Tennessee basketball history......

#1

peaygolf

The "Fly" is open.....Let's Go Peay!!!!
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
Messages
21,745
Likes
89,972
#1
January 5, 1980......

The Kentucky Wildcats visited Stokley as the #2 ranked team in the country. Howard Wood scored 14 pts and grabbed 9 rebounds as the Vols slow played the ‘Cats in a 49-47 victory. The difference in the game was at the line....out scoring UK 15-1.
957CEE91-7CEC-429D-9FA3-F26D5D6D5227.png
 
#2
#2
Sit, Joe, sit!

I can't find a reference point from that pic. It looks like it might be taken from the bench side, TN end looking toward the NE. But the crow's nest that John Ward called games from isn't visible to the right.

I used to climb up and watch from the opposite corner "ledge" that's barely visible, and out of focus, right in the middle of the pic. Stokely was magical. 1980... early part of KY's Stokely Curse years.
 
#3
#3
1979-80 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out that schedule. 2 SEC games in December. St. John's, Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville.

Young Sam Bowie in the pic (NBA draft pick ahead of Michael Jordan). Howard Wood (far left), Gary Carter, and maybe Steve Ray. Fred Cowan (can't tell for sure if it's #40). Looks like Bertelkamp behind Carter. Steve Ray could also be Big Sexy, the feather haircut matches, but I think that's Ray's face.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2017/8/10/56269d62e4b0b90189290248.pdf

BTW, ^^^ FSU HC Leonard Hamilton, Chris Gettlefinger (Catholic HS '77), Derrick Hord (TN High-Bristol '79).
 
Last edited:
#4
#4
1979-80 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out that schedule. 2 SEC games in December. St. John's, Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville.

Young Sam Bowie in the pic (NBA pic ahead of Michael Jordan). Howard Wood (far left), Gary Carter, and maybe Steve Ray. Fred Cowan (can't tell for sure if it's #40). Looks like Bertelkamp behind Carter. Steve Ray could also be Big Sexy, the feather haircut matches, but I think that's Ray's face.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2017/8/10/56269d62e4b0b90189290248.pdf

BTW, ^^^ FSU HC Leonard Hamilton, Chris Gettlefinger (Catholic HS '77), Derrick Hord (TN High-Bristol '79).
Hamilton was assistant with Lake Kelly at Austin Peay and recruited Fly Williams!
 
#6
#6
Sit, Joe, sit!

I can't find a reference point from that pic. It looks like it might be taken from the bench side, TN end looking toward the NE. But the crow's nest that John Ward called games from isn't visible to the right.

I used to climb up and watch from the opposite corner "ledge" that's barely visible, and out of focus, right in the middle of the pic. Stokely was magical. 1980... early part of KY's Stokely Curse years.
Loved the uniqueness of Stokely, and the homecourt advantage it brought.
I recall sitting up near the crows nest you reference for a few minutes after a game and DeVoe walking up to do the post-game radio show. Stopped and chatted with us for a while. Unfortunately, also remember a few bumper stickers reading "Go Johnny go and take Don DeVoe!"
 
#7
#7
I was there as a student, my Freshman year. IIRC, we had some key players suspended for that game and still won in the end. I believe Howard Wood hit the winning basket under the goal with seconds left in the game.
 
#8
#8
1979-80 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out that schedule. 2 SEC games in December. St. John's, Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville.

Young Sam Bowie in the pic (NBA pic ahead of Michael Jordan). Howard Wood (far left), Gary Carter, and maybe Steve Ray. Fred Cowan (can't tell for sure if it's #40). Looks like Bertelkamp behind Carter. Steve Ray could also be Big Sexy, the feather haircut matches, but I think that's Ray's face.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2017/8/10/56269d62e4b0b90189290248.pdf

BTW, ^^^ FSU HC Leonard Hamilton, Chris Gettlefinger (Catholic HS '77), Derrick Hord (TN High-Bristol '79).
Really interesting stuff. It strikes me at how much more regionally they recruited back then, as opposed to now. Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky with a little Tennessee mixed in.
 
