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Top IU games attended

Cavanagh.13

Senior
Nov 6, 2019
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With fans being allowed back presumably next season, I was reflecting on the best games I have ever been to.

1 a) When we won the big ten outright @UM. I made trey miss the FT, and you can all still send thank you cards.

1 b) painted #5 and my buddy painted # 1 on our chests for earl the pearl as we sat behind the basket for the 05 Duke Acc/big ten challenge. The run we made in the second half, and when Marco dunked the ball to give us the lead..... I’ve never experienced anything like that. To this day when I watch highlights of that run I get chills up and down my body. I have never felt the hall like that, or any environment on earth for that matter. I’d pay half my life savings to experience that feeling again some day.

So what you got?
 
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With fans being allowed back presumably next season, I was reflecting on the best games I have ever been to.

1 a) When we won the big ten outright @UM. I made trey miss the FT, and you can all still send thank you cards.

1 b) painted #5 and my buddy painted # 1 on our chests for earl the pearl as we sat behind the basket for the 05 Duke Acc/big ten challenge. The run we made in the second half, and when Marco dunked the ball to give us the lead..... I’ve never experienced anything like that. To this day when I watch highlights of that run I get chills up and down my body. I have never felt the hall like that, or any environment on earth for that matter. I’d pay half my life savings to experience that feeling again some day.

So what you got?
O2 IU/Duke in Lexington in the sweet 16, craziness. At the time UK had so much hate for Duke there were UK fans buying tickets to root against Duke. 2nd IU/Maryland in 03 the year after the title game. Maryland made a last second half court shot at the end of regulation that would've won it but after review it was waived off and we won in OT. The energy in that stadium that day was crazy.
 
IU-UM overtime game in 76. An amazing game

Senior day for Alford. I think against OSU. Loved the speech where he said something like “Now let’s go root for UM to beat PU” which they did to get us a title. I am sure someone will correct me if my facts are wrong! 😁

I too, was at that Duke game. I agree, I think that was the loudest I had ever heard the Hall. Also the best seats I had ever had for a game.

too many games, too many memories to pick just one!
 
I remember thinking, is this ****er gonna collapse?

I couldn’t even hear my son sitting right next to him. I think it was like standing right next to a jet engine at full throttle with no hearing protection when Marco dunked it to tie the game.
 
My freshman year, had friends down for little 5, also had tickets to a 2 game scrimmages with the Olympic tryouts. First scrimmage ends, teams running off. First team coming out to warm up lead by freshman Steve Alford, on the first bounce, the iu band starts the fight song, everyone jumps up cheering.....until Jordan walked him to the jump circle, then it got louder
 
With fans being allowed back presumably next season, I was reflecting on the best games I have ever been to.

1 a) When we won the big ten outright @UM. I made trey miss the FT, and you can all still send thank you cards.

1 b) painted #5 and my buddy painted # 1 on our chests for earl the pearl as we sat behind the basket for the 05 Duke Acc/big ten challenge. The run we made in the second half, and when Marco dunked the ball to give us the lead..... I’ve never experienced anything like that. To this day when I watch highlights of that run I get chills up and down my body. I have never felt the hall like that, or any environment on earth for that matter. I’d pay half my life savings to experience that feeling again some day.

So what you got?
Haston's 3 to beat MSU
Phin's 3 to beat Butler
vs MSU...it was the game right after all the Sampson stuff came out (the vibe in AH was one of the strangest vibes i've ever experienced)
 
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Idk...IU / OSU for the Big Championship..1980
IU in o.t. !!
Coach Woodson was a monster ..
That was a great game, and it was for something important. Oh, and we won. The Duke game in Bloomington was nice for parts of it, but it also showed what we weren’t anymore.
 
Weird to see an L posted by so many...but I’d also have to say the ‘05 Duke game. Lower main level, somewhere around row 10-15 plus or minus a few. One of the best tickets I ever had. That place had to be visibly shaking from outside. I think Coach K said after the game he had never seen anything like it.

Those games after the Sampson news came out were surreal. Eerie almost. I hated the Sampson hire but got on board and wore the blue button up/red tie to every home game...and then the shoe dropped. I was behind the basket for one of those games. I think it was Wisky after Dakich had taken over. I think I spent more time hollering at Bo Ryan than knowing what to do with cheering us on.
 
Weird to see an L posted by so many...but I’d also have to say the ‘05 Duke game. Lower main level, somewhere around row 10-15 plus or minus a few. One of the best tickets I ever had. That place had to be visibly shaking from outside. I think Coach K said after the game he had never seen anything like it.

