CSNbbs

My Christmas gift to the board! The entire UT game from 1989. This was the first time ETSU beat UT, everyone should check this game out if you have the chance. There is nothing sweeter than watching ETSU beat down UT on their own homecourt.

While Alan Houston was only Freshman in this game it's still fun watching Mister Jennings and Alvin West have their way with him.

Another amazing thing to point out in this game is that during the second half you can clearly tell that Thompson Bowling Arena was nearly full, yet the ETSU fans are SO MUCH louder than the UT fans. I wasn't at this game but for the people that were there did ETSU really have that many fans in attendance? At times it sounds like a home game for ETSU. Really amazing and a fun game to watch.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5



Part 6



Part 7



Part 8

Bucster...once again you prove yourself as my personal hero.


To answer your question...We did take a lot of fans. Not anywhere near the amount that UT had...but a lot of fans. The difference was heart and spirit among our fans. We could taste victory before we ever left Johnson City. But that's how it was in those days.

I forgot to mention thanks to bucfan1968 for providing me the original VHS so I could put this game online. There are sooooo many more good games left that I'll be uploading to YouTube after the new year. I hope everyone is enjoying them.

Awesome!

Indeed many thanks go out to bucsfan 1968

Just watching this again. Chad Keller was a bruiser, it would be great to have that kind of presence inside right about now.

Of the many things that were impressive about that team, watching that footage really brings one thing above all else to the forefront.

Poise.

Those guys had it in abundance. Even more than the Wadood/Fields teams. They had confidence, but not cockiness. Lots of discipline.
We could use a BUCketful more of that (poise) these days.....

Thanks for the memories. As Goldfinger said, one just sort of knew we would win. It would have been *much* more shocking to have lost - that's just the way it was....

Poise, poster, is the perfect word for the Mister era. You are absolutely correct that they were not cocky. Confident and as mentally tough as any team in the nation but certainly not cocky. I think the tri-cities wouldn't have taken to them in the way that they did if they had been cocky. The infamous VMI game is up, thanks to buckster and bucfan1968, in another thread and I distinctly remember watching the Appalachian State/Furman game after the bucs had beaten VMI in one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Our players came out walking toward the exit that led to the team bus (in the Asheville Civic Center to get to the locker rooms the players had to pass by the arena floor) and the bucs were very grateful and extremely complimentary of VMI's players while being mauled and congragulated by a horde of ETSU fans. I specifically remember Micheal Woods saying how tough it was. While that might not seem like a big deal at first thought...you have imagine an entire town being in love with you and several thousand of them traveled to watch your touranment victory and were pouring on a grand display of unending devotion and high praise. Yet rather than becoming drunk in all the exalted glory bestowed on them they remained very humble. Now you might say modern players are humble too...and they are. But it was just different with that team.

The relationship between the area and that team was something that will never happen again. And I wish I could word it in a justified manner that could allow all the newer fans to instantly understand what it was like. But I never seem to be able to jot it down in a satisfactory way. I don't think many universities, even the great universities, have had the privelage of feeling about a team the way the tricities felt about the Mister team.

Another perfect word to describe it would be heart. A word that is probably over used in sports and possibly even considered a little corny after the Rocky series. But I'm a big believer in heart...and that team had it in droves. The heart and chemistry amoung them was so great that I am not exaggerating when I say one truly got the sense that team would had died for each other if it had come down to it. I've never seen that before or since at ETSU...or anywhere else.