#9
#9
1979-80 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out that schedule. 2 SEC games in December. St. John's, Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville.

Young Sam Bowie in the pic (NBA draft pick ahead of Michael Jordan). Howard Wood (far left), Gary Carter, and maybe Steve Ray. Fred Cowan (can't tell for sure if it's #40). Looks like Bertelkamp behind Carter. Steve Ray could also be Big Sexy, the feather haircut matches, but I think that's Ray's face.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2017/8/10/56269d62e4b0b90189290248.pdf

BTW, ^^^ FSU HC Leonard Hamilton, Chris Gettlefinger (Catholic HS '77), Derrick Hord (TN High-Bristol '79).
I think that's maybe to big to be Steve Ray so its probably Big Kevin Nash. And I'm not 100% sure Steve was on the 1980 team. Maybe...I just cant remember. That does invoke memories. Thanks for posting. Steve was notorious for drawing charges and John Ward LOVED to say after taking a charge "ladies and gentlemen that was Steve Ray in the Way". Funny we remember things like that but cant remember our kids birthdays.:):)
 
Last edited:
#11
#11
January 5, 1980......

The Kentucky Wildcats visited Stokley as the #2 ranked team in the country. Howard Wood scored 14 pts and grabbed 9 rebounds as the Vols slow played the ‘Cats in a 49-47 victory. The difference in the game was at the line....out scoring UK 15-1.
View attachment 251986

My my that's something you wouldn't see today.
 
#12
#12
I think that's maybe to big to be Steve Ray so its probably Big Kevin Nash. And I'm not 100% sure Steve was on the 1980 team. Maybe...I just cant remember. That does invoke memories. Thanks for posting. Steve was notorious for drawing charges and John Ward LOVED to say after taking a charge "ladies and gentlemen that was Steve Ray in the Way". Funny we remember things like that but cant remember our kids birthdays.:):)

Steve Ray was #53. Nash was #43. It's really hard to tell, but that jersey number might begin with a 5.

Ray was a sophomore in 1979-80 and Nash was a junior.
 
#13
#13
If CLH had been hired instead of CWH, he could have been here a while and then we move on to CBP.
 
#16
#16
1979-80 Tennessee Volunteers Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out that schedule. 2 SEC games in December. St. John's, Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville.

Young Sam Bowie in the pic (NBA draft pick ahead of Michael Jordan). Howard Wood (far left), Gary Carter, and maybe Steve Ray. Fred Cowan (can't tell for sure if it's #40). Looks like Bertelkamp behind Carter. Steve Ray could also be Big Sexy, the feather haircut matches, but I think that's Ray's face.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2017/8/10/56269d62e4b0b90189290248.pdf

BTW, ^^^ FSU HC Leonard Hamilton, Chris Gettlefinger (Catholic HS '77), Derrick Hord (TN High-Bristol '79).

I played against, Chris Gettlefinger in a men's league in Jeff Co. Going by TGO's graduation date on his post, that would have made Gettlefinger around 35 years old and I would have been 23. I scored 36 points and had probably 15 rebounds, but Gettlefinger had over 30 and we lost in OT. We didn't really guard each other much, even tho we were about the same size. Didn't realize who he was until after the game, one of the girlfriends/wives ended up talking to his significant other. I know, cool story, bro
 
#22
#22
Sit, Joe, sit!

I can't find a reference point from that pic. It looks like it might be taken from the bench side, TN end looking toward the NE. But the crow's nest that John Ward called games from isn't visible to the right.

I used to climb up and watch from the opposite corner "ledge" that's barely visible, and out of focus, right in the middle of the pic. Stokely was magical. 1980... early part of KY's Stokely Curse years.

same for mears years
 
#24
#24
Hamilton finished behind Wade Houston as Don Devoe's replacement. Lamar Alexander was largely behind that decision. Blount County boys.

Yes, Dickey wanted to hire Leonard Hamilton after Pat Kennedy played Tennessee for the fool. But Alexander took over the search at that point and hired Wade and you know the rest of the story.........
 

VN Store



Back
Top