Basketball memories

It's been lots of fun to see all the excitement about LSU basketball again. I haven't seen it like this since the days of Daddy Dale Brown. I remember watching Howard Carter, DeWayne Scales, Rudy Macklin, Greg Cook, Ethan Martin, Willy Sims, Leonard Mitchell, Jordy Hultberg, John Tudor, Johnny Jones. . . All these guys when I was in junior high and high school. A few years later I was able to leave the state of Kentucky and attend that beautiful university in Baton Rouge. Got to see Nikita Wilson, Derrick Taylor, Nikita Wilson, Ricky Blanton, Jose Vargas, Geert Hammink, Lyle Mouton, Neboisha Bukumiravich, Zoran Jovanavich, Russell Grant, Darryl Joe, Vernel Singleton, Chris Jackson, Shaq'. . . So many great players and so many great games.

I think my favorite was the Loyola Marymount game in 1990. The score was in the 70s at half-time and at the end Loyola Marymount had scored 141 points against the Tigers, but they still lost by seven. LSU 148 - Loyola Marymount 141.

We played on Super Bowl Sunday that year against UNLV and whpped them pretty solidly as well. Dick Vital called the game and kept saying, "Bite the towel, Jerry! Bite the towel!" as Jerry Tarkanian chewed on a towel in frustration while LSU buried his team.

And then there were all those wonderful break away plays when we'd all stand up as we watched Jose Vargas head toward the goal with no one anywhere near him, then when he'd go up to jam it, the ball would hit the back of the rim and bounce out all the way back to half court. (I recall this happening twice - once each in different seasons.) Just that collective "Awwww. . . " coming out of the student section. Man, Vargas' hands were huge!

I wish I had been there for the February 82 game against Kentucky when Mike rappelled from the rafters before the game. Final score was 94-78. I was in junior high living in Kentucky at the time and fully enjoyed seeing the disappointment on all my friends' and neighbors' faces while I proudly wore my purple and gold shirts every day at school for the next week. My English teacher threatened me with detention for being so "uppity" about the Tigers destroying Kentucky like that.

And how can anyone ever forget the 35-point scar LSU left across the face of Rupp Arena in January 1987 when Dale Brown's Tigers beat Kentucky 76-41. (Wow! That game was played 32 years ago yesterday! shite. I'm old!)

Enough of my reminiscing. I'm just glad to see LSU getting back into relevance on the hard wood. It'll be fun to be able to compete with the likes of Kentucky, Georgetown, Duke, and other perpetually great teams.