Shootout game thread and then some

[muskieman]

Let's start at the bearkitten thread with some great memories from the past I will start with the Lenny Brown basket at the end. I was a guest of a UC friend and sat at one end of the court while my youngest son sat with his youngest son around mid-court. Let's just say when my wife asked me about what sweatshirt it would be wearing I said the blue one because it will stand out in the sea of red. After taking guff for most of the game and having some drunk spill beer on me, he didn't get to see the ending because he didn't wake up till after the game was over. I was the guy standing with my arms in the air making the X sign just like my son was doing around mid court in defiance of the bearkitten fans surrounding us. It was one of the greatest walks to the car I ever had at their house.

How about yours?

[longliveskip]

i was in attendance by myself in the very top row of (what was it called before Fifth Third Arena? The Shoemaker Center!) for the Lloyd Price steal at halfcourt and layup to seal the game.

the place was a dump back then. the top row in the corner was where i was. you could stand up in your seat (barely) because you'd hit your head on the pipes above you.

that was awesome.

[X-lucidity]

well shucks MM, you and I had a very similar exp to Lenny Brown's shot heard round the world. My boss way back then was a super good guy but a HUGE Bearcat fan and UC grad. In fact, I was the only Muskie fan in our small office setting. He was a season ticket holder and had good seat about 14 rows back mid court. So he invites me to go in place of his wife, and as he says, 'just so he can experience watching me see my team lose by a zillion!'
So I am down there in fat city with my boss and two of his other UC loving friends. Of course we know what then happened. It was glorious. When Lenny sank the floating jumper, I stood up and quietly pumped both fists into the air. I looked around and saw maybe 25 to 30 other X fans sprinkled throughout the arena, we were all standing quietly in shock smiling and looking at each other. I will never forget that moment.
Then, my boss who was a good sport, took us all out for drinks there in Clifton. After a drink or two I was approached by a very attractive young lady at the bar. Thinking my night was about to get miraculously even better, I started to strike up some banter. Suddenly, this little coed cutie with a Bearcat sweatshirt on leans over and puts her lit cigarette butt out on my wrist. As I yanked my hand away in minor pain she says something like: "you got some nerve coming in here with that shirt on" Of course I had forgotten I was deep in enemy territory proudly wearing my Xavier blue!!
Heck of a night, hell of a memory.

[muskieman]

i was in attendance by myself in the very top row of (what was it called before Fifth Third Arena? The Shoemaker Center!) for the Lloyd Price steal at halfcourt and layup to seal the game.

the place was a dump back then. the top row in the corner was where i was. you could stand up in your seat (barely) because you'd hit your head on the pipes above you.

that was awesome.

I only was up there once and thought the place was a dump more than UDump

[Anti-Homer]

Everyone knows I'm the most objective poster on the Board, despite being a Moderator. However, this is no rivalry, as the results more often than not have mirrored a buyout game. Even with the previous regime's results included, and the 90s, when Huggin's team resembled the guys in OZ and were number one twice (disregarding the fact that Wingfield was ineligible in every high school in the country except for the one Huggs miraculously found; I think he's a NASA engineer now).

This is their Super Bowl and has been for some time. During Cronin's years, X was one of the 2-3 good wins on their paper (can't even call it a resume). Therein lies the danger. We may as well play Miami or NKU (ouch, inadvertent jab). However, UC's NET is 152 now. We have to beat them by 171 or our Net will suffer. As in all rivalry games, I will not be surprised if UC prevails. They have two really nice players in Nolley and DeJulius, and others who are undisciplined but have the potential to get hot (Davenport).

UC has some good recruits coming next year courtesy of the $100k plus package ($80k to attend, and a new car), courtesy of their NIL, which we help subsidize. Let's face it: Why would they come otherwise? It's the same question we ask about GTown. However, I don't blame them. We've been subsidizing the University since Muskieman started his number's racket in Elmwood Place decades ago.

X has better players and a significant advantage in coaching. Nevertheless, this is what makes college basketball great, along with the male cheerleaders. Oops, did I say male? Pay no attention; I meant female. Not that there's anything wrong with it. Final: X 78-73.

[bluegrass]

If UC catches fire beyond the arc, it could be a game.They have had a few games where that happened.I know Sean is not a fan of zone defense,but this would be a game where it might be advantageous

[Sonoma Muskie]

X-lucidity, if that story is true(about the lit cigarette being pressed to your wrist) you should change your handle to “asbestos arm”! Really!?0

[DannyV76]

Great topic MM!! I'll be as brief as possible:

1) Bob Staak's first year. I had sat through like eight straight years of misery before seeing my first X WIn 77-68. I felt like I owned the city that night.
2) Jumpin Jamaal's 3 pointer from the corner in OT. I believe that was Huggins first year at UC.
3) Skip knocking off the #1 Cats at the Gardens. X stuck it to KMart and the rest of that all star team that night. Then going home and watching the ESPN replay ( well past midnight) that my loving wife taped for me. Dicky V. with " call your friends Baby, #1 UC is Going Down!"

That's it. Now let's go kick their ass at their place tomorrow afternoon.

[Lead Guitar]

A number of my XU/UC memories go way back including Steve Thomas scoring 29 and 45 on the vaunted UC defense two years in a row. One was against Mr. Defense, Tony Yates. Unfortunately we lost both games. George Krajack implemented the Cobra offense as Bob Quick destroyed UC and John Howard. I believe John Zeides actually hit the jumper to beat them. And how can we forget Joe Pangrazzio picking up a crutch from a fan and throwing it.

By the way, someone in another topic mentioned possibly adding some zone for tomorrow’s game. The year we beat KM and the other four all Americans, we used a 1-3-1 zone. UC acted as if they had never seen one before. I think it was Logan and Satterfeld just kept passing the ball back and forth out front! (I am not suggesting a zone, for our man D should be able to handle them, but as we have found out in the past, it is always someone least expected (Dee Davis or Joe Stifford (sp?) that steps up out of character or the norm that has the big impact.)

We definitely need this road win. Go X!

[kyzrex]

Was also at the Lenny Brown game. Got tickets way up in the bleachers behind the team benches. I wore a blue sweater with an X shirt on underneath. Went to the game with my then young daughter. Some of my UC buddies, who had season tickets, were seated in better seats several rows below us. We were surrounded by UC fans. I distinctly remember the ones sitting behind us who ragged on X the whole game, while we sat there with our mouths shut. It was only after Lenny sank that shot that I stood up, turned around, ripped my sweater off to expose my X shirt and said “what do you think about that?” to the clowns behind me. We then went down to mingle with the UC fans that were (are) our friends. They were not happy. It was like a morgue in there.

Tomorrow I’ll be seated with those same UC fans (friends) and I expect them to be giving me a load of crap, but I’m also expecting to get the last laugh again.

GO X!