Bonger, how did DePaul ’78 vs UCLA ’74 play out?
by fortune_smith (2020-05-29 05:19:19)
Edited on 2020-05-29 05:20:03

I don’t recall seeing a final vote tally.

Thank you for creating and orchestrating the event. It rekindled many tremendous memories!



Sorry, been meaning to pen the article
by El Kabong  (2020-05-29 13:18:18)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

UCLA 74 won in a landslide.


Might take a national title victory to beat UCLA '74 *
by fortune_smith  (2020-05-29 17:07:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Beating UK in '15 might've topped it...
by Scoop80  (2020-05-29 23:33:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Had JG made his final shot then, it likely would've put the Iceman 2d.


With all due respect: No. *
by Rosecrea  (2020-05-30 20:02:10)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I couldn't disagree more
by El Kabong  (2020-05-31 08:59:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

A last-second shot to get to a Final Four versus a last-second shot that ended some other team's win streak?

Not even close, it's the former.

The latter is as Boston College as you can get.


Especially when that team had a 37 game win streak,
by tdiddy07  (2020-06-05 10:16:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

(tied for 9th all time--only UNLV's against weak competition was longer after UCLA's streak), had not lost the entire year, and was national runner-up the year prior.


If it was some random 40-50 game win streak, I would likely
by Rosecrea  (2020-06-01 12:13:33)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

agree with you. it wasn't. it was, at the time, the longest win streak in college sports history and still the longest winning streak in men's CBB history. Against a hated opponent who was, by the way, the greatest dynasty in men's college sports history. None of which, of course,I need to remind you. Crap! You wrote a whole book on this stuff!

I also would,obviously, agree, if it was an NCAA Championship win or, maybe even, a win to go the the Championship game. But, to go to a Final Four? I don't see it. Without an NCAA Championship win, I don't see any win as eclipsing UCLA.

I'm clearly biased because I was at the 1974 UCLA game. But, I was also at the 1978 DePaul game in a half empty Allen Field House to go the Final Four and it wasn't really anywhere near as big as UCLA (maybe in part because we assumed it would be the first of may Final Fours, wasn't at home, vs. DePaul, yada, yad, yada).

Just one man's opinion.


I could not agree more
by Jvan  (2020-06-06 21:34:17)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Bonger is out to lunch on this one.


You always were a wise man, like Carnac the Maginificent! *
by Rosecrea  (2020-06-08 17:43:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I understand your opinion
by Ajax  (2020-05-31 14:59:38)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

But I don't agree with it. UCLA was certainly the most iconic program then. The last team to beat them was ND. ND was not even 2 years removed from a 6-20 season. They had lost their last 4 games to UCLA by 128 points. The 88 game winning streak was revered and the way ND won the game was beyond epic for a program that had never made a final 4.

This was a big deal and it was the start of the golden era of ND basketball with great regular season wins and crushing NCAAT losses. Unless ND wins a national championship game, this is the signature win in the history of the program. Now with said, had ND beat an undefeated UK team to advance to the final 4 it would have rivaled the UCLA game. Here's the deal, had ND beat UK and then lost to Wisconsin or Duke it would have been like the 1980 USA hockey team losing to Finland.

I cringe at those who see this close loss to UK as comparable to the UCLA win.

Back in 1974 and still now, there is nothing BCish about the iconic UCLA comeback win, especially since we will NEVER see a college team with a winning streak that sniffs 88 games.


It was the dominance of UCLA during the streak
by SixShutouts66  (2020-06-02 14:47:47)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

If my memory is correct UCLA regularly won their games by 20+ points, and only Oregon and ND believed they had a chance.

I also believe UCLA's consecutive tournament record is somewhat tainted by the fact that most of the times there were only 16 teams, and the brackets were truly geographic, giving them nearly a free pass to the FF4.


I recall only one team per league for the tournament.
by MobileIrish  (2020-06-03 12:54:28)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The ACC (and others) had excellent teams that could not qualify for the NCAA tournament.


There is no doubt it was a different era
by Ajax  (2020-06-03 13:45:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

and a much easier path to the NC. There were great ACC teams left out in the 70's before the tourney expanded.

The smaller field is what makes ND's loss to Michigan nauseating as that ND team would have had Marquette and Kansas standing in the way of a NC game with NC State.


There's a display in the basketball HOF in Springield
by 84david  (2020-06-01 13:28:31)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

MA all about ND snapping the UCLA win streak. It's that big of a deal historically.

Beating UK would have been great and one of the top moments, but we wouldn't get a section in the hall of fame about it.


We're not the reason it's there, though
by El Kabong  (2020-06-01 14:46:59)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

UCLA, and what they accomplished over three seasons, is the reason it's there.

The game against UK is the highest-rated college basketball game ever. If ND had won it, it would have been something they did.


Where are you seeing those ratings about ND-UK? *
by Giggity_Giggity  (2020-06-04 22:44:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


FWIW (link)
by Ajax  (2020-06-04 23:31:51)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Ah, on cable. I was confused. Thanks. *
by Giggity_Giggity  (2020-06-04 23:34:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


The 88 game win streak was sandwiched
by Ajax  (2020-06-01 17:28:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

between 2 losses to ND.

So in a 109 game span, UCLA had 107 wins and 2 losses to ND.

Yes, the streak is about the success of UCLA but ND was the team stopped it. The way they did it was also remarkable in the age of no shot clock or three point line versus a juggernaut team led by Walton and Wilkes. It was an all time historic CBB game regardless that it was regular season.

ND was not the team that knocked the mighty UK off their undefeated mantle, it was Wisconsin in a FINAL 4 GAME and Wisconsin ended up losing to Duke (their Finland).

The only way ND or Wisconsin ends up in the CBB HOF for beating UK is by winning the NC. In the case of ND it would have required beating 2 more excellent teams.

Curious is there an exhibit in the CBB HOF for Duke beating an undefeated UNLV team on the way to their first NC under K? There should be. Had Duke lost the NC game to Kansas, would there be? IMO, it's quite possible no.

Also, is there an exhibit in the CBB HOF for Duke beating UK the following season in what many consider the greatest CBB game ever?

Like I said, I understand your point it was more about UCLA than ND, but this game was not close to being BCish.

BTW- you know what NCAAT game should have an exhibit? Virginia losing as the 1 seed vs UMBC. In terms of an all time upset, that blows away the upset that could have been versus UK.

The UK game was there for the taking, but it was a (border line choke job) loss and to this point the greatest game in the 20 year Mike Brey era was a loss. Honestly I get tired hearing about the close UK loss by the best team Brey has had at ND and will ever have. I would prefer to remember that team for the ACC title or the way they stomped on a media favored Wichita State team.

At least with NCAAT choker Digger, his greatest game as ND HC was a win.


Maybe .... epic ending over unbeaten (and loathed) UK
by fortune_smith  (2020-05-30 05:26:29)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

would be quite a powerful combination .... though that team would have had a good chance to register even more significant wins the following weekend .... really could have cut the nets down at about 1130 pm on the Monday evening.

I was there that night down low at the end where JG missed. Without doubt it would have been my most epic in-person sporting event to date, ND or otherwise. And it would have been one of the greatest moments in NCAA tournament history. An absolutely incredible game even though it didn’t go our way.

The UCLA game, however — there are so many elements that make it such a timeless classic: the 88-game streak, Wooden, Walton, young Digger and a rising program, the fight-back from 70-59 and the flurry of missed UCLA shots at the end. Really, really tough to beat.