20 years later: remembering Hank Gathers

[NMSooner'80]

http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/...tirs-memories-for-his-family/?ncid=webmaildl5


He played against OU that one time in Norman when Stacey King and Mookie Blaylock were seniors. He missed the rematch, which OU also won, 136-121, despite a huge night from Bo Kimble. Skeeter Henry had 41 in that game, including 31 in the second half alone.

 

[Salt City Sooner]

If you want to see the scoreboard lighting up, ESPN Classic's having a Hank Gathers day on Thursday. They're showing the Sportscenter Flashback on his passing, plus games vs. LaSalle, the 'zags, & their tourney games vs. Michigan & the west regional semi-final vs. Alabama.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

If you want to see the scoreboard lighting up, ESPN Classic's having a Hank Gathers day on Thursday. They're showing the Sportscenter Flashback on his passing, plus games vs. LaSalle, the 'zags, & their tourney games vs. Michigan & the west regional semi-final vs. Alabama.

I wont miss that...

 

[Sooner04]

If you want to see the scoreboard lighting up, ESPN Classic's having a Hank Gathers day on Thursday. They're showing the Sportscenter Flashback on his passing, plus games vs. LaSalle, the 'zags, & their tourney games vs. Michigan & the west regional semi-final vs. Alabama.

The Michigan game has to be seen to be believed. I had an old VHS tape of that game years ago and I was watching it at my parents' house over spring break. My little brother comes walking downstairs on his way to the kitchen and asks about the score. Conversation went like this:

Little bro: What's the score?

04: 65-58.

Little bro: How much time is left?

[the horn goes off]

04: Halftime.

[Little bro stops dead in his tracks]

Little bro: HALFTIME?

He watched the whole second half with me. LMU scored 84 in the second frame. Little bro damn near slipped into shock.

 

[Sooner23]

The Michigan game has to be seen to be believed.

That game was incredible and that whole run they made without Gathers in the NCAA Tournament was just awesome.

 

[NMSooner'80]

Speaking of younger brothers, mine was in residency after graduating from OU's Med School, and living in Pasadena. He got to see the OU-LMU game in person that night in west LA. That's one I REALLY wish I'd taped, given how it turned out (when both Kimble and Skeeter went for over 40).

 

[Sooner79]

I can't believe it's been 20 years.:billy

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

Got 'em recorded...i cant wait to see that Michigan game and the La Salle game...

now that was a fun team to watch play...

 

[Sooner04]

I'm pretty sure that LaSalle team had the L-Train, Lionel Simmons, in uniform. Should be a ton of fun to watch.

 

[NMSooner'80]

One game I thoroughly enjoyed of Loyola Marymount's, after the Gathers tragedy, was when they wasted the Las Cruces FFA (Future Felons of America) by something like 35 points.

NMSU was a thug program back then, starting with their despicable coach (Neil McCarthy). Neil once went into the stands after an opposing student when he was at Weber State and they were playing at either Utah State or Idaho State. A bunch of his players at NMSU made their fame by beating up their classmates over the years. They had no in-state players and were all JC's (and with a horrific graduation and retention rate).

But of course, the media in New Mexico loved them anyway and lamented about how the Aggies had to play such a "national favorite." One local joker wrote that he wished they could have played "national villains like Georgetown and Oklahoma," and he was lucky I didn't driving downtown and throw him out a window for that one. It was also RULE ONE in the print media here that they couldn't be UNM homers, but it was always okay for them to talk up the school from over 200 miles away with the shaky ethics...

 

[Salt City Sooner]

Another Classic alert for all you fastbreaking fools; LMU @ Oregon State from 1989 is on this coming Tuesday @ 8 PM CST.

 

[Sooner04]

Holy crap! Gary Payton will be in that game!

 

[NMSooner'80]

Anyone else remember how it looked on TV when Gathers collapsed the first time? It was so strange. He was jogging down the court and just sort of tipped over suddenly.

I think that was in either the game before they played OU out there, or maybe the week before.

Seriously, it would have been horrible to have been there for the fatal one. I still remember a wire photo that showed him trying to get up with a shocked look on his face, before he went down for the last time.

 

[Sooner04]

The first time he collapsed at the foul line. It was either one game or two before we came to town.

The second time was just awful. He'd just thrown down a nasty alley-oop and was going to his spot for the full-court press Westhead ran when he fell like a sack of bricks. Horrible thud. He tried to get up, and it looked like he'd be fine, and then he went right back down. His vitals got worse and worse as the minutes went by.

He was essentially dead before they got him off the court.

 

[cfin5256]

It's definitely something I'll never forget.

 

[Sooner04]

ESPN - Hank "The Bankman" Gathers

 

[jmizzy4ou]

Terrible tragedy. I remember Bo Kimble shooting his FT's left handed in honor of his friend....