Worst basketball losses you remember?

[i2amavol]

VMI - no loss close to being worse than that one for me. Bunch of 6’ 5” and under guys bombing 20 footers all game at the tune of 66%. And they only got 2 points for each of them. Yes Bernard didn’t play. But doesn’t matter.

That was tough to take. If I remember correctly that was a Devoe-led team.

The worst part about those Mears teams was that our starters played the whole game. So, we had to play zone defense to rest them. We just wouldn't adjust sometimes, even if that meant a loss. That UCLA loss was similar. They just bombed us from outside all game long.

 

[i2amavol]

Being in the building when Meeks went off for 54 in TBA sucked. But yeah, the tourney losses hurt the most. In particular the loss to OSU where were up big at the half. The loss to WSU coming off that buzzer beater against Winthrop was tough to take as well.

The OSU loss definitely stands out to me.

 

[i2amavol]

Jerry Green’s loss to UNC in the Tourney

Definitely in my top (or bottom) five. I will have to say that UNC went absolutely unconscious. I think they could have bounced it in from half court in the last 5 minutes. We gave them the opening, but they took absolutely everything we gave them.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

That was tough to take. If I remember correctly that was a Devoe-led team.

The worst part about those Mears teams was that our starters played the whole game. So, we had to play zone defense to rest them. We just wouldn't adjust sometimes, even if that meant a loss. That UCLA loss was similar. They just bombed us from outside all game long.

No, Bernard never played for Devoe (Dale Ellis did). That VMI loss was in 1976. Mears, King, Grunfeld, and Mike Jackson all exited at the same time after the 1977 NCAAT. Cliff Wettig was the interim coach in 1977-78 and Devoe lit the place on fire in his first season in 1978-79. He beat Kentucky three times in his first year. Then he shared an SEC regular season championship a few years later. Went 9-0 at the start of the conference schedule and limped through the 2nd half to finish 13-5 but still with the co-championship.

Devoe was bounced from his first NCAATs by Notre Dame, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia again (Ralph Sampson teams), and Louisville. Then he missed about 5 straight before getting back in, getting hammered by West Virginia in the first round, and then getting fired. For Wade. Actually Pat Kennedy at FL State was TN’s first choice, but he told Dickey no thanks. Wade and Leonard Hamilton were bracketed as the second option and Lamar Alexander dictated that Wade get the job.

 

[i2amavol]

No, Bernard never played for Devoe (Dale Ellis did).

I knew I should have clarified. I meant that Devoe was the opposing coach.

Good info though.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I knew I should have clarified. I meant that Devoe was the opposing coach.

Good info though.

Devoe was at Virginia Tech before Wyoming. Not VMI. Devoe did have VT in that 1976 NCAAT though. Coach Bill Blair and assistant coach Charlie Schmaus and VMI beat TN in the 1976 NCAAT. Blair left for Colorado after their 1975/76 season and Schmaus went 26-4 in 1976/77 - VMI’s best season ever. Again, that loss was devastating, but TN would have destroyed VMI had King not had to sit out with the injury. I think his hand was broken.

Those were very good VMI teams.

 

[walkenvol]

Devoe was at Virginia Tech before Wyoming. Not VMI. Devoe did have VT in that 1976 NCAAT though. Coach Bill Blair and assistant coach Charlie Schmaus and VMI beat TN in the 1976 NCAAT. Blair left for Colorado after their 1975/76 season and Schmaus went 26-4 in 1976/77 - VMI’s best season ever. Again, that loss was devastating, but TN would have destroyed VMI had King not had to sit out with the injury. I think his hand was broken.

Those were very good VMI teams.

Hard to believe VMI ever had a really good basketball team. Have you ever visited their campus - the most depressing looking campus I’ve ever seen resembling a 1800’s military fort & barracks. Hard to believe they could recruit athletes who had other opportunities.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Hard to believe VMI ever had a really good basketball team. Have you ever visited their campus - the most depressing looking campus I’ve ever seen resembling a 1800’s military fort & barracks. Hard to believe they could recruit athletes who had other opportunities.

That’s odd. The military programs typically have beautiful campuses.

 

[walkenvol]

That’s odd. The military programs typically have beautiful campuses.

Agreed, but VMI not so much.

 

[BigorangeBoy]

They never get brought up, but after winning the 1979 SEC Tournament in Devoe’s first year - losing to Mississippi in the first conference tournament game the next two years derailed the momentum for the program. Too bad TN hadn’t recruited Elston Turner in 1977.

True, he was a player.

Ole Miss had Jon Stroud and Sean Touhy on those teams also, didn’t they?

 

[BigorangeBoy]

Possibly over a C-band satellite dish?

I was in high school in Cleveland, and several neighborhood kids got together at my house and watched it.

 

[Vol 85]

Elite 8 game in 2010 hurt, I believe it was in 82 but Vandy beat us by one point in Nashville, they called Tyrone Beaman for a block on Phil Cox with one second left and he hit 2 free throws to win by 1 and to this day I believe it was a charge.A little "Memorial Magic"

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Elite 8 game in 2010 hurt, I believe it was in 82 but Vandy beat us by one point in Nashville, they called Tyrone Beaman for a block on Phil Cox with one second left and he hit 2 free throws to win by 1 and to this day I believe it was a charge.A little "Memorial Magic"

I think that that was when Vandy came back from about 10 down with a minute to go. Without a 3-point line. Mostly Phil Cox free throws. Probably 2/24/1983. TN swept Vandy in 1982.

 

[VOLnMiami]

Losing to Virginia in 1981 in the NCAA tournament...Blew a 10 point lead in the 2nd half...Dale Ellis had litterly shut down Ralph Sampson but that guard they had "Othello Wilson" was murdering us from outside...We had a shot to tie it at the end and blew it...Typical Devoe coached team...I got so mad I punched a hole in the wall and got a boxers fracture on my hand lol...16 years old and angry over a game...Story of my life hehe!!