D2 championship
- Thread starter ams66
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I've gotten to know a guy pretty well that played low D1 in the 90s. Friend of a friend type of thing, but I've heard some crazy stories. He played a game in a Marriott ballroom after the gym of their opponent's gym sustained storm damage. Claims he played in front of more people in HS during a single year than his entire 4 in D1 combined.
Watch some of those preseason tournaments and you'll see 500 people in the seats. It's not just D-II
Watch some of those preseason tournaments and you'll see 500 people in the seats. It's not just D-II
At least you can travel to Indy relatively easily and cheaply. Even with the interstates, Evansville is a rough venue. I'm assuming the flight options aren't the best either.
A lot of D2 championship winning coaches have won multiple championships. Once they get the formula right, they dominate.
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I think they announcers mentioned the D2 final will start be played during Final Four weekend at the same location. does that mean a Sunday timeslot? Of course maybe I was hearing things and got this wrong. Don't know where Elite 8 games and FF will be played going forward.
Growing ip in Eville which held the D2 tournament yearly, I remember our 7th and 8th grade basketball team would get to attend the day of the D2 quarters in the early 70's. One of the perks we got for being on the team. Get to leave school for a day for 4 elite 8 D2 tourney games. In 1972, my 8th grade year, George Gervin the iceman played for Eastern michgan. They got upset and Iceman punched somebody out on the other team. The other team with the punchee was Roanoke and they eventually won the title. Gervin and Eastern Michigan had knocked out both Ky. Wesleyan and Evansville in regional the week before. Gervin was suspended for a year and left college for the ABA.
Growing ip in Eville which held the D2 tournament yearly, I remember our 7th and 8th grade basketball team would get to attend the day of the D2 quarters in the early 70's. One of the perks we got for being on the team. Get to leave school for a day for 4 elite 8 D2 tourney games. In 1972, my 8th grade year, George Gervin the iceman played for Eastern michgan. They got upset and Iceman punched somebody out on the other team. The other team with the punchee was Roanoke and they eventually won the title. Gervin and Eastern Michigan had knocked out both Ky. Wesleyan and Evansville in regional the week before. Gervin was suspended for a year and left college for the ABA.
A trip to Evansville by fans, even diehards, might be a hard sell if you are coming from West Palm or from California
We kicked the goats off the runway and tuned up the DC3 to get ready for this tournament. INDOT has screwed up every state highway in and around the city, but this isn't Hooterville.
My son has held several positions for this tournament from PA Announcer to being in charge of Media interviews and pressers. The Ford Center was packed when USI played for the title a few years back.
Wasn't disparaging Evansville Bud. Just not easy to get to without connections and/or a long drive from Indy or Lville.
Sorry you took it that way.
Louisville is not that long of a drive. When i go back to Eville, I usually fly to STL or Nashville and rent a car. Direct flights and the drive is better than changing flights.
You get your wish. This is the last year the DII Elite 8 will be in Evansville with no DII school to host. We will still host the OVC tournament. We've hosted it even before USI went D1 and joined the league. Must not be too much of a shithole to host two tournaments.
Funny that the location is one of the reasons the OVC picked the Ford Center several years ago for the OVC Tournament. Maybe some
Again Bud, wasn't calling it a shithole. Just saying it's hard to get to from outsude that general area of the Midwest.
D2 used to be a lot different when Evansville, ISU SIU, Butler, etc were D2. The 64 UE was arguably the best team in the country. UCLA with Goodrich and Hazzard won the D1 championship. The 64 team had Sloan, Humes, and Buster Briley. I know they beat Purdue and other D1 teams that season.
I have seen great D2 finals and a couple pre regional NCAA tourney games in Roberts so good memories.
Sorry it was the 65 team that beat KY that was arguably the best in the country.
Sloan was mvp of final four over Walt Frazier.
In '64 beside beating Purdue, they also knocked off Arizona. In 1965, they beat D1 foes (called University at the time) UMass, George Washington, LSU, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Iowa. The same Iowa team they gave UCLA 1 of their 2 losses that year. UE went on to beat Walt Frazier's SIU team 3x that season by a combined 5 points on their way to an undefeated College Division repeat championship.
