March 19, 1966

I know. A couple of pics are from the Kentucky POV. Pictures of the game are actually pretty hard to find. Color photos are even more rare, so that's why I included them. And I hope they're not stills from Glory Road.

didnt they have ladders back then to cut nets???

Great memories! It was soooo exciting!

Time to go get another one pretty soon. How about no later than 2016, the 50th anniversary.

Someday, Hollywood could make a great movie out of that game and that season.

All of college basketball and every college basketball fan owes a debt of gratitude to Haskins and that team.

Interesting to compare how the season ended around March 19 in that era and this year it ends on April 8.

(03-19-2013 10:25 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  Interesting to compare how the season ended around March 19 in that era and this year it ends on April 8.

Yep, tv wants more games to televise and schools want more revenue so seasons get longer and the tournament is bigger.

Wouldn't be surprised to see football schedules upped to 13 instead of 12 soon.

Remember it well, Willie Cager, Big Daddy Lattin. Those were the days.

(03-19-2013 10:29 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Yep, tv wants more games to televise and schools want more revenue so seasons get longer and the tournament is bigger.

The whole thing has just gotten slightly too gross for me. I haven't completely tuned out of college sports, but I don't pay nearly as much attention as I used to. The endless seasons, and the way the media creates and destroys conferences based on Nielsen ratings and "market size", is like a junior version of the NFL -- boring, cynical, greedy and violent.

Quote:Wouldn't be surprised to see football schedules upped to 13 instead of 12 soon.

That decision will be made by the same people who (of course) have always opposed a bona fide championship playoff because it would cut into the precious "class time" for the "student athletes".

(03-19-2013 10:25 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  Interesting to compare how the season ended around March 19 in that era and this year it ends on April 8.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. There were also only 22 teams in that tournament.

You know, we fans give the selection committee a lot of guff. Sometimes rightfully so. But, even that has come a long way. Texas Western entered the tournament 23-1 and ranked #3 in the country and we still had to play what amounted to a play-in game. Imagine Kansas having to play Middle Tennessee in Dayton tonight.

Nice!!!!

(03-19-2013 10:39 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  Remember it well, Willie Cager, Big Daddy Lattin. Those were the days.

They recently honored Big Daddy Lattin at a recent Miner home game. Man has he aged really well. He looked great.

Here's Sports Illustrated from March 28, 1966. "Go-Go with Bobby Joe"

It contains my favorite story of the week. I'm going to guess you won't see a coach do this any more:

"Haskins also was mad at the officials, and at his players as well. His head still hurt. He did pause to kiss his wife at the motel but then went off with Cornwall to have a few beers in his room. Suddenly, from the parking lot, there were loud, raucous noises that turned out to belong to some University of Maryland students with a few beers of their own. They were carousing aimlessly, but Haskins, worried that they would keep his players awake, invited them in. And then, through the early morning hours of the day he was to become coach of the national champions, Haskins sat and drank beer and made small talk with half a dozen strange kids. They liked him and listened to him, and when they left he gave them a few beers to take out. They went quietly, the Miners slept, and Haskins leaned back with a last beer and a thought. "Once in a life-time," he said. "You know, this is once in a lifetime." It was pointed out that Haskins was young and would have another team in the championship. "No," he said. "No chance. Mr. Rupp is 64, and he made it a lot of times, but it's probably going to be just once in a lifetime for me.""

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/a.../index.htm

My most valuable family treasue (imo) is the 1966 Sports Illustrated that we got Haskins, Bobby Joe, Shed, Cager, Flournoy, Orsten Artis and Lattin to autograph.