(12-25-2009 08:56 AM)Goldfinger Wrote: [ -> ]Poise, poster, is the perfect word for the Mister era. You are absolutely correct that they were not cocky. Confident and as mentally tough as any team in the nation but certainly not cocky. I think the tri-cities wouldn't have taken to them in the way that they did if they had been cocky. The infamous VMI game is up, thanks to buckster and bucfan1968, in another thread and I distinctly remember watching the Appalachian State/Furman game after the bucs had beaten VMI in one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Our players came out walking toward the exit that led to the team bus (in the Asheville Civic Center to get to the locker rooms the players had to pass by the arena floor) and the bucs were very grateful and extremely complimentary of VMI's players while being mauled and congragulated by a horde of ETSU fans. I specifically remember Micheal Woods saying how tough it was. While that might not seem like a big deal at first thought...you have imagine an entire town being in love with you and several thousand of them traveled to watch your touranment victory and were pouring on a grand display of unending devotion and high praise. Yet rather than becoming drunk in all the exalted glory bestowed on them they remained very humble. Now you might say modern players are humble too...and they are. But it was just different with that team.

The relationship between the area and that team was something that will never happen again. And I wish I could word it in a justified manner that could allow all the newer fans to instantly understand what it was like. But I never seem to be able to jot it down in a satisfactory way. I don't think many universities, even the great universities, have had the privelage of feeling about a team the way the tricities felt about the Mister team.

Another perfect word to describe it would be heart. A word that is probably over used in sports and possibly even considered a little corny after the Rocky series. But I'm a big believer in heart...and that team had it in droves. The heart and chemistry amoung them was so great that I am not exaggerating when I say one truly got the sense that team would had died for each other if it had come down to it. I've never seen that before or since at ETSU...or anywhere else.

I think you have described it very well....and that the feelings those teams gave us last to this day. The enjoyment those days brought has lasted decades. I can't believe some of those guys are not working for ETSU.

I can't remember which one..but one of the guys that transfered to ETSU said it was because he watched the Bucs beat Arizona on TV..and he was impressed because they did not go crazy celebrating after the game.. they looked like they were confident and had expected to win..
And several of our guys had said before the game they were confident they could play with Arizona in the tourney because they had played Arizona such a close game on their home court the year before..

If you don't watch any other part of this game..watch the last 30 seconds to see the Mister move to the basket,,,,,

That was a classic Mister move at the end 68, I agree. Good that some of the fans that didn't get to enjoy this special team "live" can get to enjoy them now.

At that time, ETSU basketball was bigger than UT basketball in the Tri-Cities.

Do you still think it is?

ETSU basketball was bigger because we were a top 25 team. UT is now the top 25 team. So ofcourse they are gonna be the bigger draw. Bandwagon fans....

(12-26-2009 11:33 AM)ETSUfan1 Wrote: [ -> ]ETSU basketball was bigger because we were a top 25 team. UT is now the top 25 team. So ofcourse they are gonna be the bigger draw. Bandwagon fans....

We were not a top 25 team during the 89 win against UT. This is why my descriptions of the Mister years always ultimately fail. The love of the Mister years had nothing to do with being in the top twenty five. That was just a perk. The fans came before long before the top 25 ranking.

They weren't a top 25 team during the 89-90 season but I'm pretty positive they got votes for the top 25 the whole year. I think they hovered around the top 30-35 for the whole season.

But yes ETSU basketball was bigger than UT basketball and UT was not a bad team at that time. They weren't a NCAA team but they were a NIT team and they beat Kentucky that season. One example I remember to prove ETSU basketball was bigger is my Uncle (who is a UT grad) would attend UT Football games in the fall and was an all out UT fan during Football season, however once basketball season would come around he would be an ETSU fan and attended ETSU basketball games rather than UT basketball games. I'm sure you'll hear other similar stories of people in this area during the Mister years but I doubt you'll hear anything like that now. As for my Uncle he hasn't been to a ETSU home game since the Chattanooga game in 2004.

it was truly a magical time

(12-25-2009 09:43 PM)bucfan1968 Wrote: [ -> ]If you don't watch any other part of this game..watch the last 30 seconds to see the Mister move to the basket,,,,,

That was a beautiful move by Mister. The Alley-Oop pass to Talford earlier in the second half was a pretty move too.

That was incredible. I love how Jennings put a reverse layup in with :25 on the clock. haha. Amazing how that team morphed into what there is today. That team was oozing confidence, and even on video just had a presence on the court. I'm impressed!