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Post by dangaelfan on Dec 14, 2011 20:29:13 GMT -5
Many of us have high expectations for this year's Iona Gaels hoops team. I thought it would be interesting to list perhaps the strongest Iona team ever and the results they had in the 79-80 season.
Nov 30, 1979
vs
Texas A&M (neutral location)
W
78 - 52
Dec 1, 1979
vs
Long Beach State (neutral location)
W
86 - 75
Dec 2, 1979
vs
Kentucky (neutral location)
L
50 - 57
Dec 8, 1979
at
St. Mary's (CA)
W
79 - 73
Dec 11, 1979
at
USF
L
66 - 76
Dec 13, 1979
vs
FDU - Florham
W
75 - 58
Dec 28, 1979
vs
Air Force (neutral location)
W
64 - 51
Dec 29, 1979
vs
St. Bonaventure (neutral location)
W
75 - 67
Jan 1, 1980
at
Georgetown
L
84 - 95
Jan 3, 1980
vs
Wichita State
W
84 - 70
Jan 5, 1980
at
Holy Cross
W
82 - 67
Jan 7, 1980
vs
Baltimore
W
68 - 51
Jan 12, 1980
at
UAB
W
70 - 65
Jan 17, 1980
vs
McNeese State
W
76 - 66
Jan 19, 1980
at
Niagara
W
88 - 74
Jan 21, 1980
at
Pittsburgh
L
63 - 75
Jan 23, 1980
vs
Colgate
W
54 - 49
Jan 30, 1980
at
Wagner
W
77 - 73
Feb 2, 1980
at
Fordham
W
65 - 59
Feb 4, 1980
vs
St. Peter's
W
65 - 62
Feb 7, 1980
vs
Kansas
W
81 - 77
Feb 9, 1980
vs
Army
W
67 - 54
Feb 11, 1980
vs
St. Francis (PA)
W
72 - 62
Feb 14, 1980
at
Manhattan
W
70 - 57
Feb 16, 1980
at
Long Island
W
85 - 72
Feb 18, 1980
vs
Siena
W
84 - 72
Feb 21, 1980
vs
Louisville
W
77 - 60
Feb 23, 1980
at
Fairfield
W
74 - 53
Feb 28, 1980
vs
FDU - Florham (neutral location)
W
69 - 53
Feb 29, 1980
vs
Siena (neutral location)
W
76 - 70
Mar 1, 1980
vs
St. Peter's (neutral location)
W
64 - 46
NCAA First Round
Mar 7, 1980
vs
Holy Cross (neutral location)
W
84 - 78
NCAA Second Round
Mar 9, 1980
vs
Georgetown (neutral location)
L
71 - 74
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Post by ghostofwillard on Dec 14, 2011 20:56:30 GMT -5
Look at some of those opponents Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown, Louisville, and Pitt. If Iona of 2011-2012, played the 11-12 versions of these teams I think they would hold their own like the 79-80 team did.
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Post by GuyF on Dec 14, 2011 21:21:10 GMT -5
Interesting that the margins of victory vs the smaller schools generally weren't huge, and then they destroyed Louisville.
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Post by GuyF on Dec 14, 2011 21:22:24 GMT -5
As an aside, I love this thread because it's the exact sort of thing that sets Saintly off on the MAAC board.
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Post by ionaintheblood on Dec 14, 2011 23:03:51 GMT -5
So I finally signed up. I have been reading your posts for over a year and have enjoyed your insights and observations. You folks really enjoy your Iona basketball. Well when I saw this thread I had to join. I was a senior at Iona in 79-80. We were still a commuter college and most other schools and their fans still dismissed us (especially schools like Holy Cross and Georgetown). We had Coach V and Ruland and Vickers and Hamilton. Life was good and the future looked bright. The Louisville game is still the best sporting event I have ever attended expect my daughter's 12U softball championship game. The NCAA's were special. This is before the Big East (I always heard that Lou Carnesecca of St. Johns kept us out of Big East because he didn't want to compete with Coach V for home grown talent). I drove to Providence with my friends for both games (got a speeding ticket along the way). If Ruland hadn't broken his hand by punching a kid in the head we would have beaten Georgetown (who went to Elite 8 (I think) that year and started them on the march to greatness). Horrible events after the tournament set us back for a few years.
This team, this coach, you guys, make this a special year. Maybe its time for us to take what we should have gotten years ago. We can be the top mid major year in and year out. We have a new administration and some great financial supporters to make it happen. Go Gaels.
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Post by ic59 on Dec 14, 2011 23:34:34 GMT -5
dangaelfan, not sure it matters much, but there are two things, that I THINK (not sure) are wrong:
1. The Kansas game was played at the Garden two games after the Louisville game, and right after the FF game.
2. The Air Force and the Bonnies were in the Iona Christmas tournament. And we opened up the year in the Great Alaska Shootout, hence the first three games were indeed at a neutral site.
