What Was the Worst Day to be an Iowa B-ball Fan?

[Gridiron24]

I wasn't around for the Chris Street incident.

Yesterday was a massive kick in the dick. We knew there wasn't much talent on this roster, but they got SMOKED by a not-so-great team.

 

[Call me rocket]

Geez, how about a new thread, tell us about the day of your divorce, when your dog got ran over, and when you were diagnosed with ball cancer.

 

[Hawkeyes4Life32]

Not that far back. The basketball program was also more successful in the 90's than it is has been in the 2010's under Fran.

• The 1990's: 7 NCAA wins, a Sweet 16, and 6 tournament appearances. Seed: 7, 9, 4, 6, 8, 5 (average of 6.5)
• The 2010's, 3 NCAA wins and 4 appearances. Seed: 11, 7, 7, 10 (average 8.75)

Davis had more appearances, more wins, and higher seeds than Fran has had, even with his own recruits.

Fair enough. I should've clarified I was talking about athletics as a whole. Those two decades are still comparable imo though.

 

[kcgolfer]

you do realize Iowa sports (mens, womens hoops and football) we were one of like three programs in the country last season to have both programs in hoops advance in the NCAA tourney and win a bowl game. God I tell you we have a tough fan base. I mean what is it that you want? Could happen again this year. Yes yesterday was a tough day and the weekend overall but come on. Hyperbole.

I admit I'm probably spoiled but it's been 15 years since we won a Big Ten title in football. Can't even remember how long it's been in basketball. When you play in a league, it's important to win it.

 

[Speedway1]

My very, very worst day as a Hawkeye hoops fan was the day we lost to Jacksonville in the NCAA's on a tip in by 7 footer Pembrook Burroughs the III. We were the best team in America at that point and there isn't ANY doubt in my mind we win the 1970 National Championship if we survive that game.

Well done, I remember this well. I was a Soph at Keokuk HS.

 

[TritonHawkeye]

Many have said the same, the evening Chris Street died is the worse.

Game was the loss to UNLV and then NW State.

Time period was the TL years.

The loss Monday was a nut shot for sure but virtually every year there are 1 or 2 of these that puts everyone sideways.

 

[TailgateTom]

Chris Street's death was hard to swallow as a 9 year old. However, a couple weeks later when Andy Kauffman beat us in Champaign at the buzzer, I remember bawling my eyes out in my room.

 

[arizonahawkI]

January 19th, 1993 takes the cake for me.

A few other nominees:

• Blowing a 19 point lead against UNLV in the 1987 Regional Final
• Northwestern State
• Losing to NC state in double OT, 1989 NCAA Tournament. Why? It was the end of the BJ, Roy, Ed era. Loved those guys. Recruiting basically has never been the same since.

At least those games were at the end of good seasons, though. Yesterday was possibly the most demoralizing day I can recall, for the reasons you stated.

December 25th 1988 number for Iowa gets beat by UC Riverside. Lousy Christmas present

 

[Lone Clone]

I'm still relatively young, I don't remember much before the Alford days. I can say definitively that yesterday was one of the single worst day of my life to be an iowa basketball fan. The Iowa legacy choosing an in-state rival, having to watch that gremlin Randy Peterson run up to him after the announcement with a huge grin on his face, XF making public comments intentionally or unintentionally roasting the program, then we get absolutely railroaded by DePaul at home. It was both embarrassing and destroyed all hope I had in the current and future prospects of this program. The day was fraught with symbolism of a dying program.

Legitimate question for the older fans out there, have there been worse days to be a hawk basketball fan?

• I know the day Chris Street died had to have been unimaginable for reasons bigger than basketball. I won't even compare yesterday to that.
• The loss to Northwestern State in the tourney is also a nominee. That image is seared into my brain for life.

I would say the worst may have been the day Bucky O'Conner was killed. Another candidate would be Chris Street's death.

