50-60s BB vs today

[61sooner]

How would an old time Big 7-8 team do against today's stars in some sort of computer game?
Coach Phog Allen, Assts Hank Iba, Tex Winter
C. Wilt Chamberlain KU
F. Clyde Lovellette KU 1952 POY 6'9 234 28.4 per game. Ist player to win Olympics, NCAA, NBA titles
F. Bob Boozer K-State 2 time AA, 13 yrs NBA 6'8 215
G. Ronaldo Blackmon K-State 13 yrs NBA 18 pt pro avg 6'6 190
G. Gary Thompson I-State 5'10 POY Big 7 1957 over Wilt. AAU player

Reserves Willie Smith, MU, Gerald Tucker OU POY 1947, Bob Kurland OSU 2 time AA Ok &M 40s

These guys would not be as quick in some spots but fundamentally probably better BB basics and no head cases.

 

[NickZepp]

Back then there wasn't an ESPN to show highlights of high flying dunks, there wasn't a 3 point line, there wasn't a shot clock either. And there were no lanes for the most part. It was so different that it would be very alien to most of us now. A lot lower scoring, probably a lot less exciting overall. Yes the fundamentals were better but it would pretty much be like watching a different game.

 

[skyvue]

My dad saw Kurland play and said he was a complete stiff -- just stood under the basket (no three-second or goal-tending rules) and swatted away shots. I think he'd get shown up badly today.

 

[WaymanFan]

First, take out Rolando Blackman and add Jo Jo White. Blackman played at KSU in the late '70s - early '80s. You may as well include the likes of Steve Stipanovich (who played against Blackman) if you're going to include Blackman.

I think any team with Chamberlain and White could at least hang with the best of the all-time Big XII...but probably wouldn't fare well against an all-star Big 8 lineup of the 1980s. Wayman Tisdale, Danny Manning, Steve Stipanovich, Rolando Blackman, Mitch Richmond, Mookie Blaylock and Jon Sunvold would be too much for a Big 8/Big XII team in any era.

 

[Sawyer]

Also need to take off Willie Smith. He played at Mizzou in the late 70s.

 

[61sooner]

Bob Boozer was as quick as any big man in present era. He and Jack Paar of K-State were a fearsome twosome up front.
Clyde Lovellette would have knocked skinny Danny Manning to the 2nd row before the end of the 1st half. He almost caused a riot at the Big 7 Holiday tourney in KC when he stepped on a MU player.

 

[Sawyer]

Bob Boozer was as quick as any big man in present era. He and Jack Paar of K-State were a fearsome twosome up front.
Clyde Lovellette would have knocked skinny Danny Manning to the 2nd row before the end of the 1st half. He almost caused a riot at the Big 7 Holiday tourney in KC when he stepped on a MU player.

So that brings up an important point: are these hypothetical teams playing under 50s/60s rules where a player could get away with that, or under modern rules where a thug like Lovellette would have to adjust or get off the court?

 

[sanguinetti]

i'd probably take Doug Smith over Stipo in my starting 5. Anthony Peeler and Jeff Grayer coming off the bench. talk about instant offense.

Sunvold with the 3 point line would have been ridiculous.

 

[Sawyer]

Sundvold + three point line = Jimmer/Re****-like numbers. He shot over 52% from three in the 89/90 season (0.2% short of the all-time single-season record).

 

[WaymanFan]

i'd probably take Doug Smith over Stipo in my starting 5.

In 2004 when ESPN did their 25 year anniversary special by listing their All-Big 8/Big XII team for those 25 years, they did it by position. That could be why Steve Stipanovich (center) was selected and Doug Smith (PF) was not. No way Smith beats out the guy who was taken at that PF spot (somebody with the first name "Wayman.") Four of the five selected (D. Manning and M. Richmond were the other two) played in the 1980s. No question that had the best collection of conference talent of any decade.

Sundvold + three point line = Jimmer/Re****-like numbers. He shot over 52% from three in the 89/90 season (0.2% short of the all-time single-season record).

They interviewed Wayman in '04 when the ESPN all-anniversary team was announced. Wayman said Sunvold should have been selected for the all-time team. One could certainly make the argument that Sunvold over four years was better than Mitch Richmond was for two years.

 

[campbest]

Father played D-I ball, consistently says that the majority of the players today are better than the players from his era. Couple exceptions, but for the most part it isn't even close.

 

[DenverSooner]

I know it is a common belief that today's players are better but I am not sure I believe that. If you look at some of the best players from the 1970s (which I can remember whereas I don't know much of anything about earlier times), you have guys like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Kareem and McHale (I am pretty sure all of these guys played college ball in the 1970s). I think that team could beat just about any group of today's players and certainly play with them. If we agree that this group from the 70s could do it, why couldn't a group from the 60s do it?

If you take a team from the 80s, you get guys like Mark Price, Waymen Tisdale, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley (I took Price and Tisdale because they are from Oklahoma - I know Price played at G tech). Those 5 can compete with any group of guys today.

 

[sanguinetti]

just because i was thinking about it, you could put together a pretty danged good Big XII team. Blake, Durant, Aldridge, Hinrich (maybe), TJ Ford, Pierce, Demarre Carroll and Tony Allen off the bench, Udoh in the paint possibly, Beasley, Pullen, Acie Law or Jamaal Tinsley possibly. just off the top of head, non-scientific like.

Billups straddles the two (8 and XII) conferences, i believe

 

[NickZepp]

Dr. J played in the ABA for a while before playing in the NBA so he might have played college ball in the late 60s, but I'm not sure on that. Could have been early 70s.

Anyway from the late 70s through the 80s you have Bird, Magic, Kevin McHale, Isaiah Thomas, James Worthy, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwan, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton(last 4 all in the same draft), Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, and Joe Dumars that's just up till 1985. I'm sure I missed a ton of others but that 5 or 6 year stretch produced a lot of great players on through the 90s.

There's also a bunch of others I didn't get to like Sydney Moncrief, Terry Porter, Doc Rivers, Byron Scott, Danny Ainge, Bill Lambier, Charles Oakley, I'm sure I can go on. And every one of these played college ball.

I'm sure athletes today are better than they were in the 70s-80s but the basketball players were easily better in that era.