(09-22-2020 09:07 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  I'd have to go with the 85 team. No one on another team as dominating as Keith Lee with a good supporting cast. 85 vs 08 would be a monster game.

A great game, for sure. But the additional muscle in the lane of the 08 team might have made a difference.

(09-21-2020 07:51 PM)Dylan Wrote:  

(09-21-2020 04:20 PM)oruvoice2 Wrote:  The nostalgic in me say the mid 80's team.

But, the 2008 team was clearly the most talented team in the nation (and in Tiger history) and would have won it all going away, if not for a guy who isn't a good floor coach.

Hard to say we were the most talented team in the nation when UCLA had Westbrook, Love, Darren Collison, AND Mbah a Moute.

You mean the UCLA team that we boat raced?

Any of the 08 Final Four could have won the Natty in 09, or so I’ve heard on sports shows.

(09-22-2020 09:25 AM)holyterror Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:07 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  I'd have to go with the 85 team. No one on another team as dominating as Keith Lee with a good supporting cast. 85 vs 08 would be a monster game.

A great game, for sure. But the additional muscle in the lane of the 08 team might have made a difference.

Additional muscle? Keith Lee, William Bedford and Baskerville Holmes vs. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson. The 85 team would win every one of those matchups.

Without question
Clean gene Bartow's, who Bill Walton destroyed in the N.C. game

(09-22-2020 10:19 AM)memphisike Wrote:  Without question
Clean gene Bartow's, who Bill Walton destroyed in the N.C. game

I have to agree. What a team!

(09-21-2020 05:48 PM)Stammers Wrote:  The 2008 team would crush every single one of them.

Joey and Robert Dozier would have fouled out in the 1st half trying to guard Lee and Bedford.

The '08 team would have never gotten to within 10 of the '85 team.

Keith Lee and Bedford dominated people like Ewing, Olajuwon, Tisdale, etc. No telling what they would have done to Joey and Dozier.

And I love the '08 team.

I'm not sure the '08 team could have won against the '73 team, but maybe. My guess is they would have been outcoached.

(09-22-2020 10:28 AM)tiger86 Wrote:  

(09-21-2020 05:48 PM)Stammers Wrote:  The 2008 team would crush every single one of them.

Joey and Robert Dozier would have fouled out in the 1st half trying to guard Lee and Bedford.

The '08 team would have never gotten to within 10 of the '85 team.

Keith Lee and Bedford dominated people like Ewing, Olajuwon, Tisdale, etc. No telling what they would have done to Joey and Dozier.

And I love the '08 team.

I'm not sure the '08 team could have won against the '73 team, but maybe. My guess is they would have been outcoached.

Lee and Bedford both were prone to foul trouble too so it would come down to who got into foul trouble first. In spite of the big advantage inside I still think that the 2008 team wins because of Rose and CDR. Kansas hurt us inside but we made up for it with them.

(09-22-2020 10:17 AM)mairving Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:25 AM)holyterror Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:07 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  I'd have to go with the 85 team. No one on another team as dominating as Keith Lee with a good supporting cast. 85 vs 08 would be a monster game.

A great game, for sure. But the additional muscle in the lane of the 08 team might have made a difference.

Additional muscle? Keith Lee, William Bedford and Baskerville Holmes vs. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson. The 85 team would win every one of those matchups.

Lee would have three fouls on Joey in first half. Unless Clougherty is officiating and then Keith might be in foul trouble.

(09-22-2020 11:21 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 10:17 AM)mairving Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:25 AM)holyterror Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:07 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  I'd have to go with the 85 team. No one on another team as dominating as Keith Lee with a good supporting cast. 85 vs 08 would be a monster game.

A great game, for sure. But the additional muscle in the lane of the 08 team might have made a difference.

Additional muscle? Keith Lee, William Bedford and Baskerville Holmes vs. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson. The 85 team would win every one of those matchups.

Lee would have three fouls on Joey in first half. Unless Clougherty is officiating and then Keith might be in foul trouble.

But Dorsey would have had Bedford out the night before at the Plush club so Bedford would be hungover or in jail.

(09-22-2020 11:39 AM)mairving Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 11:21 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 10:17 AM)mairving Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:25 AM)holyterror Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 09:07 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  I'd have to go with the 85 team. No one on another team as dominating as Keith Lee with a good supporting cast. 85 vs 08 would be a monster game.

A great game, for sure. But the additional muscle in the lane of the 08 team might have made a difference.

Additional muscle? Keith Lee, William Bedford and Baskerville Holmes vs. Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson. The 85 team would win every one of those matchups.

Lee would have three fouls on Joey in first half. Unless Clougherty is officiating and then Keith might be in foul trouble.

But Dorsey would have had Bedford out the night before at the Plush club so Bedford would be hungover or in jail.

(09-21-2020 07:51 PM)Dylan Wrote:  

(09-21-2020 04:20 PM)oruvoice2 Wrote:  The nostalgic in me say the mid 80's team.

But, the 2008 team was clearly the most talented team in the nation (and in Tiger history) and would have won it all going away, if not for a guy who isn't a good floor coach.

Hard to say we were the most talented team in the nation when UCLA had Westbrook, Love, Darren Collison, AND Mbah a Moute.

Actually it's pretty easy considering we skull thumped them. CDR teabag dunking on Kevin Love and Collison fouling himself out of that game because Rose took him to class all night. You're right though, UCLA was way better....

was that ever a satisfying game...
SoCal relatives were eating their words

It took every iota of self discipline not to taunt them

'73 starters were Laurie, Finch, Westphal, Kenon, and Robinson. THAT is a very formidable unit. In today's game, Finch and Kenon KILL it from 3, and then Kenon could (and did ) post up with anyone. And Laurie could shoot well enough to keep defenses honest. Then F Bill Cook - at 6'5" off the bench could shoot lights out.

