Just finished the UNLV Temple game.
Anthony Todd forever immortalized with that clutch shot.
Augmon wearing #30 and he was starting at the guard position.
Marc Macon getting open with various picks.
Temple playing a very methodical half court game and not running with us.
That 88 Squad lost a lot of firepower from the previous year.
That squad “wasn’t that good”.
I think they beat Spoon (SWMS) in the first round and then lost to a mediocre Iowa squad in the second round (not near the Iowa of the year before, just like UNLV).
The team just lacked a little oomph. I don’t think Basnight was the type that could carry a team and they weren’t strong low with Todd and Robinson and Willard. For a team with a little size, a couple of the bigs were bonafide stiffs (Robinson and Willard specifically). And remember, they (Bas, Todd and Robinson), along with Paddio and Rossum, were seniors, so it was a team with experience. Boobie James at PG (frosh) could drive you absolutely insane with his decisions but he had some guts, more guts than brains sometimes.
That roster is a LOOOOONG time ago, but in 87 they graduated 6 seniors and I believe the above mentioned seniors were in addition to Keith James, perhaps, for 5 more seniors in 88? Graduating 11 seniors in two years? Wish we could see those days again, huh?
I could be wrong with the number of seniors in 88 … but the premise still stands. A “crappy” Tark team would pulverize anything we’ve seen since Tark. Even though nearly every one of the six loss was damn close and they were swept by UCSB and even beaten by Irvine, they were top 10 for a portion of the year and climbed to #2, I think. They did, however, win a bunch of one possession/2 possession games, even in conference. But seriously, they just didn’t have that factor, they were missing punch. I do think Paddio got hurt and he was the top guy.
Then, of course, we add Hunt and Anthony, Butler and Scurry, James Jones … and an inexperienced team (by team experience) makes the S16 and ousts Arizona.
Then a dash of LJ gives you a natty the following year.
It was an unbelievable stretch. I’d love to be that crappy again.