If you're talking worst days strictly from a fan's viewpoint of the season, it probably was the day in 1960 it was announced that four starters on Iowa's highly regarded basketball team were academically ineligible for the second semester.

 

[HawkRugged17]

 

[drew_hawk]

The day the music died (i.e. the day Chris Street passed away).

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I'm gonna separate worst from saddest.....

Worst was definitely sometime between 2008 and 2011. Just the sheer ineptitude of our program at that point was as disheartening as can be. We weren't very competitive at all, and we just didn't look like we had any real quality athletes. Like kids who look like they are high-level college basketball players, and not just D2 kids who got called up because Iowa had no choice (even though they technically did because Lickliter recruited them........)

 

[BrunoMars420]

Anytime lil lick was playing

 

[Fan In Black]

Chris Street's death. Its still hard for me to stomach.

 

[Franisdaman]

I think without a doubt the worst day to be an Iowa basketball fan is when people found out about Chris Street's death. Some found out that night. Some found out the next morning.

People think about that loss more than any other, as they should. What could have been that year, the year after, and for years to come, both for Chris and for the Iowa program.

That loss was and continues to be devastating to coaches, teammates, family, friends and fans. And people get devastated over a loss on the hard wood or on grid iron? That's nothing. We all get to see another day.

 

[DewHawk]

I would say the worst may have been the day Bucky O'Conner was killed. Another candidate would be Chris Street's death.

If you're talking worst days strictly from a fan's viewpoint of the season, it probably was the day in 1960 it was announced that four starters on Iowa's highly regarded basketball team were academically ineligible for the second semester.

Remember that but then they turned around and upset Ohio State (in Columbus) with Havlichek, Lucas, another guy who went to the NBA. I think the score was 62 to 60. Best of my memory, so....

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Northwestern St. game had me as mad as I have ever been at any sporting in my lifetime. That ending was unreal.

 

[bdg8]

Definitely April 3, 2007

 

[hawkguy77]

1. Lester's knee
2. UNLV
3. NW St.
4. That damn fat white kid from Illinois draining a 3 to beat Iowa at the buzzer. Late 80's/early 90's. I think his name was Hamburgler or some such.

Altenberger

 

[ISUhawk]

My very, very worst day as a Hawkeye hoops fan was the day we lost to Jacksonville in the NCAA's on a tip in by 7 footer Pembrook Burroughs the III. We were the best team in America at that point and there isn't ANY doubt in my mind we win the 1970 National Championship if we survive that game.

I'll never forget. I was at the game. Terrible luck.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

The night I came home from work and saw on the sports ticker that Street had died in a car accident. Back then you didn’t get much info on tv, especially in Missouri about anything Iowa. Sat up most of the night just trying to find anything on cable tv, which was nothing other than Iowa b-ball Player Chris Street killed in a car accident. Sad, sad, sad.

 

[Lone Clone]

Remember that but then they turned around and upset Ohio State (in Columbus) with Havlichek, Lucas, another guy who went to the NBA. I think the score was 62 to 60. Best of my memory, so....

No. They almost beat Ohio State, but lost, 62-61, and the game was in Iowa City. Larry Sigfried is probably the guy you are thinking about. And Bob Knight was the sixth man.

They DID, however, come back to have a good season, after recruiting a couple of players to join the team and help Nelson.

 

[SSG T]

I'm still relatively young, I don't remember much before the Alford days. I can say definitively that yesterday was one of the single worst day of my life to be an iowa basketball fan. The Iowa legacy choosing an in-state rival, having to watch that gremlin Randy Peterson run up to him after the announcement with a huge grin on his face, XF making public comments intentionally or unintentionally roasting the program, then we get absolutely railroaded by DePaul at home. It was both embarrassing and destroyed all hope I had in the current and future prospects of this program. The day was fraught with symbolism of a dying program.

Legitimate question for the older fans out there, have there been worse days to be a hawk basketball fan?

