The only success IU has had in the BTT came in 2001 & 2002 when they went to the championship game and the semi-final game. Both times they lost to Iowa.
Another demon to exercise
- Thread starter Harry Hondo
- Start date
Sorry about acting as the word police, but don't you mean exorcise, although I grant that chasing Iowa up and down the floor will involve a lot of exercise?
I will, sorry, I can't help but remember that in one of those it was Recker that beat us
He will always be part of the IU family. Black sheep member, but still a member.
You meant X-orcise!Damn auto correct!
Poor CMD. He really thought Smith was going to come and play in Bloomington. Only coach in America who believed it.
Wasn't he the first player to commit to IU but never played and people said he will always be part of the family?
I don't know if Larry Bird was the first, but he was well before Josh Smith.
I was talking about being the first person the line was said about. Not sure anybody said that about Bird. but you are right. He signed but didn't play for IU.
At least Larry spent a few nights in the dorm. Drives me nuts, I still read crap out there on YouTube where RMK haters think Knight ran him off the team and Bird didn’t want to deal with all the yelling and screaming at practice. Uninformed idiots.
Lets face it when Larry Bird committed I doubt very many people knew who he was and in the midst of 63-1 era? I doubt people gave him much though until 79 and even then how many knew he was coming to IU first?
Not sure that Larry didn't end up better off for himself? I know we wouldn't be the last undefeated champ but you have to admit if ISU won it undefeated in 79 it would have been one hell of an Indiana ,the state, basketball story. Perhaps even movie worthy!
Nope. When he says he needs exercise, he means it but he's still dreaming.
He wouldn't have a chance at this even in her 70's.
Agreed, it worked out just fine for bird. And IU wasn’t too bad during that stretch either. My gripe is how that story is grossly misrepresented by uninformed people in an attempt to blame coach Knight’s coaching style as the sole reason bird left. They aren’t aware that Larry didn’t even last at IU until the first day of practice.
Larry was a fish out of the water at IU....arrived with a couple pairs of jeans..
Small town 'hick from French Lick'...
'What if'...he had stayed?
Wew, Lad!
I remember that. Bohannon's freshman and sophomore years, right?
The IU coaching staff's greatest mistake was pairing this "Hick from French Lick" as a roommate with preppy boy Jim Wisman. No offense to Jim, but if Bird had any deeply seeded insecurity issues, this was probably the worse possible matchup for the situation. Oh, sure, IU "wasn't too bad during that stretch" without him, but think what that stretch would have been with Bird running the show. We'll never know.
Undoubtedly at least one or two more titles. Woodson and Butch Carter would’ve been on those teams, so Larry would’ve had a great supporting cast. Certainly better than what he had at ISU.
When Bird chose to "fly the coop" it proved to be the greatest loss in IU basketball history. I remember when Bird signed on, it wasn't that big of a deal at the time. He was a relatively unknown from a small school, Silver Springs. Knight obviously saw something more than the casual fan. I just wish Bird had delayed his decision a bit longer, a few more official practices and maybe those around him would have appreciated his uncanniness with the ball, his fluidity as if poetry in motion. If so, perhaps greater effort would have been made to retain his services. However, it is my understanding that he just packed his bags and left without any sit-down talk in front of Knight. I bet Coach Knight kicks himself to sleep, thinking how he missed an opportunity to coach such a great one and maybe should have pursued him immediately after he left. I don't believe Knight has ever talked about it openly very much. Larry got a job on a French Lick garbage truck after leaving college, taking a year off from the game and today, it remains part of the lore of Larry Bird, the legend.
Bird explained that he worked for a park department where some of his work included manning a trash truck.
That's what it is called now, in French Lick.
Good call out. It was Valley Springs HS for Larry Bird. I got his school crossed with Steve Green's, Silver Creek.
I think it's been said Larry passed Knight walking , said hello and Knight just kept on walking was about their only interaction. Hindsight and who knows how all of basketball might be different? Bird likely doesn't score like he did at ISU, is in a different draft and likely doesnt end up with the Celtics either
