it is the only arena i have seen MU home games (sans one in Green Bay 😂)
With that said the BC was a crap design.  The vomit holes, the horrible sight lines, the horrible upper deck, the end zones and the corner sections.  Lot of great memories but truly a horrible design.  I think the Bradley Center hurt MU over the years, now sure it was great when Uconn or cincinnati louisville etc and the house was full, but no stadium in america could be quieter with 15k in it then the BC. Maybe the new chicago stadium but thats about it. 
The new stadium with its bball only design, the large percentage of seats on lower deck and its smaller size will be absolutely huge for Marquette.  I think for the first time in 30 years, apart from a few games a year, MU will once again have a great home court advantage they enjoyed before the BC.  I have some great memories but will not miss it a bit for those reasons. Onward n upward

[Norm]

Any ode to the Bradley Center is not complete without a mention of Freeway - the original jump around guy with much better moves.

Other highlights for me include the Michigan game the Saturday after finals where MU almost beat the defending champs. With finals over for most the % of drunk students was astronomically high.

Another great memory was the MU-Dayton game that turned into a throwdown between our Tony Smith and Dayton’s Negelle Knight, which we lost at the buzzer.

Storming the court when we beat ND in 1989/90 (can’t remember which year now).

All the great clashes against Cincinnati under Huggins, Memphis with Penny Hardaway, buzzer beaters both ways against Louisville, and of course having celebratory beers with Mike Deane at Turners post game.

The gritty teams and Juco pipeline under Buzz - DJO, Butler, Crowder, Buycks - and the keys rattling for Davante at the FT line.

The National Marquette games I came back for with packed crowds, although we seem to lose more of those than we win.

All in all, lots of great memories of the Bradley Center.

[We R Final Four]

Lot of great games there and except for a few at the mecca it is the only arena i have seen MU home games (sans one in Green Bay 😂)
With that said the BC was a crap design.  The vomit holes, the horrible sight lines, the horrible upper deck, the end zones and the corner sections.  Lot of great memories but truly a horrible design.  I think the Bradley Center hurt MU over the years, now sure it was great when Uconn or cincinnati louisville etc and the house was full, but no stadium in america could be quieter with 15k in it then the BC. Maybe the new chicago stadium but thats about it. 
The new stadium with its bball only design, the large percentage of seats on lower deck and its smaller size will be absolutely huge for Marquette.  I think for the first time in 30 years, apart from a few games a year, MU will once again have a great home court advantage they enjoyed before the BC.  I have some great memories but will not miss it a bit for those reasons. Onward n upward

It was designed for hockey. The BC was a great design for hockey. Therefore, it was not a crap design, it just wasn’t designed for basketball......even though basketball was the dominant sport played there for 30 years.

[4everwarriors]

How many y'all made bacon in da 400section durin' a sparsely attended buy game, hey?

[MUEng92]

My first game at the BC was Marquette's first.  Versus Rice on a Friday night during Dukiet's second year.  They did the whole "turnoff the lights and introduce the team thing," but the lights took about five minutes to get fully bright again so the tip was delayed.  We were all amped to see the beginning of the Gerald Posey era.  He had to sit out as a Prop 48 his freshman year and was supposedly "dominating in practice."  It took me until about halftime to realize he wasn't any good.  Season went down from there.

That was my first MU game in person, being a freshman from way down south in Rockford, IL. It was the biggest arena I'd ever been in at the time.  That season and most of freshman year are a blur to me at this point.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

How many y'all made bacon in da 400section durin' a sparsely attended buy game, hey?

that's how I met yer ol' lady.

[MUDPT]

The '02 Cincy game. Cordell hit a 3 on the right wing and "stuck the dagger in." Loudest I remember.

Been meaning to ask, what's the play on the intro videos, looks like the green court and an "and 1" Marquette basket.

Also shout out to Brew for being on the Jumbotron last night.

[Mr. Sand-Knit]

The '02 Cincy game. Cordell hit a 3 on the right wing and "stuck the dagger in." Loudest I remember.

Been meaning to ask, what's the play on the intro videos, looks like the green court and an "and 1" Marquette basket.

Also shout out to Brew for being on the Jumbotron last night.

Are you referring to the old green dual marquette/bucks court from the late 89s early 90s?

[lohaus]

Best moments, Chris Crawford's deep 3 from the coaches box to ice Cinci. Then the game last year against Nova happened.  Most hated player, Bobby Brennan from Cincinnati.  Most athletic, Kenyon Martin that could catch flat footed alley oops and throw Wardle's shot into the 20th row.  You knew it was business when Deane brought out the gold frames!

Biggest game, Novak against UConn.  Player that made me think wow, Wardle after watching years of Deanes stiff players! He drove down the lane and tomahawk dunked it.

[jesmu84]

2 things during my freshman year in 03-04:

- Somehow ending up sitting in court side seats for madness. One of the guys in my hall was a little crazy. Saw 6 open seats and just walked us down there. No other students near us

- my first MU game in person. Vs ND. They were a top 10 at the time (I think). Chris Thomas was a NBA prospect. Ended front row student section after waiting all day and skipping classes to see that win.

Never forget my last game as a student on senior night 06-07. Vs Pitt w/Aaron gray, Sam young, levance fields. What a win. Loudest I have ever heard it in person

[warriorchick]

Besides some of the other things mentioned, I have to add the Georgetown game in 2012.  It was Accepted Students Day, and glow jr., who was a HS senior, brought along a school buddy who had been accepted.  The kid was brilliant, but his family was of pretty modest means, and I don't think he had attended many, if any, big time sporting events

Glow and I took the boys for lunch at the Courtside Club.  Glow jr's friend got a kick out of high-fiving the players as they ran through.  We walked out to the court and past the pep band, and he was in awe of the whole spectacle. The place was packed.

If you recall, that was the first time the student section tried the "I believe that we will win" chant, and it worked perfectly:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/3AF2ki9Y4rs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/3AF2ki9Y4rs</a>

He was absolutely sold.  Unfortunately, his family was unable to make it work financially, and he wound up at community college. But seeing the entire Marquette basketball experience through a fresh set of eyes is a wonderful memory.

[marquette09]

2 things during my freshman year in 03-04:

- Somehow ending up sitting in court side seats for madness. One of the guys in my hall was a little crazy. Saw 6 open seats and just walked us down there. No other students near us

- my first MU game in person. Vs ND. They were a top 10 at the time (I think). Chris Thomas was a NBA prospect. Ended front row student section after waiting all day and skipping classes to see that win.

Never forget my last game as a student on senior night 06-07. Vs Pitt w/Aaron gray, Sam young, levance fields. What a win. Loudest I have ever heard it in person

That was also the loudest I heard it in person.  The 07 Mike Kinsella game against Pitt. 

[geps]

Best and worst memory: Leaving the BC after blowing lead in 2nd OT vs. Louisville which turned out to be Triple OT win..

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Unfortunately, I keep coming back to Amoroso just turning and pushing that Louisville player on the free throw attempt when it was abso-eff-lutely unnecessary, getting whistled for the dumbest foul in college basketball history, and Marquette losing the game.