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Hey guys I was doing some digging down in the garage and found an old T-shirt from the Arby's Hardwood Classic. I want to see the shirt was from maybe around 96-ish but I'm not sure. I remember a few of these when I was younger that I want to say included UAB, Auburn, Alabama (not so sure), and someone else. Do you guys remember or know what happened to this set up?

(03-22-2013 09:18 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  Hey guys I was doing some digging down in the garage and found an old T-shirt from the Arby's Hardwood Classic. I want to see the shirt was from maybe around 96-ish but I'm not sure. I remember a few of these when I was younger that I want to say included UAB, Auburn, Alabama (not so sure), and someone else. Do you guys remember or know what happened to this set up?

Auburn played us in the first game and UAT played Tulane in the second. We stayed as did the Auburn fans and made the place rock for the Green Wave and their star Dammitjerald, who won by one or two when UAT had one of those vastly-overrated teams loaded with five-star recruits. This greatly upset Mark Gottfried, who had not yet discovered the soothing motions of a golf course washing machine, and he vowed to never play in such a setup again.

Event actually started during Murray's tenure as coach.

First one was in 1997 and UAB beat Auburn in it.

I know that in the second one Auburn was unbeaten and played UAB (and we lost), Alabama played South Alabama.

There was also a women's side to the event that Auburn, Alabama, and UAB participated in.

There was also a year in which a ranked Auburn team lost to Virginia, and UAB, led by 32 points from an unknown freshman named Mo Finley beat Jerry tarkanian in a thrilling overtime game.

I think the last one was a double header with Alabama and Auburn and UaB was not invited. It went to hell after that, and Beef N Cheddars have sucked ever since.

(03-22-2013 10:08 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  There was also a year in which a ranked Auburn team lost to Virginia, and UAB, led by 32 points from an unknown freshman named Mo Finley beat Jerry tarkanian in a thrilling overtime game.

I think the last one was a double header with Alabama and Auburn and UaB was not invited. It went to hell after that, and Beef N Cheddars have sucked ever since.

(03-22-2013 10:08 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  There was also a year in which a ranked Auburn team lost to Virginia, and UAB, led by 32 points from an unknown freshman named Mo Finley beat Jerry tarkanian in a thrilling overtime game.

I think the last one was a double header with Alabama and Auburn and UaB was not invited. It went to hell after that, and Beef N Cheddars have sucked ever since.

Hey MB, how many years did they have it? Was it always at Bartow?

Bama and Auburn turned chicken sheot.

The Arby's Hardwood Classic was held from 1997-2001.

1997
12/20 UAB vs. Auburn; Alabama vs. Tulane

1998
12/12 UAB vs. Auburn; South Alabama vs. Alabama
12/13 Auburn vs. Tulane; UAB vs. Alabama (women)

1999
12/11 UAB vs. Fresno State; Auburn vs. Florida Internaional

2000
12/9 Auburn vs. Detroit; Alabama vs. Akron

2001
12/8 UAB vs. UNLV; Auburn vs. Virginia

(03-22-2013 10:13 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(03-22-2013 10:08 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  There was also a year in which a ranked Auburn team lost to Virginia, and UAB, led by 32 points from an unknown freshman named Mo Finley beat Jerry tarkanian in a thrilling overtime game.

I think the last one was a double header with Alabama and Auburn and UaB was not invited. It went to hell after that, and Beef N Cheddars have sucked ever since.

Hey MB, how many years did they have it? Was it always at Bartow?

It was Never at Bartow. Always at the BJCC

It was always at the BJCC.

The Mo Finley performance over Fresno St (right?) is one of the most thrilling I have ever seen. The Fresno St. Bulldogs had a future NBA star. I can't recall his name, but after the contest he gave props to Mo, saying "Man, that guy is a great player" Mo beat them almost single handedly. Fresno may have gone on to make noise in the NCAA that year.

The players carried Mo off on their shoulders.

This was the true beginning of the Mo Finley legend.

I loves me some Mo Finley....

