75 Years of March Madness

KL31NY · February 09, 2013, 11:48:47 AM

Keep an eye on CBS and your local listings. "The Shot" may be coming to a TV near you soon...

As I'm typing, CBS is airing a "Top 10 Coaches" show under the "75 Years of March Madness" series. Next Saturday, CBS will show "Top 10 Improbable Heroes. Next Sunday, "Top 10 Buzzer Beaters." I'd hope we see Valpo and some other shows in this series beyond next week...

Also, since this series is part of the NCAA's 75th anniversary celebration where the top 15 players, one team, one moment will be honored at this year's Final Four, here's another reminder to vote for Valpo and Bryce Drew: http://www.ncaa.com/75-moments

KL31NY · February 17, 2013, 11:46:17 AM

#4!!!

No love for chef though

valpotx · February 17, 2013, 05:53:49 PM

Sounds about right, congrats to us again 15 years ago

chef · February 17, 2013, 10:56:33 PM

It was a CBS show. I knew going in it was going to be the CBS (TV) call. The radio call always make an appearance on ESPN around tournament time.

sliman · February 18, 2013, 11:10:06 AM

Of course, it was Bill Rogers' comments that made Chef's call so popular.

KL31NY · February 22, 2013, 01:39:01 PM

ESPN's come out with its own Top 75 Tournament List: http://espn.go.com/ncb/feature/video/_/page/Top75moments/ncaa-75-college-basketball

We land at #21 on the list and even get a mention in the intro for our "hook and ladder" play

QuoteThe words are a bit over the top, the music somewhat melodramatic, but there is a reason the saccharine-sweet strains of "One Shining Moment" still resonate at each NCAA tournament. The tournament is all about moments, incredible and awe-inspiring, seemingly impossible and equally unpredictable. The buzzer-beaters make March mad, the emotions make it last.

To pick the best ever is almost as difficult as sinking Ali Farokhmanesh's dagger or Bryce Drew's hook-and-ladder, but you know the best when you see them. They are the moments that last. That shine, if you will. -- Dana O'Neil

valpotx · February 22, 2013, 02:45:25 PM

I guess if they are just talking about general moments, then I can understand being below some of the others. But really, Norfolk State and Lehigh winning as 15 seeds? Whoopeeeeeee!

KL31NY · February 23, 2013, 05:28:11 PM

Anyone else remember Ali Farokhmanesh and his big 3-pointer that helped UNI upset Kansas a few years back? Here's a story about Ali that includes Bryce Drew as some of Ali's inspiration: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21714697/unlikely-moments-from-unlikely-stars-are-what-make-march-madness

vuweathernerd · February 24, 2013, 12:46:12 AM

Quote from: KL31NY on February 23, 2013, 05:28:11 PM
Anyone else remember Ali Farokhmanesh and his big 3-pointer that helped UNI upset Kansas a few years back? Here's a story about Ali that includes Bryce Drew as some of Ali's inspiration: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21714697/unlikely-moments-from-unlikely-stars-are-what-make-march-madness

Yes. And it was awesome.

LaPorteAveApostle · February 24, 2013, 07:11:57 AM

Aside from making me feel old, that kids grew up pretending to be B-Drew, that's really really awesome.

That is one of the few shots -- not from a team I cared about -- that I remember right where I was when it took place.

Smj · February 24, 2013, 07:41:04 AM

Definitely remember where I was for "the shot"...
Skipping work at a local bar called the "Brat Stop" with my dad and a Co-worker. I even remember the booth we were in. (actually I was jumping around like a fool so it was more like the booth we were "by".)

talksalot · February 24, 2013, 10:15:34 AM

I was in the aisle, Row 8 at the Pyramid... standing right next to the photographer who took THE picture that became the Poster. His view was my view... I ran down the aisle to high fives from Carl Hensley and Bill Rogers...

Smj · February 24, 2013, 10:39:12 AM

Quote from: talksalot on February 24, 2013, 10:15:34 AM
I was in the aisle, Row 8 at the Pyramid... standing right next to the photographer who took THE picture that became the Poster. His view was my view... I ran down the aisle to high fives from Carl Hensley and Bill Rogers...

Fine.... You win.

LaPorteAveApostle · February 24, 2013, 12:17:05 PM

I would hope anyone on this site over 21 could remember.

But do you remember where you were for Ali Farokhmanesh?

KL31NY · February 24, 2013, 12:29:06 PM

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 24, 2013, 12:17:05 PM
I would hope anyone on this site over 21 could remember.

But do you remember where you were for Ali Farokhmanesh?

