OU's Most Memorable NCAA Tourney Moment

[DenverSooner]

I think it was hard for us to have the kind of defensive mentality under Capel that Sampson players had because our defense was so multiple. We would run 2 or 3 zones a game, man to man, and man and zone presses. It just didn't give us the kind of identity that those players thrive with.

I don't recall Capel runnig any defense other than a very soft man that was extremely ineffective and poorly coached. I am not saying the zones didn't happen but I really don't recall it. I recall Tubbs running a lot of zone.

Honestly, Capel was the worst basketball coach I have ever followed. I watched almost every game and I have no clue what that guys identity was a coach.

 

[Big Old Booger]

another recent one. How about our upset of 'Zona in the 1999? That was another great one from recent memory. We made a deep run that year and as I recall there was point mid season where we went on a four or five game losing streak. We then put together a nice stretch of conference wins. I remember thinking that we were better than out seed that year. We certainly proved it.

That was the year we beat UNC-Charlotte in the 2nd round and then lost to Michigan State in the Sweet 16. The famous Najera leaving the court and returning was that game too. I'll never forget Jim Nantz and Billy Packer commenting about him returning. It was like in the movies when Rocky would get back up off the mat.

 

[oSuJeff97]

another recent one. How about our upset of 'Zona in the 1999? That was another great one from recent memory. We made a deep run that year and as I recall there was point mid season where we went on a four or five game losing streak. We then put together a nice stretch of conference wins. I remember thinking that we were better than out seed that year. We certainly proved it.

LOL... that was a great example of how Arizona managed to trash my bracket every year for about a 10-year stretch, from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s.

If I picked them to go to the Elite Eight or Final Four, they'd lose in the first round... If I picked them to lose early, they'd be in the Elite Eight or Final Four... without fail....

 

[MNsooner]

That was the year we beat UNC-Charlotte in the 2nd round and then lost to Michigan State in the Sweet 16. The famous Najera leaving the court and returning was that game too. I'll never forget Jim Nantz and Billy Packer commenting about him returning. It was like in the movies when Rocky would get back up off the mat.

A good year for tournament memories. This thread has barely even scrapped the Billy Tubb years.

 

[ouboomer]

I think Blake's breakaway dunk against Michigan was amazing. That poor Michigan player thought he was going to take a charge but got posterized instead.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I like Cade a lot, but I am talking about different kind of mentality. Watching Najera, Brewer, Godbold, and guys like that was a little different. They were just tough as nails. You could tell that they weren't happy out there unless the person they were guarding was unhappy. Cade had games like that. He outright shut down Rotne Clark during Clark's hottest season. He just didn't bring that mentality to every game. I don't mean that as a criticism. Cade had tons of strengths and I am sure I will continue to remember his play fondly, but he just didn't lock in the same way those guys did.

I will say that AJ was like those guys at least in mentality. I think his health prevented him from being like those guys. Some games he honed in and used those long arms to shut his man down. That was always fun to watch.

I think it was hard for us to have the kind of defensive mentality under Capel that Sampson players had because our defense was so multiple. We would run 2 or 3 zones a game, man to man, and man and zone presses. It just didn't give us the kind of identity that those players thrive with.

Sampson had some tough players, but IMO, Brewer stands above them all, even Najera. I can't count the number of times we were out of games or really shouldn't be in the game but for Brewer and his never-say-die play. Watching him against Mizzou in the Big 12 tourney in some epic games as well as against Indiana in the NCAA, another epic game even though we lost both. He was impossible to guard and could play lockdown defense.

After him you had a number of really tough players: Najera, Stone, Heskett, Abercrombie, Erdmann, Jameel Heywood, Selvy, Price, McGhee, Bookout, Gray, Everett, etc. The list just goes on and on. The toughness of those teams is what was so fun to watch.

 

[skyvue]

The single play I remember the most from March Madness is the winning shot Tisdale took against Karl Malone's La Tech team. It bounced and bounced and bounced on that rim before finally falling through. I think that shot is the cause of about 40% of my gray hair.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Bleeping Rick Fox.

That game is not allowed to be mentioned in my house. I still think that team had a chance that year - even against UNLV. Those three BS fouls against Patterson were the worst.

 

[red recluse]

I don't recall Capel runnig any defense other than a very soft man that was extremely ineffective and poorly coached. I am not saying the zones didn't happen but I really don't recall it. I recall Tubbs running a lot of zone.

Honestly, Capel was the worst basketball coach I have ever followed. I watched almost every game and I have no clue what that guys identity was a coach.

he ran zones. 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1 with austin running the baseline.

based on how I acted and reacted, I would have to go with the win over arizona in '99, with 'cuse in '09 and the other win over arizona in '88 tied for second. when i started following OU basketball, we were successful. and going a couple rounds deep into the tourney was the norm. as a kid, i took it for granted. then we hit last few years of the tubbs era with nit appearances, and then solid sampson teams that couldn't make out of the first round. when we finally did break through, whoa. my parents living room got abused. this strange, new world suddenly felt like home again.

