Still can't believe it's been 25 years since Hank Gathers passed away
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...sary-death

I never will forget that NCAA tourney run they had. Especially the game with Michigan which to this day may be the most amazing game I have ever seen.

(03-04-2015 12:20 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Still can't believe it's been 25 years since Hank Gathers passed away
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...sary-death

I never will forget that NCAA tourney run they had. Especially the game with Michigan which to this day may be the most amazing game I have ever seen.

I had never heard of Hank as I was 10 at the time, so thanks for posting this. RIP Hank Gathers.

the team he was on had a style that was just remarkable. Think VCU of today on warp speed.

I'll never forget that, or pulling for Loyola Marymount in their games following the loss of Hank.

Yes, definitely reminds me how old I've gotten. Doesn't seem like a 1/4 century.

That LMU team made showtime look like slowtime. I remember watching several games from that season before Hank died. Hard to believe its been this long. The NBA in early to mid 90s was amazing but imagine how it would have been if we had not lost Hank, Len, and Drazen.

(03-05-2015 11:11 AM)sundodger Wrote:  That LMU team made showtime look like slowtime. I remember watching several games from that season before Hank died. Hard to believe its been this long. The NBA in early to mid 90s was amazing but imagine how it would have been if we had not lost Hank, Len, and Drazen.

yeah, and really you could add if Magic hadn't gotten HIV and Bird's back not been quite so balky.

(03-05-2015 09:05 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  Yes, definitely reminds me how old I've gotten. Doesn't seem like a 1/4 century.

No it sure doesn't.

The 1986 death of Len Bias -- the Maryland MBB star who had just been drafted (#1 overall pick) by the Celtics a few days earlier -- has stayed with me, too. Just terrible.

That LMU team was fun to watch, and the NCAA Tourney Run was amazing.

Interesting tidbit from Wikipedia:

He collapsed a yard or two away from Pilots point guard Erik Spoelstra. He attempted to get up, telling the trainers, "I don't want to lay down!", then shortly after stopped breathing.[20] Gathers died soon thereafter at a nearby hospital at 6:55PM PST. [21] He was 23 years old.


Video of it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcD5XUXfr1Y

The Run:

#11 LMU defeated #6 NMSU 111-92
#11 LMU defeated #3 Michigan 149-115
#11 LMU defeated #7 Alabama 62-60
#1 UNLV defeated #11 LMU 131-101


UNLV won the title that year

(03-05-2015 01:08 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  The Run:

#11 LMU defeated #6 NMSU 111-92
#11 LMU defeated #3 Michigan 149-115
#11 LMU defeated #7 Alabama 62-60
#1 UNLV defeated #11 LMU 131-101


UNLV won the title that year

I can still remember that New Mexico State game, it was an 11:30-tip on a Friday Night. CBS carried the game, in that era CBS only carried 2 of the 1st Round games (Thursday & Friday late-night games from the west coast).

New Mexico State was good, they were a legit #6 seed. They beat the eventual national champions UNLV in the regular season.

Anyway, LMU and Bo Kimble got off to a rough start. NMSU led by 5 late in the 1st half, and Kimble picked up his fourth (!!!) foul with about 4:00 to go before halftime. Kimble only had 10 points at that time.

Despite the 4 fouls, Westhead kept Kimble in --- permanently. LMU literally went crazy to start the 2nd half, went on something like a 32-6 run. Kimble wound up scoring 45 (!!!) points for the game, and he never did foul out! The iconic moment of Kimble hitting the free throw left-handed occurred midway through the 2nd half.

It's bizarre when you look back, the little things. If Westhead had not kept Kimble in the game, or had Kimble picked up a 5th foul ---- there is no LMU NCAA run, there is no left-handed free throw, there is no U-M game and Jeff Fryer hitting all those threes.