Watched the game in Brandt, still remember jumping up and down after that shot and when Jake Koch took a charge on the very next play.

LaPorteAveApostle · February 24, 2013, 12:32:09 PM

Quote from: KL31NY on February 24, 2013, 12:29:06 PMJake Koch took a charge on the very next play.

Shut it down folks, we have a winner!

vuweathernerd · February 24, 2013, 03:14:11 PM

Quote from: LaPorteAveApostle on February 24, 2013, 12:17:05 PM
I would hope anyone on this site over 21 could remember.

But do you remember where you were for Ali Farokhmanesh?

Sitting at wings etc warming up with a tanker and friends after putting up wind screens on the tennis courts and freezing our butts off. The place pretty much erupted when that shot went down.

LaPorteAveApostle · February 24, 2013, 05:34:16 PM

Quote from: vuweathernerd on February 24, 2013, 03:14:11 PMThe place pretty much erupted when that shot went down.

And isn't that what's great about the NCAA is that no one in your bar, nor mine, was rooting for Kansas, even though I'm certain there were no UNI alums in either?

We're going to the Dance, and people are going to root for us again.

vuweathernerd · February 24, 2013, 05:47:18 PM

i make it a point of rooting against kansas in everything they do. so you won't get no complaints from me.

vu72 · February 24, 2013, 07:39:11 PM

OK, back the "the shot", I was in Puerto Vallarta, with my family and my daughter's then boy friend now husband. I had been following the tourney as best you could back then, searching daily for a copy of USA Today. So it comes time for the game and we go into a full court press to find a sports bar (not easy in '98 in Mexico). We find one and tell the bar keeper (my son-in-law speaks spanish) what we are looking for. He get it on but the network in covering other stuff. I go into panic mode as the time moves by. We get only the main CBS feed so they are going back and forth to other games.

Finally, they focus on the Valpo game--its pretty late. Tension builds as we are still in the game for the first time ever. They go to other games as they finish and then back to the Valpo game. We are now focused on the last seconds, all (three of us) the other people in the bar could have cared less, as we lean against the bar to watch the game on a maybe 24" tube. WE WIN!! I go nuts, offering to buy everyone in the bar a beer! Fortunately, it wasn't all that crowded and some of the folks there just thought I was crazy so kinda backed away. It cost me maybe $25 bucks or so and, well, there was some additonal drinking that followed...

chef · February 24, 2013, 11:39:25 PM

My favorite "where you were" story comes from Jim Hooper. Jim was an 8th grader at a small private Lutheran school in San Diego. Almost everybody from his family had gone to Valpo. At the time, his sister was a Valpo women's manager. He convinced the teacher she had to turn on CBS to keep track of the Valpo game. When they switched over for the end of the game, Jim had the whole class watching. When Bryce made the shot, Jim took off right down the hallway screaming in joy. He ran into the room where his mom was teaching...and screamed "we won, we won"...Then he headed back to his class room where everybody else was still celebrating.

chef · February 24, 2013, 11:43:52 PM

Oh, and I also was screaming when Bryce made the shot....something like "Valpo wins, Valpo wins, Valpo wins, Bryce Drew hits a 3 and the Crusaders have moved into the second round." Within a few seconds I exchanged hugs from four people, Bill Rogers, Rob Behrend, Dick Harlan and Bill Steinbrecher.

sliman · February 25, 2013, 11:28:57 AM

I was among the group in Neils Science Center watching on the "big screen" when Bryce hit the shot. And I immediately began looking for someone to hug. Alas, it didn't happen. Fortunately I had someone with whom I could celebrate the Florida State win.

agibson · February 25, 2013, 01:03:40 PM

I... honestly have no memory of watching the game. It was a Friday afternoon? Maybe I had class? Were classes back in session yet?

So, for that tourney run, I was a bit of a bandwagoner. I played with the pep band quite a bit - so I suspect I was at a good number of games that season. The year before for sure. But, I've paid a lot more attention to the basketball as an alum than I did as a student.

I did make the drive down to St. Louis for the Sweet Sixteen - and remember well the rally (rallies?) outside the ARC, etc.

covufan · February 25, 2013, 04:36:15 PM

For "The Shot" I was in a bar in Bloomington, IN with a few other VU grads. As we were watching the final seconds, John Laskowski walks in and asks about which game we were watching. He didn't need to ask which team we were rooting for! Our hands hurt from doing high fives. Went to St. Louis to scalp tickets the next week. I think I saw a baseball cap the next year with "Elite Nine" embroidered on the back.