88 & 1

[StlVUFan]

Did anybody watch this documentary on the 40th anniversary of ND 71 UCLA 70?

For months after that Saturday afternoon game, I could still remember the exact play by play of the final 12-0 run.  It's been years since I could remember any of it.  I like that they showed every play in the final 3 minutes -- every basket by the Irish, every miss by the Bruins, every turnover by UCLA.

Correction: I always remembered that the winning basket was hit by Dwight "The Ice-man" Clay from the right corner.  But that was it.

The only other thing I really learned from the documentary was that John Wooden viewed timeouts as a sign of weakness, which is why he didn't call one (according to the documentary) until they were finally behind with 20+ seconds to go.

Other than that, it was very unsatisfying.  What I really wanted was a strategy-based explanation as to how ND engineered the comeback.  Instead I had to settle for a lot of rah-rah "fire-and-passion" stuff from Digger.  Some of the little anecdotes, like Digger reading Wooden's book and sussing out a weakness, were mildly amusing.  All I have is the standard explanation: the ball bounced the Irish' way time and time again, the crowd got into it and made an impact, blah, blah, blah.  What did Digger change strategy wise in that 3+ minute timeout when it was 70-59?  Ya know, besides telling his players that if they didn't believe, they could hit the showers?

Oh yeah, one other thing, and I just learned this for the first time recently: ND wasn't actually the little guy.  They were ranked #2 in the nation at the time!!!!

Some other things I do remember:

1.  The following week, ND went out to Pauley Pavilion and got their butts kicked.
2.  A couple hours after the game, I stood in Viking Gym (in relative darkness) as Virgil Sweet reminded his players about the game and how it might give some clues as to how the Vikings could beat Lafayette Jeff that night (I was JV manager at the time and attended for free).  Of course, the Vikings went up against the Twin Towers and got pummeled, as I recall.  A couple of months later, we managed to fight them tooth and nail until the final two minutes in Fort Wayne before succumbing 72-62 in the IHSAA elite 8 (Sweet's final game as head coach).
3.  A week or two later, Bill Walton and company lost in OT in the national semifinals to NC State and David "42 foot vertical jump" Thompson.

The only other thing I was hoping to see was some mention of Michael Warren of Hill Street Blues fame, who I was told years ago played for UCLA.  Unfortunately, as I now see, he graduated several years earlier.  I was pleased to see lots of on-screen interview time given to Pete Trgovich, though.

And the home run ball that resulted in a traveling call did ring a bell in my distant memory banks.  There was another one that caused instant recognition too, but I've forgotten already.

[vu72]

Didn't watch it, but wasn't Austin Carr the star of  the game with something like 40 points? I recall his shots not falling but him driving to the hoop a bunch. Is my recollection correct?

[covufan]

Didn't watch it, but wasn't Austin Carr the star of  the game with something like 40 points? I recall his shots not falling but him driving to the hoop a bunch. Is my recollection correct?

What you are remembering is the other end of that streak.  ND beat UCLA in 1971, which was Carr's final season at ND.  He ended up with 46 points that game.  UCLA then went on to win 88 in a row, ending at ND in the above '74 game.