• I know the day Chris Street died had to have been unimaginable for reasons bigger than basketball. I won't even compare yesterday to that.
• The loss to Northwestern State in the tourney is also a nominee. That image is seared into my brain for life.

That wasn't even in the top 10 bad days.

How about 90% of the Lickiter era? Pierre Pierce the first time. PP the second time. The day after Street died. The other 10% of the Lickliter era.

Give me a couple of minutes and I can think of more.

Oh, Campbell Camels.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Ronnie Lester's knee is #1 in my book.

The cheap undercut foul by Louisville on Ronnie was a heartbreaker. Iowa could have been in the final game with a healthy Lester.

 

[Skidlt]

Program saddest were UNLV and Northwestern State.

Personal saddest - when my kids were younger. Took them to the Fran South Dakota State opener loss and then the next game we attended was Omaha. They really haven't shown a lot of interest since then.

 

[Titanhawk2]

1981 tourney, year after final four. Up 15 at half against Wichita St. Didn't score again until they were behind, lost. Not the worst, but add to list

 

[DodgerHawki]

Many have said the same, the evening Chris Street died is the worse.

Game was the loss to UNLV and then NW State.

Time period was the TL years.

The loss Monday was a nut shot for sure but virtually every year there are 1 or 2 of these that puts everyone sideways.

Yep, game against UNLV was the worst in terms of a single game and what it could have meant. Iowa had legitimately as good or better talent than any team in the country that year. That will likely never be said about any Iowa basketball team again in my lifetime. Indiana ended up winning the title that year and Iowa ran them out of the gym in CHA.

If TD at minimum makes the Final 4 and if Iowa would have won it, might have been a different future for both TD and Iowa hoops.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

I don't think anything can compare to Chris Street. Guy personified toughness and although this term gets overused, he was a true warrior on the court. Taking it to Duke and other high level teams more on grit and determination than athleticism was something I admired then and still do today. Iowa has had a few of these guys and could use 1-2 now. Just don't have that Cy Tate, Settles, Doug Thomas, Street guy that gets pissed off and takes the personal challenge. Garza is pretty close. Touissant hopefully can channel some of this over time.

 

[Buddehawk]

I'm still relatively young, I don't remember much before the Alford days. I can say definitively that yesterday was one of the single worst day of my life to be an iowa basketball fan. The Iowa legacy choosing an in-state rival, having to watch that gremlin Randy Peterson run up to him after the announcement with a huge grin on his face, XF making public comments intentionally or unintentionally roasting the program, then we get absolutely railroaded by DePaul at home. It was both embarrassing and destroyed all hope I had in the current and future prospects of this program. The day was fraught with symbolism of a dying program.

Legitimate question for the older fans out there, have there been worse days to be a hawk basketball fan?

• I know the day Chris Street died had to have been unimaginable for reasons bigger than basketball. I won't even compare yesterday to that.
• The loss to Northwestern State in the tourney is also a nominee. That image is seared into my brain for life.

Ronnie Lester injuring his knee was definitely one

 

[SSG T]

Yep, game against UNLV was the worst in terms of a single game and what it could have meant. Iowa had legitimately as good or better talent than any team in the country that year. That will likely never be said about any Iowa basketball team again in my lifetime. Indiana ended up winning the title that year and Iowa ran them out of the gym in CHA.

If TD at minimum makes the Final 4 and if Iowa would have won it, might have been a different future for both TD and Iowa hoops.

The UNLV game had me torn, I absolutely hated the way they played the second half of that game, but Tark's Rebels were my second favorite team. Loved watching those guys play.

The NC State game two years later bothered me more. Just seemed like the era was over and we weren't going to see the same thing after that. That was a team that at UNC, then lost twice by 20+ while scoring 90+. I'm pretty sure that was the year I decided TD was only going to get us so far.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

Worst day easily the day Street passed away.