Those games after the Sampson news came out were surreal. Eerie almost. I hated the Sampson hire but got on board and wore the blue button up/red tie to every home game...and then the shoe dropped. I was behind the basket for one of those games. I think it was Wisky after Dakich had taken over. I think I spent more time hollering at Bo Ryan than knowing what to do with cheering us on.
did Bo holler back? He was one nasty sumbitch.
 
All as a student.

'89 Michigan game at the Hall. Edwards' shot was so smooth and you knew it was good the moment it left his hand.
'87 Senior Day against OSU as someone mentioned above with Alford saying lets root for UM over PU.
'90 Kentucky because that was my only time seeing that game at the Hall.
'88 beating #2 purdoo. We had bleacher seats right off the floor at the visiting locker room entrance. We were giving Mitchell hell and he started barking like a dog at us. Luckily Garrett had a career game that day, because Mitchell came to play.
 
One of the more interesting games I attended was against Purdue when Bobby threw the chair. It was the first game I’d ever taken my two young daughters to. We sat on row 15, right behind the IU bench. They witnessed their dad standing up and screaming like an idiot; not one of my better dad moments admittedly.

At Rupp against Duke was another dandy. Remember that one Coach Fife? 🤣
 
I will add one the most fun games i have attended over the past thirty years,

2016 vs UNC. The atmosphere was electric with the meeting of these two legendary programs in TAH. UNC had popped IU pretty good in the SS the previous season and both teams were ranked highly.

I think everyone had an extra bourbon or two before the game. Alums Kyle Schwarber was recognized on the floor and Jim Cornelison ripped the roof off with the Natty.

OG played well and the Hoo Hoo Hoosiers won.
 
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O2 IU/Duke in Lexington in the sweet 16, craziness. At the time UK had so much hate for Duke there were UK fans buying tickets to root against Duke. 2nd IU/Maryland in 03 the year after the title game. Maryland made a last second half court shot at the end of regulation that would've won it but after review it was waived off and we won in OT. The energy in that stadium that day was crazy.
Yep was at the game too! This has to be the best game i ever attended. UK fans were rooting against Duke then many stayed (Kent State) to root against us....They have a lot of hatred when there own team doesn't do well.
 
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89 Michigan game when Edwards sank the game winner. Sat behind Dickie V.
and Keith Jackson....Ohhhhh Nellie.....
I was in 2nd to last row lower section. You can't see the other side of the stands past the team bench (I was sitted opposite side of the teams). And you can't see the scoreboard/clock (at least, the old scoreboard before we moved into the 21st century). Every dead ball I would run down the stairs to see how much time was left on the clock. When his shot went in, it was a good 45 seconds of pure pandemonium in the stands, at 120dB+
 
The most memorable game I missed, and could've gone to, was the infamous Purdue "chair throwing" game in '85. I was a student and I gave my balcony ticket to one of my roommates (would rather watch a game on TV than watch from the AH balcony).

The best game I attended had to be the IU/Duke game in the 2002 Sweet 16 at Rupp. Coming back to win from 18 down, at one point in the first half, to the #1 overall team in the tourney that had 3 all-Americans, Boozer, Dunleavy, and Williams. Does it get any better than that?
 
Many to pick from. The ones that come to mind right now-
‘94 blowout of #3 Kansas in Bloomington
‘00 Lynn Washington putback game winner over MSU
‘02 win over Duke in Lexington
‘16 win over UK in Des Moines to get to the Sweet Sixteen
 
I will add one the most fun games i have attended over the past thirty years,

2016 vs UNC. The atmosphere was electric with the meeting of these two legendary programs in TAH. UNC had popped IU pretty good in the SS the previous season and both teams were ranked highly.

I think everyone had an extra bourbon or two before the game. Alums Kyle Schwarber was recognized on the floor and Jim Cornelison ripped the roof off with the Natty.

OG played well and the Hoo Hoo Hoosiers won.
Was there too. Tom Crean’s last hurrah. We just didn’t know it yet...
 
1/31/2007 IU over #2 Wisconsin. Alondo Tucker’s senior year. IU was like 16-5 and ranked #25. For some reason, this obscure game always stands out to me as the balconies were full and it was insanely loud. Does anyone else remember this game?
 
Many to pick from. The ones that come to mind right now-
‘94 blowout of #3 Kansas in Bloomington
‘00 Lynn Washington putback game winner over MSU
‘02 win over Duke in Lexington
‘16 win over UK in Des Moines to get to the Sweet Sixteen
I remember the 94 Kansas game. Alan’s baseline jam over Ostertag. This was after Kansas owning our asses for the past decade.
 
