SMU Hoops & the Big Dance

by **EastStang** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:21 pm

I was referring to Graham of Georgetown. What a wide body he was and mean as can be. I'd heard the rumor about Wright and his habits. I knew that a team that good couldn't play that bad without some disunity. When the three come into play? I know it was around in '85 when Villanova smoked Georgetown from the outside shooting like 55%.

by **jtstang** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:23 pm

Stallion wrote:Explain to me how a team could play 17 games before December 20-again I don't have the facts in front of me but I'm pretty sure that is incorrect. Remember in the SWC that year they would have also played 16 conference games. The bald guy is probably a reference to SMU's ________ Williams the 6-9 big kid.

The bald guy referenced above played for G'town. You are thinking of Terry Williams (aka LD), who came to the Hilltop after Wright and Davis were already gone.

by **Stallion** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:19 pm

according to an article in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal article this year on 2/16/2005 concerning Tech's upset of Kansas the last time Tech upset a team that highly ranked was No. 2 SMU in February of the 1984-85 season. Remember Bubba Jennings. The only thing it didn't say was whether SMU was undefeated coming into that February game BUT I know our chance to be No. 1 (because of the upset of the previous No. 1) was at this point in the season and not against Chaimanade.

by **jtstang** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:24 pm

Stallion wrote:according to an article in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal article this year on 2/16/2005 concerning Tech's upset of Kansas the last time Tech upset a team that highly ranked was No. 2 SMU in February of the 1984-85 season. Remember Bubba Jennings. The only thing it didn't say was whether SMU was undefeated coming into that February game BUT I know our chance to be No. 1 (because of the upset of the previous No. 1) was at this point in the season and not against Chaimanade.

There's no question we were ranked 2 going into Lubbock and would've been 1 if we'd just freaking won. I think we'd already post to Chaminade at that point and were not undefeated.

How'd you happen to be at that game? Was that during your Lubbock years?

by **Stallion** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 5:31 pm

No but I was still dating A Kappa out there. Think it was Monmouth Weekend or something. Also, lucky enough to have been in Lubbock for Bobby Leach's Miracle on 4th Street. The greatest most spectacular play in SMU History.

by **OldPony** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:44 am

Isn't it sad that our one brush with glory was over 20 years ago? It is almost as rare to see SMU in the NCAA as it is to see a chicken brush its teeth.

by **jtstang** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:55 am

OldPony wrote:Isn't it sad that our one brush with glory was over 20 years ago? It is almost as rare to see SMU in the NCAA as it is to see a chicken brush its teeth.

One brush? According to the banners in the rafters, we went to the Final Four in the '50s!! Go 1950's Mustangs!!! Wish I'd been born!!

by **Pony_Fan** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:39 am

And the silly banner that says NIT .......why even put that up. Even if you win the NIT you are the 65th best team

by **EastStang** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:15 pm

Back in the 1950's only 16 teams went to the NCAA's and then only conference champions, there were no at-large bids back then. So you could be in the top 10, but if you finished second in the conference you didn't go dancing. The NIT was a big deal back then. In fact I'm not sure what year the NCAA tournament started, prior to the institution of the NCAA tournament, the NIT was the defacto dance.

by **The XtC** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:16 pm

17-0 was a typo, sorry. Should have been 7-0. That included wins over Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. SMU was ranked 4th in the AP poll when they lost to Chaminade, and dropped to 7th after the loss. They won their next 7, including North Carolina and Arkansas, and moved back up to 2nd. Georgetown was 1st for most of the year, but they lost to St. Johns, I think the the same night SMU lost to Tech. St. Johns became the new #1, Georgetown 2nd, and SMU back to 4th. The Mustangs fell steadily after that, and by March were out of the polls. SMU beat Old Dominion in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and then lost to Loyola of Chicago. Loyola had the leading scorer in D1 that year, Alfrederick Hughes.

I believe 1986-87 was the first season for the 3-point line.

Terry Williams was a freshman in 1983, Wright and Davis were still here.

by **jtstang** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:27 pm

The XtC wrote:Terry Williams was a freshman in 1983, Wright and Davis were still here.

Of course, I knew that. Just wanted to see if anyone would catch my deliberate slip-up. As far as you know.

I once went behind the back to LD for a jam on the break at Dedman. My career went pretty well downhill after that.

by **Stallion** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:56 pm

I think it may have been Terry Williams rather than Larry Davis that got beat on that play against Georgetown.

by **jtstang** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:27 pm

No, it was most definitely Patrick Ewing sneaking right around Larry Davis for the put-back jam off the missed free throw. That image is burned into my mind forever.

SMU Hoops & the Big Dance

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