The Absurdity of 1988

[Sooner04]

I've watched the 1988 highlight tape at least 100 times in my life. Probably closer to 200. When you watch the tape that many times you become numb to what you're witnessing and you lose touch with what is most important about our 1988 BBall team: those suckers were good. So good, that it's absurd.

PPG - 102.9
PPG Allowed - 81.0

These fellas scored over 4000 points that season. 4000! To put that in persepective, at our current rate, the 2011 team would have to play nearly 60 games to get there.

Scored more than 90 - 29 times
Scored more than 100 - 20 times
Scored more than 110 - 11 times
Scored more than 120 - 8 times
Scored more than 130 - 4 times
Scored more than 140 - 3 times
Scored more than 150 - 2 times

We just obliterated Dayton in a holiday tournament in Hawaii. I mean annihilated them. The headline in Honolulu the next day read, "Dayton scores 99 but loses by 52". Mookie had 13 steals against Centenary. 13! I believe that's an NCAA record that still stands.

But to me the most impressive thing these guys accomplished was their absolute destruction of the Big 8 Conference. They went 12-2 in conference play, dispatching their opponents by an absurd average margin of 98.5-83.7. Nearly 15 points a game better, people, against a conference that sent three teams to the Elite 8.

OU faced 12 different teams throughout the season who played in the NCAA Tournament. Their record against those teams? An absurd 15-4. They played four teams who made it to the Elite 8. Their record against that mighty bunch? An even more absurd 6-2.

You had three superstars who would become Lottery picks: Harvey Grant, Mookie Blaylock and Stacey King. You had a point guard who would become a national hero in Australia: Ricky Grace. You had the smartest glue guy who ever played at Oklahoma: Dave Sieger.

You had freaks on the bench: Andre Wiley and Mike Bell.
You had youngsters who contributed: Tony Martin and Terrence Mullins.
You had a jack of all trades: Tyrone Jones.
And, of course, you had Ski.....Jason Skurcenski.

Terrence Mann was correct when he strolled onto the grass in Iowa and proclaimed America to be an army of steamrollers, and those unstoppable sands of time make each memory of the 1988 juggernaut just a little more faded with each passing day. It's sad to me. It's sad that the vast majority of kids learning OU fandom have no clue about the greatness that hangs in the south side rafters of the Lloyd Noble Center. Those guys deserved to be remembered, acknowledged and praised because they were as good as any college basketball team has ever been.

It's just a damn shame it ended the way it did. Those boys were absurdly good.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRwYvPeGjs4]1988 Highlight Tape, Part I[/ame]

 

[Sooner04]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5vrM8c1pU]1988 Highlight Tape, Part II[/ame]

 

[Sooner04]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6GzqMP48n8]1988 Highlight Tape, Part III[/ame]

 

[Sooner04]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FUatCpq0g]1988 Highlight Tape, Part IV[/ame]

 

[NickZepp]

The numbers that team put up are mind boggling. Look at the game today. You have one program the last 4 or 5 years that has led the nation in scoring each of those years. That program has 1 winning season. Go look at the stats of Virginia Military Institute the last 5 years. They've lead the nation in scoring each of those years the most games they won was 24. And have only won more than 14 outside of that. This year they are leading the nation in scoring again.

The top teams now score somewhere around 80-85 points per game. It's still a shame that team couldn't win that last game. Probably the best team to not win a title.

 

[stoops4pres]

Probably the best team to not win a title.

The '98-99 Duke squad could make a compelling argument for that claim: Only lost 2 games, went undefeated in ACC play, and had a ridiculous roster (Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Battier, William Avery, Maggette, etc). I think they are the best team to never win the title.

But back to the point, KU couldn't have asked for more favorable circumstances that night: OU had to play in their backyard in Kansas City, and had to beat them for a 3rd time that season (beating a good team 3 times in a row in one season is normally an arduous task). Don't think I'll ever get over that loss; OU was undoubtedly the best team in the country that season.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I have this on beta at my moms house but I'm sure the tape is in pretty bad shape after all these years, and who can find a beta VCR in which to play it? I have watched this video at least 50 times but not in 15 years or more.