Quote:I can't recall his name, but after the contest he gave props to Mo, saying "Man, that guy is a great player" Mo beat them almost single handedly. Fresno may have gone on to make noise in the NCAA that year.

The players carried Mo off on their shoulders.

Courtney Alexander. "I didn't know anything about him before. I know about him now."

Fresno did and didn't make noise that year: they forfeited all of their wins for that season and the next; Tarkanian being Tarkanian.

I'm pretty sure that's the only time a UAB player has been carried off the court. That act also effectively ended Mark Kimbrough's career (never recovered from the back strain).

(03-22-2013 10:20 AM)DragonClaw Wrote:  It was always at the BJCC.

The Mo Finley performance over Fresno St (right?) is one of the most thrilling I have ever seen. The Fresno St. Bulldogs had a future NBA star. I can't recall his name, but after the contest he gave props to Mo, saying "Man, that guy is a great player" Mo beat them almost single handedly. Fresno may have gone on to make noise in the NCAA that year.

The players carried Mo off on their shoulders.

This was the true beginning of the Mo Finley legend.

I loves me some Mo Finley....

The Fresno St. star was Courtney Alexander. He led the nation in scoring that year. He went for 43 in the game against UAB, and Mo went for 32. In the overtime, Mo beat them almost single-handedly.

Others contributing in that game were Torrey Ward (14), David Walker (11), Myron Ransom (22), Mark Kimbrough (22). Eric Holmes, Sidney Ball, and Igor Nikolic were also on that squad.

Mo's was the single greatest performance by a UAB player I can recall ever having seen in person.

Mo put up 38 pts in a 2 point loss @ Mississippi State in '03. I believe that is still a Blazer record for points on the road. That was a pretty exciting afternoon in Starkville. Lots of green in the Hump !

(03-22-2013 10:20 AM)DragonClaw Wrote:  It was always at the BJCC.

The Mo Finley performance over Fresno St (right?) is one of the most thrilling I have ever seen. The Fresno St. Bulldogs had a future NBA star. I can't recall his name, but after the contest he gave props to Mo, saying "Man, that guy is a great player" Mo beat them almost single handedly. Fresno may have gone on to make noise in the NCAA that year.

The players carried Mo off on their shoulders.

This was the true beginning of the Mo Finley legend.

I loves me some Mo Finley....

Fresno went 24-10 that year, finished 2nd in the WAC and lost in the 1st round OS the NCAA

(03-22-2013 10:17 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(03-22-2013 10:13 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(03-22-2013 10:08 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  There was also a year in which a ranked Auburn team lost to Virginia, and UAB, led by 32 points from an unknown freshman named Mo Finley beat Jerry tarkanian in a thrilling overtime game.

I think the last one was a double header with Alabama and Auburn and UaB was not invited. It went to hell after that, and Beef N Cheddars have sucked ever since.

Hey MB, how many years did they have it? Was it always at Bartow?

It was Never at Bartow. Always at the BJCC

Thats right. I dont know why I was thinking Bartow? I went to the one in 97 everything after that was after we had moved to New Orleans.

(03-22-2013 10:47 AM)WhoDatBlazer Wrote:  Mo put up 38 pts in a 2 point loss @ Mississippi State in '03. I believe that is still a Blazer record for points on the road. That was a pretty exciting afternoon in Starkville. Lots of green in the Hump !

No, I think Marvette McDonald holds that record, scoring 39 at SMU in his senior year.

AJ had that many in a loss on a neutral court.

How many points did Vaden have at Kentucky? (Or would that be considered a neutral floor as well?)

Vaden had 33 vs kentucky

And forget what I said about McDonald.

Vaden scored 41 at UTEP, tying Kennedy's record for most ever.

The comment was "greatest," not "most points," and it's definitely a candidate, up there with Paul Delaney III willing a CUSA tourney win through sheer Belief while his coach whimpered like a bammer on the sidelines.

AJ had a great performance against Clemson. Most everyone else did not show up, including the coach.