Retroactive roll-call: 35 years ago, Big 8 title clincher

[NMSooner'80]

It was Overton who hit that shot in Lincoln. That was highway robbery. I found out later than the clock-keeper started the clock on a ball fake, and even though Overton had a quick release, they said it was too late.

The Sand Aggies can complain all they want about that one game in Norman in '03, but that was probably 0:00.1 in time they lost. And it's not like Hollis Price wouldn't have shot it before the clock hit all zeroes.

The Mizzou game with the Norm-friendly refs was in '79. Even if they didn't have to pull out three unqualified guys from the stands, all Stewart had to do to get all the calls was make sure that Jim Bain was on the crew. That wasn't as bad as having Stanley Reynolds referee a Tubbs-coached game at OU, but it was close.

 

[sybarite]

I was in Germany doing a post-doctorate. I kept up with OU by subscribing to the Oklahoma Journal by mail. I usually got each newspaper after a three-week wait. There was so little basketball coverage by the International Herald Tribune and American Forces Network that we really didn't hear much about OU. We heard a lot of the football games live, and even saw a couple on American Forces TV. But, basketball---I read about what had happened three weeks ago.

But, I remember each of those players.

 

[WaymanFan]

I would agree with this.

I was 8 when we won the first Big 8 title in forever in 79.

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that someone who calls himself "Big OLD Booger" is 8 years my junior? Ugh!

I want to make one correction with my previous post. While Chucky Barnett was the only underclassman that Billy Tubbs inherited who could develop into an impact player (which he did), it wouldn't be fair to not mention Bo Overton. He was a late Bliss recruit as well who was a solid, steady player for OU. As for Raymond Whitley, if he was healthy to play on Billy Tubbs first team, it would have helped, but we still wouldn't have been a .500 team.

Back to '79, that really was a special team...great starting 5. I'm glad one of those names has resurfaced as a candidate for NBA Coach of the Year.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

It was Overton who hit that shot in Lincoln. That was highway robbery. I found out later than the clock-keeper started the clock on a ball fake, and even though Overton had a quick release, they said it was too late.

The Sand Aggies can complain all they want about that one game in Norman in '03, but that was probably 0:00.1 in time they lost. And it's not like Hollis Price wouldn't have shot it before the clock hit all zeroes.

The Mizzou game with the Norm-friendly refs was in '79. Even if they didn't have to pull out three unqualified guys from the stands, all Stewart had to do to get all the calls was make sure that Jim Bain was on the crew. That wasn't as bad as having Stanley Reynolds referee a Tubbs-coached game at OU, but it was close.

When was the MU game where a HS coach was one of the refs?

 

[Big Old Booger]

When was the MU game where a HS coach was one of the refs?

I think that was the 79 game. It was in the late 70s for sure.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Wait a minute. Are you telling me that someone who calls himself "Big OLD Booger" is 8 years my junior? Ugh!



I want to make one correction with my previous post. While Chucky Barnett was the only underclassman that Billy Tubbs inherited who could develop into an impact player (which he did), it wouldn't be fair to not mention Bo Overton. He was a late Bliss recruit as well who was a solid, steady player for OU. As for Raymond Whitley, if he was healthy to play on Billy Tubbs first team, it would have helped, but we still wouldn't have been a .500 team.



Back to '79, that really was a special team...great starting 5. I'm glad one of those names has resurfaced as a candidate for NBA Coach of the Year.

The screen name is only used here. I had an old one on the old boards but changed it when I landed here. Now I have a newer one on LT and will at some point convert this one to the screen name on LT. I chose "big old booger" from "Booger" on Revenge of the Nerds. Booger was already taken on some boards so I added "big old" to it.

Regarding your reply, the Juice had more talent than any of the other players Bliss left behind but Overton was a solid PG if not Tubbs best PG before Grace arrived (though I liked Jan Pannell too). The Juice wouldn't have made that team a winner I agree but he was a player. Who didn't love Chucky Barnett? He was crucial in the Big 8 tournament run to the finals in 82. I loved the goggles he wore too.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I think that was the 79 game. It was in the late 70s for sure.

Could be. Maybe there was some guy that owned a local sporting goods store? I just remember it was a hose job.