Still, nothing has topped the old Spectrum the day Reagan was shot. Beating Dean to boot. What a night.
The ’76 and ’81 FF games in the Spectrum were a much better atmosphere than the Superdome in ‘87. All three were great, but the SD is a lousy basketball venue.
 
Only games I sat in the stands to watch...just being the building at work doesn't count:

vs OSU for the B1G championship March 80. Sat last row of the north bleachers. Still the loudest I've ever heard the hall for an entire game. It NEVER let up.

vs #2 Kentucky Dec 1980. Almost as loud and as sustained as the OSU game. We were ranked #5 (I think at the time) and the hall was rockin'. It didn't hurt we were sitting the 1st row floor behind the Ky bench. I think we spent the entire game drinking rye whiskey and screaming at Mel Turpin. We lost, but damn that was a game.

Duke, Kansas, a couple Purdue games were close. Probably a few others I'm forgetting, but nothing like the sustained roar that those 2 produced.

I didn't have tickets for some earlier games that might have been close...I've heard the burger game against Iowa got crazier and crazier the closer it got to the end as we were trying to keep them under 50.
 
I was at the IU/KY game during the '70-'71 season when George McGinnis called time out a fraction of a second before John Ritter launched a 70' heave that swished through the nets to win the game except for the wave off by the ref. We went on to lose the game in OT. I was sitting in the end zone (the old field house with saw dust) directly behind Ritter's shot so I could follow the trajectory of the ball all the way in.

I was at the Michigan game in '76, the questionable tip in game where Benson just barely beat the buzzer. It preserved our undefeated season. It was the only time I've sat in the sideline bleacher seats. The game was hard fought the whole way. Steve Grote was one tough SOB at guard for Michigan. I was totally beside myself after the game. I had taken a date who really wasn't into basketball and I had to pay her attention when all I really wanted to do is concentrate on the game and jump for joy afterwards but I had to contain myself because of her.

I was also at the '89 Michigan game when Edwards dropped the bomb and Knight jumped for joy. What made the game extra special was that I attended the game with my uncle who I didn't get to see that often. We had a nice visit on the way down and were both giddy on the way back, both on cloud nine. He was a big IU fan, just like his sister, my mom.

I was at the chair throwing game with my Purdue buddy. He still relishes in telling people he was at that game. It was an ugly one, as all losses to PU are.

I was at Knight's return to AH. Went by myself, bought a scalped ticket for $100 that would have been a decent seat if not for the hideous fart, one of silence, that an unknown fan subjected us all to. It was the worst public display of flatulence I've ever sensed. The thing about it was, no one knew where it came from. I don't know if it was the guy next to me or someone three rows down, it was that bad. The row of coeds sitting behind me probably thought it was me, the old gray hair in the aisle. I still can't believe PU manhandled us that day, but I was there for Bob.

Damn, 3/5 of my most memorable games to attend were losses.
 
I was at the IU/KY game during the '70-'71 season when George McGinnis called time out a fraction of a second before John Ritter launched a 70' heave that swished through the nets to win the game except for the wave off by the ref. We went on to lose the game in OT. I was sitting in the end zone (the old field house with saw dust) directly behind Ritter's shot so I could follow the trajectory of the ball all the way in.

I was at the Michigan game in '76, the questionable tip in game where Benson just barely beat the buzzer. It preserved our undefeated season. It was the only time I've sat in the sideline bleacher seats. The game was hard fought the whole way. Steve Grote was one tough SOB at guard for Michigan. I was totally beside myself after the game. I had taken a date who really wasn't into basketball and I had to pay her attention when all I really wanted to do is concentrate on the game and jump for joy afterwards but I had to contain myself because of her.

I was also at the '89 Michigan game when Edwards dropped the bomb and Knight jumped for joy. What made the game extra special was that I attended the game with my uncle who I didn't get to see that often. We had a nice visit on the way down and were both giddy on the way back, both on cloud nine. He was a big IU fan, just like his sister, my mom.

I was at the chair throwing game with my Purdue buddy. He still relishes in telling people he was at that game. It was an ugly one, as all losses to PU are.

