Roundball Rewind ‘80 Champs vs. ‘86 Champs

This is how a Cardinals hoopaholic passes the time when there’s no current games to watch. With another in a series in which I watch a video replay then file a GameCap of a significant U of L battle from the past as if it took place yesterday.

Even those who know the game better than the average observer, who view the action more incisively and knowingly, even they get it wrong sometimes.

Take Denny Crum for example.

Having coached six of his squads to the Final Four, having captured the crown twice, he has been justifiably dubbed the “Coach of the 80s” of the “Team of the 80s” by no less observers of the game than Billy Packer and Brent Musburger.

Yet, when the Al McGuire monikered “Cool Hand Luke” was asked who would prevail the day before his two title teams were to battle for charity in Freedom Hall, he got it wrong.

He offered that the ’86 team was younger, therefore his guess to prevail.

Even the normally stoic and hard to read Brothers McCray were ready to chide their beloved coach for his belief. At halftime no less, when the throughly dominant older ’80 squad held a 56-42 advantage, which had blossomed to 21 (38-17) midway through the 2d of four ten minute quarters.

The “youngsters” made a push late, when both sides seem to be laboring, but they faltered.

The final: ’80 Champs (peeved they were assigned the less elegant women’s locker room) 101, ’86 Champs 96.

Darrell Griffith was more prescient in advance.

Reminiscent of what he told pal Rudy Macklin before the Cards 86-66 Regional Final beatdown — that Shawnee had never beaten Male –he said in advance of last night’s foe, “We beat them in Crawford all the time.”

Grif, who finished with a game high 38, was not going to lose.

“This is what we came to do. I told Coach Jones, I didn’t come for a fun game. I came to win.”

After a 2-2 tie, the ’80s pushed ahead 14-4, and kept it up relentlessly.

The ’86ers made a bit of a dent in the 3d, cutting their disadvantage to 11 heading into the last period.

They knotted the affair at 84 with 6:32 remaining when Billy Thompson assisted Milt Wagner on a fast break.

Then coughed it up on the next two possessions. Grif and Scooter each netted a couple charity tosses and Rodney got a put back. Which was matched by a lone FT. 90-85.

The ’86 squad couldn’t drain it late. On one late foray, they missed four jumpers and had a shot blocked.

* * * * * For the victors, other than Grif’s 38, Jerry Eaves had 15 with 5 assists, Scooter tallied 14 with three blocks, Wiley Brown 12.

As for McCray the Younger, in 34 minutes of action five weeks after having bone chips removed from a big toe, Rodney scored 14 on 6/7 shooting and snared 9 boards.

As for Rod’s presence in the middle, Wiley said, “He laid his hard body and hard look on anybody who dared challenge his dominance in the paint.”

Pervis Ellison led the vanquished gang with 28 and 11. Wagner had 16, Mark McSwain 15 and Billy Thompson 10.

* * * * *

Postgame, in the thrall of victory, Jerry Eaves proclaimed, “They’re lucky we didn’t have Derek.” Smith, a free agent, sat out the game.

The ’86ers apparently asked for a rematch.

Scooter: “I don’t think so. We took their best lick. It wasn’t enough.”

— c d kaplan

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