 

[big-hOUnd]

That was my first time to see a game at OU, and the last semester I lived in Norman. I remember we won the Big 8 then, but didn't realize that it had been that long since we'd won the conference. Thanks for posting NM! That really was an exciting game!

 

[Big Old Booger]

Could be. Maybe there was some guy that owned a local sporting goods store? I just remember it was a hose job.

This is what I was originally thinking, that it was a guy who owned a sporting goods store or worked in one. Like one of those Foot Locker guys that wears a ref shirt at work.

I remember listening to the game with my brother and dad and both of them were really bothered by it. I was so young so the picture of a foot locker employee going to the game with his work shirt on. Then getting called from the stands to officiate since he looked like an official. Lol! It's almost too funny to believe but something like that actually happened!!! That's how crooked the big 12 was in those days to MU and KU.

 

[Northbase]

I was there.

 

[WaymanFan]

Regarding your reply, the Juice had more talent than any of the other players Bliss left behind but Overton was a solid PG if not Tubbs best PG before Grace arrived (though I liked Jan Pannell too). The Juice wouldn't have made that team a winner I agree but he was a player. Who didn't love Chucky Barnett? He was crucial in the Big 8 tournament run to the finals in 82. I loved the goggles he wore too.

I wasn't trying to diss Mr. Whitley. He was a senior for Billy's first team (had he not redshirted), but Billy was only going to have him for one year. Fortunately, he became a big part of the 1982 NIT team that went to NYC. My point was that Billy's first team, with Whitley out, had one above-average player in Chucky Barnett...and he was only a sophomore.

Despite what happened at Baylor, the Dave Bliss tenure would have been thought differently had he left Billy with some talent beyond Barnett and Whitley. I can say with absolute certainty that Billy, Kelvin and Jeff all left their successors with more talent than Dave Bliss did.

 

[Northbase]

Billy Tubbs quote from his first year: "This year we are going to run and shoot. Next year we'll run and score".

(or very close to that)

 

[NMSooner'80]

I always wondered what would have happened in Tubbs' first year had he been able to keep Raymond Whitley healthy and Bennie Goldwire eligible. Goldwire was at least a decent college guard and Whitley was arguably the Big 8's best when healthy. He used to whip Darnell Valentine (talk about a media darling) more often than not).

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I always wondered what would have happened in Tubbs' first year had he been able to keep Raymond Whitley healthy and Bennie Goldwire eligible. Goldwire was at least a decent college guard and Whitley was arguably the Big 8's best when healthy. He used to whip Darnell Valentine (talk about a media darling) more often than not).

I watched Valentine play in HS with Big Dog Carr and his older brother. He was beloved even back then.

 

[NMSooner'80]

I was a sophomore in high school when OU won the Big 8 title for the first time in 32 years, and then proceeded to beat #4 seed Texas (we were a #5) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The tourney run came to a screeching halt when we had to go up against Indiana State and that "one-hit-wonder" Larry Bird in the round of 16.

The following season was the most disappointing OU team I can remember until the 2010 squad. A team with some terrific seniors led by Terry Stotts, Al Beal and Aaron Curry couldn't even make the NIT. Of course, it didn't help that Dave Bliss basically stopped recruiting and coaching. His last two classes produced one player that was good enough to help usher in the Billy Tubbs era (Chucky Barnett).

The '77 team would have been in the NCAA, had there been a "Field of 64" back then. It was just 32 in the late 70's. I think a couple of those teams that finished just above .500 would have made the NIT.

The '80 season was frustrating, because it was so close to being another good one, then we had those two late-game road losses by a point. And after the Nebraska one, which was a total screw-job (I asked Beal about it in class when we were seniors), seemed to just eviscerate that bunch. Somehow they did sweep K-State and beat Missouri fairly easily in Norman. I think the final margin was only five, but it seemed like we always had control of that game, except when ref-favorite Norm Stewart iced our foul shooters by dragging out timeouts.

 

[statprof]

I remember watching that team upset KU early in the big 8 schedule to begin the magical championship season. KU had Darnell Valentine who had the most muscular thighs of any point guard ever.

Unfortunately, that team ran into Larry Bird inthe NCAA's. John Mccullough told me later that Bird was so much better than everyone else it wasn't even fair.