I watched each of the teams mentioned thus far, and as good as '85 was, '08 and '73 are better. I think '73 beats '08, but who knows. '08 bench may have an advantage, but only slightly.

I believe 2008 is the best we've had without question. Deep, athletic, interchangeable, and very skilled. They were an absolute joy to watch play. I think 1973 is probably a fairly close 2nd, then 1985.

One of the most special places in my heart belongs to those Lee years, so it pains me to say to put 1985 3rd on that list. Someone above mentioned the big men that we dominated in the 1980s, and mentioned Olajuwon. Phi Slamma Jamma dominated the Tigers and sent us packing in 2 back to back sweet 16s in 1983 and 1984. Olajuwon had better games than Lee and/or Bedford (84) in both games from what I recall. I think 1984 was when Drexler jumped over Turner on that breakaway monster dunk as well. We didn't play in 1985, or at least I don't remember in my old age.

(09-22-2020 08:11 AM)Rufus T. Firefly Wrote:  I can't remember. The year Marvin and Sylvester were ruled ineligible, who would have been the starting 5 if they had been able to play?

I think that that would have been a final four team; just like the 92-93 team if Vaughn hadn't gotten hurt. I don't know if either beats '73, '85, or'08.

I think '92-'93 if Vaughn didn't tear his ACL would be in the conversation.

Vaughn was having a good offensive game at Arkansas before his injury. I think he had 2 threes. He was going toe-to-toe with one of the all time great college power forwards. Based on the one game we got to see him play that year, he was on a trajectory to be something special that year. He was never the same after he came back the next year.

(09-22-2020 04:57 PM)SpiderMan79x Wrote:  I believe 2008 is the best we've had without question. Deep, athletic, interchangeable, and very skilled. They were an absolute joy to watch play. I think 1973 is probably a fairly close 2nd, then 1985.

One of the most special places in my heart belongs to those Lee years, so it pains me to say to put 1985 3rd on that list. Someone above mentioned the big men that we dominated in the 1980s, and mentioned Olajuwon. Phi Slamma Jamma dominated the Tigers and sent us packing in 2 back to back sweet 16s in 1983 and 1984. Olajuwon had better games than Lee and/or Bedford (84) in both games from what I recall. I think 1984 was when Drexler jumped over Turner on that breakaway monster dunk as well. We didn't play in 1985, or at least I don't remember in my old age.

You are correct. However, Olajuwon was the best big man in history IMHO. We can argue that later.... Athletic teams did give those Tigers trouble, but it must be mentioned however that the only year Patrick Ewing didn't make a final 4 was because of of Lee and Bedford. DeWayne Bailey would also have contributed as a back up big man. Remember what that frontline did to Waymon Tisdale?

The 08 team may have had the edge in transition and athletically, but I think Andre could hold his own against Rose. It's hard picturing Andre getting his shot off against Rose in late game situations but I think Dana would have zoned that 08 team.

(09-23-2020 12:33 AM)rolexjames Wrote:  

(09-22-2020 04:57 PM)SpiderMan79x Wrote:  I believe 2008 is the best we've had without question. Deep, athletic, interchangeable, and very skilled. They were an absolute joy to watch play. I think 1973 is probably a fairly close 2nd, then 1985.

One of the most special places in my heart belongs to those Lee years, so it pains me to say to put 1985 3rd on that list. Someone above mentioned the big men that we dominated in the 1980s, and mentioned Olajuwon. Phi Slamma Jamma dominated the Tigers and sent us packing in 2 back to back sweet 16s in 1983 and 1984. Olajuwon had better games than Lee and/or Bedford (84) in both games from what I recall. I think 1984 was when Drexler jumped over Turner on that breakaway monster dunk as well. We didn't play in 1985, or at least I don't remember in my old age.

You are correct. However, Olajuwon was the best big man in history IMHO. We can argue that later.... Athletic teams did give those Tigers trouble, but it must be mentioned however that the only year Patrick Ewing didn't make a final 4 was because of of Lee and Bedford. DeWayne Bailey would also have contributed as a back up big man. Remember what that frontline did to Waymon Tisdale?

The 08 team may have had the edge in transition and athletically, but I think Andre could hold his own against Rose. It's hard picturing Andre getting his shot off against Rose in late game situations but I think Dana would have zoned that 08 team.

Olajuwon was the best collegiate big man I ever saw play personally. The year we ousted G'Town was 1983, so there was no Bedford yet. We owned Ewing without a doubt, and Derrick Philips get a lion's share of that credit. Philips was such an underrated big man IMO, and he was always assigned to the opponents best big on defense.

Bailey's career was really a non-factor until we lost Gray and Alexander his senior year and he was forced into a starting role. With that depleted team, I think he managed about 9 pts and 6 rebounds. Prior to that, if he was on the floor then you could rest assured the reason was that Lee and Philips or Bedford (depending on the year) were in foul trouble. In 1985 he was a spot bench rotation guy at best. That 2008 team chewed up and spit out guys like that.

It's fun thinking about all of this and the memories that get stirred up in the process. Those 1980s teams were really special to me.

(09-22-2020 09:29 PM)micman Wrote:  I think '92-'93 if Vaughn didn't tear his ACL would be in the conversation.

Vaughn was having a good offensive game at Arkansas before his injury. I think he had 2 threes. He was going toe-to-toe with one of the all time great college power forwards. Based on the one game we got to see him play that year, he was on a trajectory to be something special that year. He was never the same after he came back the next year.

I literally cried when he got hurt. That team in my mind was a National Championship caliber team. look what we did without Vaughn.