 

[scrybe]

Booger: On your list of low points, I recall (or, at least I think I do) a narrow loss to Memphis in the tournament during the Wayman years. I can't remember the exact year, but Memphis had that funny looking big man who in reality was a load and went on to play in the NBA. Don't know why I can't recall his name. Can you (or anyone else) give me some help with this one?

 

[WaymanFan]

Booger: On your list of low points, I recall (or, at least I think I do) a narrow loss to Memphis in the tournament during the Wayman years. I can't remember the exact year, but Memphis had that funny looking big man who in reality was a load and went on to play in the NBA. Don't know why I can't recall his name. Can you (or anyone else) give me some help with this one?

1985...guessing that you are either thinking of center William Bedford or their best player, Keith Lee. I'm still waiting for the ref to call palming on their PG Andre Turner which would have given us a chance to send the game into OT. I remember screaming at the TV for the ref to call palming. Apparently, Tim McCallister agreed with me - he threw a cup of water on the ref after the game and got suspended from the 1st round of the '86 tourney game against Northeastern.

My 3 favorite NCAA Tournament moments are:

1) Tisdale's shot which bounced around the rim about 5 times before dropping to beat Louisiana Tech in OT back in 1985.

2) Ace McGhee's 3-point shot in the Elite Eight game against Missouri to put us up by 6 late in the game in 2002.

3) Jason Terry's missed shot (and the follow-up misses) at the buzzer which snapped our 6-game NCAA Tournament losing streak in 1999.

 

[NickZepp]

The 99 AZ game has so many memorable plays. One of my favorite OU games ever. I remember being so nervous most of that game because OU was trailing most of the way through but made a run the last minute that was so memorable. Eric Martin missed a 3 that was put back in by Najera. The Humphrey "tip-in" which could have easily been called goal tend. I think AZ also turned the ball over on an inbounds pass in there. Lots of memorable moments the closing minutes of that game.

 

[DenverSooner]

he ran zones. 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1 with austin running the baseline.

You are talking about the one good team he had? I always assumed the players were directing that team.

 

[Crimson King]

A lot of good (and bad) memories on here.

That Mizzou game in San Jose was UGLY. We met the team at LNC that night with about 20 other fans.

The first round loss to Indiana State in Memphis was maddening. After the B12 Tournament, that was a Sweet 16 team.

We got a bad draw in 2009 due to late season struggles and injuries, but thought we would have had a better effort against UNC that year. Blake deserved a Final Four.

 

[WTSooner]

That '99 game against Arizona sure was big.

A lot of my other memories have been mentioned. I do remember little used, and rarely effective, Alex Spaulding having a good game against NC-Charlotte maybe? Would have been the game after beating Arizona above.

 

[MercedeSooner]

That sweet 16 game against Mich St still sticks with me... Still can't convince me that if Mateen Cleaves doesn't knock out Najera that we don't win that game.

 

[WTSooner]

Losing that Indiana game in OT ('98) was tough too.

 

[scrybe]

Losing that Indiana game in OT ('98) was tough too.

That loss to Indiana in the 2002 Final Four was another bummer. We were the better team, by far, but…well, we all know that injuries to some of our key players (QW) killed us against an obviously inferior Hoosier team. If we stay relatively healthy, we wear the NC Crown that year. What a shame.

 

[scrybe]

1985...guessing that you are either thinking of center William Bedford or their best player, Keith Lee. I'm still waiting for the ref to call palming on their PG Andre Turner which would have given us a chance to send the game into OT. I remember screaming at the TV for the ref to call palming. Apparently, Tim McCallister agreed with me - he threw a cup of water on the ref after the game and got suspended from the 1st round of the '86 tourney game against Northeastern.

My 3 favorite NCAA Tournament moments are:

1) Tisdale's shot which bounced around the rim about 5 times before dropping to beat Louisiana Tech in OT back in 1985.

2) Ace McGhee's 3-point shot in the Elite Eight game against Missouri to put us up by 6 late in the game in 2002.

3) Jason Terry's missed shot (and the follow-up misses) at the buzzer which snapped our 6-game NCAA Tournament losing streak in 1999.

Yes, that was the game and the Memphis player I was trying to remember was, indeed, Keith Lee. Do you recall the final score of that game, WaymanFan? Also, was that the next game after we beat La. Tech in overtime?

 

[MercedeSooner]

That loss to Indiana in the 2002 Final Four was another bummer. We were the better team, by far, but…well, we all know that injuries to some of our key players (QW) killed us against an obviously inferior Hoosier team. If we stay relatively healthy, we wear the NC Crown that year. What a shame.

I know we beat that Maryland team earlier that year but they were a very different team come tournament time - as an OU fan I can say I don't think we win that game even if we got past Indiana.