Here's a good chance to review all of them. I actually went back and updated the video since 24 hours after I uploaded the original, Iowa had one of the best comebacks in history.
Someone called Saturday's men's win the greatest Iowa Bball game ever; what say you?
- Thread starter uihawk82
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I would put the win over Georgetown at the top since it got them to the Final Four.
I would put the first game after Street's death on the road at Mich St up there in the 2 hole. They were absolutely out of it.
The comeback at Illinois, first home game against Mich after Street's death, and this one are all in the conversation.
Edit: The Gamble Shot game is another one.
I would put the first game after Street's death on the road at Mich St up there in the 2 hole. They were absolutely out of it.
The comeback at Illinois, first home game against Mich after Street's death, and this one are all in the conversation.
Edit: The Gamble Shot game is another one.
That game was back and forth the whole second half. No one came back from down 13 in 90 seconds. It didn't go to overtime.
It has zero relevance so I have no idea why you felt the need to post about it. There are lots and lots of buzzer beating game winners a year. Coming back from down 13 in a minute in a half has happened twice in recorded history in men's college basketball. It was a very special ending.
Well that was bad Iowa coaching that led that lead slip away. Alford didnt have his team ready to run backdoor plays with a really big lead and only 5 minutes to go. Make your opponent pay for having to overplay you.
There was a lot more time left in that game than in last saturday's game
Hawks were up 17 with 8 minutes left. That was quite a comeback for a 14-seed over a 3-seed. It still stings. Hardly zero relevance, considering the scenario you posed.
Game was sure different without a shot clock or 3-pt shot. Iowa's efficiency in the second half of this game was incredible. Too lazy to look it up, but they scored on something like 90% of their possessions in the second half. Definitely the most exciting game for me, just because it took Iowa to the final four, when they were an underdog throughout the dance. FYI, for those maybe seeing Ronnie Lester for the first time and thinking "what is the hype about?", he was playing on at maybe 70% on one and a half legs.
My order of games that I watched would be...
1) Georgetown
2) Oklahoma NCAA
3) Indiana in 87
4)MSU #40
5)Michigan #40
6)UCONN Alaska
7)Kansas (McCausland game)
8)UCONN Alfraud
9)Wisconsin JBo
10)MSU 2023
edited to add KU(forgot about that game until reading bishop1971's post)
1) Georgetown
2) Oklahoma NCAA
3) Indiana in 87
4)MSU #40
5)Michigan #40
6)UCONN Alaska
7)Kansas (McCausland game)
8)UCONN Alfraud
9)Wisconsin JBo
10)MSU 2023
edited to add KU(forgot about that game until reading bishop1971's post)
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I am old, so Indiana 1981 is a great Hawkeye win for me. Hawks beat their ass and Isayer Thomas took a cheap shot at Steve Krafcisin.
You are close. 1981 was the last year. Hell they used to have consolation games in the regionals.
Iowa beat Indiana twice that year. Indiana ended up being National Champs.
I’d also have to put the Indiana hamburger game in there as well. I recall it was right after a blizzard, so lots of empty seats in the old Fieldhouse, and we were just killing IU, up by almost 30 on the Hoosiers at one point
Lester is at the free throw line late in the game, and—remembering how Knight had run up the score to get Hoosier fans a free promotional hamburger the prior year—an Iowa fan yells out “How bout a hamburger,
Bobby??”, during the silence while Ronnie is waiting to shoot the FT
The place goes absolutely APESHIT. Lester cracks up and has to back of the FT line to compose himself. It was magnificent
(I hope I’m remembering this all correctly—it WAS over 40 years ago!)
Lester is at the free throw line late in the game, and—remembering how Knight had run up the score to get Hoosier fans a free promotional hamburger the prior year—an Iowa fan yells out “How bout a hamburger,
Bobby??”, during the silence while Ronnie is waiting to shoot the FT
The place goes absolutely APESHIT. Lester cracks up and has to back of the FT line to compose himself. It was magnificent
(I hope I’m remembering this all correctly—it WAS over 40 years ago!)
Coming back from down 17 with 8 minutes to play happens all the time. Coming back down 13 with 1 1/2 minutes does not.
Apples to oranges.
The Hamburger game at IU was in 1975, 102-49 iirc. Iowa’s 30 point drubbing of IU at the old field house came in ‘78 or ‘79, not the following season.
Being an Illini hater having grown up near Chicago, my vote for greatest Iowa come back was at Illinois in ‘87.
Being an Illini hater having grown up near Chicago, my vote for greatest Iowa come back was at Illinois in ‘87.
Definitely the largest Hawkeyes victory @ Indiana in my lifetime.
👍
That game isn’t even in the top 100. Great finish, yes. But a regular season game against a middling conference opponent where you are down double digits with less than a minute to go was clearly not even a good game.
The 1970 Purdue game and the 1980 Georgetown game are definitely top two. 1970 was exciting as heck, and I remember nervously listening to each game on the radio. It was particularly fun because Freddy Brown was just one year out from playing Juco ball in Burlington, where I watched every one of his home games. Had Iowa pulled out the Jacksonville game, that would probably be the greatest win.