I was at Knight's return to AH. Went by myself, bought a scalped ticket for $100 that would have been a decent seat if not for the hideous fart, one of silence, that an unknown fan subjected us all to. It was the worst public display of flatulence I've ever sensed. The thing about it was, no one knew where it came from. I don't know if it was the guy next to me or someone three rows down, it was that bad. The row of coeds sitting behind me probably thought it was me, the old gray hair in the aisle. I still can't believe PU manhandled us that day, but I was there for Bob.

Damn, 3/5 of my most memorable games to attend were losses.
Good fart story. The coeds for sure thought it was you.
 
I was at the IU/KY game during the '70-'71 season when George McGinnis called time out a fraction of a second before John Ritter launched a 70' heave that swished through the nets to win the game except for the wave off by the ref. We went on to lose the game in OT. I was sitting in the end zone (the old field house with saw dust) directly behind Ritter's shot so I could follow the trajectory of the ball all the way in.

I was at the Michigan game in '76, the questionable tip in game where Benson just barely beat the buzzer. It preserved our undefeated season. It was the only time I've sat in the sideline bleacher seats. The game was hard fought the whole way. Steve Grote was one tough SOB at guard for Michigan. I was totally beside myself after the game. I had taken a date who really wasn't into basketball and I had to pay her attention when all I really wanted to do is concentrate on the game and jump for joy afterwards but I had to contain myself because of her.

I was also at the '89 Michigan game when Edwards dropped the bomb and Knight jumped for joy. What made the game extra special was that I attended the game with my uncle who I didn't get to see that often. We had a nice visit on the way down and were both giddy on the way back, both on cloud nine. He was a big IU fan, just like his sister, my mom.

I was at the chair throwing game with my Purdue buddy. He still relishes in telling people he was at that game. It was an ugly one, as all losses to PU are.

I was at Knight's return to AH. Went by myself, bought a scalped ticket for $100 that would have been a decent seat if not for the hideous fart, one of silence, that an unknown fan subjected us all to. It was the worst public display of flatulence I've ever sensed. The thing about it was, no one knew where it came from. I don't know if it was the guy next to me or someone three rows down, it was that bad. The row of coeds sitting behind me probably thought it was me, the old gray hair in the aisle. I still can't believe PU manhandled us that day, but I was there for Bob.

Damn, 3/5 of my most memorable games to attend were losses.

i was also in that end zone behind the UK basket for the Ritter shot game. (folding chairs 2nd row back from the court on the floor).

more like an 87 footer imo, and as it passed the overhead score board, i thought to myself "that looks pretty good".
 
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i was also in that end zone behind the UK basket for the Ritter shot game. (folding chairs 2nd row back from the court on the floor).

more like an 87 footer imo, and as it passed the overhead score board, i thought to myself "that looks pretty good".
North stands (across from the scorer’s table). One of Big George’s few mistakes in his abbreviated IU career.
 
the 66-67 season is probably my all time favorite, but i can't think of any single game that yr that stands out. (pretty sure i was there every home game that yr).

on the morbid side, i was at the IU/UK regional game Dayton.

the Ritter shot game vs UK was great till the end.

was there for both the Edward's shot games. (Mich and Illinois).

the ND "McDonald's" game was interesting.

the Woodson/OSU game is one of my favs.

the Pan Am team scrimmage at AH was fun, especially getting a sneak peak at Isaiah Thomas.

my all time favorite game attended though, Minn vs IU at the 17th st fieldhouse.

Rayl hits a long buzzer beater to send it to OT.

then another long shot at the buzzer in OT to win it, and points 55 and 56.
 
North stands (across from the scorer’s table). One of Big George’s few mistakes in his abbreviated IU career.

technically was probably the right thing to do at the time.

with everyone focused on Ritter, i wonder if anyone but the ref saw McGinnis call TO.
 
the 66-67 season is probably my all time favorite, but i can't think of any single game that yr that stands out. (pretty sure i was there every home game that yr).

on the morbid side, i was at the IU/UK regional game Dayton.

the Ritter shot game vs UK was great till the end.

was there for both the Edward's shot games. (Mich and Illinois).

the ND "McDonald's" game was interesting.

the Woodson/OSU game is one of my favs.

the Pan Am team scrimmage at AH was fun, especially getting a sneak peak at Isaiah Thomas.

my all time favorite game attended though, Minn vs IU at the 17th st fieldhouse.

Rayl hits a long buzzer beater to send it to OT.

then another long shot at the buzzer in OT to win it, and points 55 and 56.
The McDonald’s game was against Iowa. The ND thrashing (94-29) was before the short-lived McD’s promotion that came a couple of years later. The UK game in the UD Arena was awful. The UM game there in ‘81 was the polar opposite.
 
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