Thanks for making this...I can't wait to watch it. I'm starting now.

 

[aaron7]

In my opinion there are only two teams that can make the claim as the best to never win a title.

1988 Oklahoma

1991 UNLV

If winning in 1990 makes UNLV ineligible, then it is the Sooners of 1988 in a walk.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I just finished video 2...couple of quick thoughts:

1. This is not the same highlight video I have at my moms. The one I have is the last Billy Tubbs show of the season and had highlights set to music from starship and a few other songs.

2. I forget Stacey King wasn't in the starting 5 until midway thru the season. In part 2, it showed him and another player celebrating as the starting 5 is being announced. That would be a good trivia question...who was the 5th starter on the 88 team when the season started? I think it was either Martin or Wiley, but it could have been a few different players rotating until Tubbs found the player who was the best fit. Does anybody know?

3. Good to see Steve Sewell in the video. He always went to the game in Boulder while he was playing for Denver.

 

[Big Old Booger]

In my opinion there are only two teams that can make the claim as the best to never win a title.

1988 Oklahoma

1991 UNLV

If winning in 1990 makes UNLV ineligible, then it is the Sooners of 1988 in a walk.

That unlv team was fun to watch. They played the late game on Monday nights almost every Monday and that was a part of my weekly schedule. Nothing came between me and those UNLV games even homework and my grades reflected it. :ez-laugh:

Off topic...how good would we have been in 1990 with Larry Johnson who chose UNLV over us? Scary to think about.

 

[stoops4pres]

In my opinion there are only two teams that can make the claim as the best to never win a title.

1988 Oklahoma

1991 UNLV

If winning in 1990 makes UNLV ineligible, then it is the Sooners of 1988 in a walk.

Completely forgot about the 91 UNLV team. Went undefeated until losing to Duke in the tournament.

Them, 88 OU, and 99 Duke all could make a case (my opinion: its splitting hairs between 91 UNLV and 99 Duke).

I'm sure there are others I am forgetting also.

 

[Big Old Booger]

The numbers that team put up are mind boggling. Look at the game today. You have one program the last 4 or 5 years that has led the nation in scoring each of those years. That program has 1 winning season. Go look at the stats of Virginia Military Institute the last 5 years. They've lead the nation in scoring each of those years the most games they won was 24. And have only won more than 14 outside of that. This year they are leading the nation in scoring again.

The top teams now score somewhere around 80-85 points per game. It's still a shame that team couldn't win that last game. Probably the best team to not win a title.

Billy had the same effect on basketball that a mike leach or Hal Mumme had on football. It was a new style and most teams went to the run and gun because it was a little gimmicky. Then teams figured out how to slow it down and defend it better and now not many teams play that style but it will come back around. Of course, it takes the athletes and players who are good at defensive principles especially related to a full court press which you hardly see anymore.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Video 3 doesn't have sound...FYI.

Video 3 makes me think about a segment on the Billy Tubbs show that year after the week they played KSU at Manhattan. Grace was well spoken and I believe a broadcasting major so they had a portion of that show with him and a mic and a cameraman. Grace always roomed with Grant on the road so during that segment, Harvey was preparing for bed and Grace was showing the audience "the generals routine the night before a game".

So Grace starts asking Harvey what he does the night before and Harvey is answering the question. Then out of the blue Grace says "General, what did you say about Coach Tubbs?".

Harvey looks at the camera with a confused look and says, "what do you mean what did I say about Coach Tubbs?".

Then Harvey realizes Grace is trying to ensnare him in a little humor and Harvey crawls under the sheets while he and Grace are both laughing. Then grace starts asking the question again and again until Harvey jumps out of bed and runs into the bathroom and closes the door.

Grace then says: "general, why won't you answer the question about coach Tubbs?".

I remember at the time busting out laughing. I wish somebody could find this...I think it's on beta at my moms house...

 

[campbest]

It's between the Duke and UNLV teams for me.