Lowest point however would be at the end of the Lick era where a half full Carver probably less to be honest. There was really no one behind the baskets. Except maybe a group of about 200-300 people behind the the opposite basket of our student section that maybe had 2 dozen there. Right before tip off they take off their coats and sweatshirts and we see that the Orange Krush had invaded Carver for our game vs Illinois. At the end of the game with less than a minute left before an another Iowa loss they were chatting "This is our house." All I could think is it can't get any worse than this and no way we can bring Lick back for year 4.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

1981 tourney, year after final four. Up 15 at half against Wichita St. Didn't score again until they were behind, lost. Not the worst, but add to list

Then called a TO we didn't have. Game, set and match. This thread needs a part B. Part A being Chris Street and part B everything else...

 

[IamHawkeye]

I’ll stick to on the court heartbreak and there has been plenty, but I have never been as dismayed as I was when Jon Lickliter played significant minutes. He might be a fantastic human being, but the fact that he was playing in the B1G let me know how far we had fallen as a program. He wouldn’t have started on my Rec league team and yet there he was running the point at Iowa. Makes me need a drink just thinking about it.

He was a starter on a state winning IC team. He moved in and won the starting pt guard position, and his dad wasn;t coach at IC. Hyperbole, I'd say. Rec league , my eye. No, not Big Ten material but others have played minutes for Iowa, but the fact of who is Dad was brings on the over reaction. And IRRC it was an injury to another player increased in minutes. Let's drop this subject.

 

[CUHawkeye91]

#1 is Street

In terms of games in my lifetime:
1987 UNLV
2006 Northwestern St
2000-2002 (under performing teams and injuries)

This is a good list although I thought the Hawks blew an 18 point lead. Regardless, it was a terrible feeling when Gamble picked up his fourth fouls early in the second half and Iowa was ‘clinging’ to a 14 point lead. You knew it was over when he went out.

I’d add the following to the list:

- when Ronnie Lester got injured midway through the first half in the 1980 national semifinal game against Louisville. Iowa was peaking at the right time and Iowa was virtually unbeatable when Lester played. When he was out, Iowa was average. He went out and took Iowa’s hopes with him. Years later, Lute Olsen said after winning the NC at Arizona that he thought that Hawk team was going to win it all.

- the other was the day Olsen left Iowa. He took some abuse, to be sure, but I don’t think many were prepared for this. He was one of the best coaches of all time and you can’t help but wonder where Iowa would be today if he stayed.

 

[CUHawkeye91]

Chris Street's death was hard to swallow as a 9 year old. However, a couple weeks later when Andy Kauffman beat us in Champaign at the buzzer, I remember bawling my eyes out in my room.

I, unfortunately, was at this game ....

 

[Loveblackandgold]

The night I heard Chris Street had passed goes way beyond any recollection of losses. I was a waiter (student) in an Iowa city restaurant at the time and had waited on the entire Street family just two weeks prior to the accident.

The Chris Street smile that is often captioned in the photo with Tom Davis, is the smile I saw first -hand the day I waited on Chris and his family.

Number 40 was a true prince. Losses are losses, but when you lose a Chris Street, nothing compares IMO.

 

[JonasGrumpy]

Not a game but a bad day. I'll add the 1961 expulsion of Connie Hawkins. My dad was a huge basketball fan and I was just a kid. He never stopped talking about what he saw Connie Hawkins do in practices and was devastated when he heard the news. What a shame.

 

[TailgateTom]

I, unfortunately, was at this game ....

Oh man, how awful!

 

[jellyfish10]

He was a starter on a state winning IC team. He moved in and won the starting pt guard position, and his dad wasn;t coach at IC. Hyperbole, I'd say. Rec league , my eye. No, not Big Ten material but others have played minutes for Iowa, but the fact of who is Dad was brings on the over reaction. And IRRC it was an injury to another player increased in minutes. Let's drop this subject.

lol. Ok. Buddy.

 

[ankyhawk]

This one for me.

Blowing a 19 point lead against UNLV in the 1987 Regional Final

Yep