The NCAA will crown a basketball champion on Monday as it celebrates the 75th anniversary of the grand event. But there are many other noteworthy anniversaries that will be acknowledged before the winning team cuts down the nets in one final shining moment.
It has been twenty years since Chris Webber called the infamous time out, a time out that the Wolverines didn’t have as the clock ticked down against North Carolina, and that call took away a final shot from Michigan’s Fab Five. It was one last possession that could have given that group a landmark victory. It still pains Webber to the point that symbolically he refuses to recognize the moment and in the words of his former Michigan teammate Jalen Rose, “he is trying to disassociate himself from it”. And isn’t it an eerie coincidence that Michigan, on the 20th anniversary of Webber’s blunder will play for a title?
The most famous tribute on this night will come from those fondly remembering the late Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State Wolfpack squad defeating the high flying University of Houston Cougars and Phi Slamma Jamma in the title game in Albuquerque. Jimmy V’s crew came out of nowhere as they were bordering on disaster and elimination the entire month. They had to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and make some miraculous comebacks not only in the ACC tourney but in the early rounds of the NCAA’s big dance as well. It was Valvano that coined the well-known phrase, ‘Survive and Advance.’
There is a connection to the Toronto Raptors as well. It was 35 years ago, in 1978, that a self-described “country kid” from Kentucky, Dwane Casey, suited up for the Wildcats in the title game against the Duke Blue Devils.
“It was a packed house at the open practice (before the final four semi-final) and we couldn’t make a shot,” reminisced Casey with a smile. “We ended up having one of the toughest practices of the year just to get used to it all.”
There was pressure during that game for the Kentucky players. After all, we’re talking “Big Blue Nation” here. It’s not good enough to just get to the Dance, you have to be the last one on the floor when the music stops. It’s year-in, year-out pressure on the Wildcats program and Casey says it has helped him in his basketball journey.
“You have to work at that level every day, in practice thinking nothing less than championship,” remarked Casey. “As a young kid at Kentucky, I didn’t think anything different. We went full tilt every day to help prepare us.”
A couple of things stand out as the Raptor head coach looks back at the title game. Duke would not go away and gave the number one ranked Wildcats a difficult battle. In particular, Casey remembers the performance of one of Kentucky’s leaders that night. Jack “Goose” Givens had a memorable 41 point outing in the Wildcat victory. The Blue Devils played a tough 2-3 zone and fortunately Kentucky had been prepared by getting past Michigan State in the regional final. Yes the Spartans played a match up zone and it served to give Kentucky a preview of what they would see in the championship game. Michigan State also had a freshman named Magic Johnson who would make history the next season but on the way to its title, they served to help prepare Kentucky.
“Jack was the only guy that night that could make a bucket,” said Casey shaking his head. “We kept flashing Jack into the middle of the lane, in the dead area of the zone and he just kept making shots.”
Excitement after a win, from most programs yes, but in Kentucky because it’s expected, the celebration seemed to be a bit tempered. The old adage that there is no winning or losing but only relief or misery held true for head coach Joe B. Hall and some of the players.
“When I think back to it now as an older more mature person, we were happy and excited, but it was more of a relief” said Casey. “It was a lot of fun, but I can just imagine the relief coach Hall had following the win because he had followed coach (Adolph) Rupp in there. The pressure was on him to win.”
Reminiscing, especially about winning is always great. Casey and the rest of the Wildcats try to get together every five years to relive past glory. It’s sometimes difficult for him with his NBA commitments but he does his best to get there and share the moment with his former teammates. The mention of a title still brings acknowledging nods and a smile to Casey’s face.
It’s been a tough week for the NCAA in light the Rutgers situation. But can we put it all aside for just a few hours tonight and just focus on the kids and the game? Tonight’s contest may provide some memorable moments that we look back at years down the road but even if we don’t, you can rest assured neither team will never forget this night. And who knows, something may happen to help us remember it as well.