 

[OrlandoSooner]

I loved that 1988 team. I still am not over that night in KC even after 23 years. I was 13 at the time and was crushed that they didn't walk away with the rings and title. They were such a good team and so much fun to watch.

I agree with 88 OU and 91 UNLV as being two of the best ever not to win it all.

I still dislike Rick Fox for 1990 also, but that is a different thread...

 

[NMSooner'80]

Unfortunately, the biggest absurdity of all from '88 was how that team was so villified in the media. It was really bad in the NCAA tournament, and I heard a story about how Tubbs was asked about "running up the score" against Louisville because Mookie flung up an afterthought-three to kill the clock. OU won by 10, but some nitwit wanted to talk about that last shot.

Equally as galling was the notion in the media that KU was some plucky underdog. They were preseason No. 1 in the country in some publications, and OU was a distant third behind them and Mizzou for the top spot in every Big 8 preseason poll.

And maybe the biggest absurdity of all was how the team was followed back to its hotel by the Beaker fans so they could be subjected to more verbal abuse. But, this is OK in Kansas City, because OU was deemed to be EVIL a few years earlier. And, one of the head media cheerleaders up that way basically urinated on Wayman Tisdale's headstone in '09 by rehashing the events of mid-February '84 in Lawrence, right after his death. (that was Chuck Woodling of the Topeka newspaper who did that)

 

[stoops4pres]

And maybe the biggest absurdity of all was how the team was followed back to its hotel by the Beaker fans so they could be subjected to more verbal abuse. But, this is OK in Kansas City, because OU was deemed to be EVIL a few years earlier. And, one of the head media cheerleaders up that way basically urinated on Wayman Tisdale's headstone in '09 by rehashing the events of mid-February '84 in Lawrence, right after his death. (that was Chuck Woodling of the Topeka newspaper who did that)

I have always thought Kansas fans were in the running for worst fans in the conference. Of all the Big 12 schools that have been to OU football games, there were more fans rooting for Kansas that came across as obnoxious to me. And this is football we are talking about... LOL

That's why I thought it was hilarious over the summer when KU fans were pathetically beseeching to keep the conference together. Ranging from what you described above, to them vigorously rooting for Indiana when OU played them in the Final 4 in Atlanta in '02, them begging for conference unity epitomized hypocrisy.

 

[OUsky]

Completely forgot about the 91 UNLV team. Went undefeated until losing to Duke in the tournament.

Them, 88 OU, and 99 Duke all could make a case (my opinion: its splitting hairs between 91 UNLV and 99 Duke).

I'm sure there are others I am forgetting also.

I would have to add the Phi Slama Jama team from Houston 82-83 to the mix... with Hakeem and Clyde.

 

[NMSooner'80]

I would have to add the Phi Slama Jama team from Houston 82-83 to the mix... with Hakeem and Clyde.

That's a great example. It was also a perfect example of the times (80's) and how men's college basketball was covered - the Houston team wasn't exactly a media darling either, and Guy Lewis was assumed to be one of those coaches who "just rolled out the basketball" (and didn't do any true "coaching" from the bench).

I rooted for them in '83 against NC State because I wanted to see a fun team like that win one - and stick it to the guys in the media who didn't like that style of play.

 

[Sooner04]

The '88 Oklahoma Sooners lost four games.

LSU: 84-77 in New Orleans.
K-State: 69-62 in Manhattan.
Missouri: 93-90 in OT in Columbia.
Kansas: 83-79 in Kansas City.

The absurd thing? Other than LSU, who they only played once, OU beat each of the teams that defeated them.....and they defeated them TWICE.

K-State: 112-95 in Norman and 88-83 in Kansas City to win the Big 8 Tournament.
Missouri: 120-101 in Norman and 102-99 in Kansas City in the Big 8 Tournament semifinals.
Kansas: 73-65 in Lawrence and 95-87 in Norman.


They were just BETTER than everybody else. It's a damn shame they didn't win it all.


Other great teams that would fall into this category would be '75 Indiana, '83 Houston, '85 Georgetown, '91 UNLV and '99 Duke.