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Post by IONA86 on Dec 15, 2011 1:12:49 GMT -5
Welcome ionaintheblood.... this should be a special year. Love to hear more of your evaluations as we progress through the season.
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Post by Super on Dec 15, 2011 5:28:56 GMT -5
dangaelfan, not sure it matters much, but there are two things, that I THINK (not sure) are wrong: 1. The Kansas game was played at the Garden two games after the Louisville game, and right after the FF game. 2. The Air Force and the Bonnies were in the Iona Christmas tournament. And we opened up the year in the Great Alaska Shootout, hence the first three games were indeed at a neutral site. ic59--Pretty sure KU came 2 weeks before Louisville. Fairfield--immediately after. |
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Post by jerryiona on Dec 15, 2011 6:31:52 GMT -5
Those Kansas & Louisville games were two of the sports highlights of my life too. MSG was packed and rocking. The media coverage the next day was unheard of for our little school and Jimmy V was a star. I traveled up to RI too for the Georgetown game. I had heard that Ruland broke his hand dunking in Saturday's practice. Who did he hit?
That was a tough squad and if the 3 point shot had existed, we would have won more games with Mike Palma stroking from the outside.
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cpman6
Full Member
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Post by cpman6 on Dec 15, 2011 6:57:22 GMT -5
A few remembrances..
1. Hiring the San Diego Chicken to appear with the Iona Cheerleaders at both MSG vs Kansas and at Mulcahy vs Army (a regionally televised game). Many laughs.
2. Being at MSG for Louisville game in the second game of a doubleheader (#1 DePaul vs. Wagner in game 1). V always preached the importance of being in the second game of a MSG doubleheader.
3. Being with friends at the game and sitting near some Louisville fans due to the McCray brothers connection. They were shocked.
4. Being close with Kentucky in the finals of the Great Alaska Shoot out.
5. Traveling to San Francisco for the games vs St Marys (beautiful campus) and USF. Not sure if USF had their big center Bill Cartwright or not. They were a good team.
6. Beating Holy Cross at the NCAAs in Providence and then with a chance to beat Georgetown only to have a Vickers jumper miss late.
7. Rulands hand was broken and he probably wouldn't have played in sweet 16 vs Maryland and Albert King had we beat Georgetown.
8. Shortly thereafter V leaves replacing the icon Norm Sloan at NC State.
9. And of course...winning at Rose Hill!!!
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Post by Cjb on Dec 15, 2011 7:29:55 GMT -5
IC59, the first thing I thought of when seeing the St. Bonnie and Air Force games was the old Manny Hanny tournament. Can't recall, was it called the Christmas tournament prior?
Absurd they were considered "neutral site" games back then - like Siena playing the MAAC tournament at the "neutral site" TUC.
dangaelfan, thanks for the walk down memory lane... albeit, a very looooong one. :-)
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Post by jcgael on Dec 15, 2011 7:57:16 GMT -5
Welcome Blood. I am not positive, but I thought that Ruland busted his hand in an intramural football game.
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Post by tootie223 on Dec 15, 2011 8:49:14 GMT -5
A few remembrances.. 5. Traveling to San Francisco for the games vs St Marys (beautiful campus) and USF. Not sure if USF had their big center Bill Cartwright or not. They were a good team. I just checked and 79-80 was Mr. Bill's rookie season in the NBA. |
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Post by hurtinturkey on Dec 15, 2011 9:22:24 GMT -5
That was a great season. I was fortunate enough to attend the first five games, the Great Alaskan Shootout and the two in the Bay area. Texas A&M had Rudy Woods a seven footer and Jeff ate all 218 pounds of the pre-season All American alive! Long Beach State was uneventful but it was the KU game that we just were not clicking on and Kyle Macy had a solid 15 point and classic point guard game against us. St. Mary's was a close one but USF - the Dons a national powerhouse was going to be a real test. They had 4 future NBA players on that team including Quitin Daily, Billy Reid (drafted in both 1979 & 80), seven fotter Walace Bryant and point guard Chubby Cox. Their gym was packed, something like 5,800 and it was a tough game. A game we simply were out played. In the off season I used to play with some of the USF guys and they were very impressed with the Gaels.
On a side note V had arranged for me to be picked to shoot fouls two foul shots for a chance for a round-trip ticket to Hawaii at half-time. I was the third contestant and I was thinking Hawaii here I come! But then they announced I was a former Gael and handed me a square styrofoam block painted orange to resemble a ball, I didn't even hit the rim! Great memories
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Post by ghostofwillard on Dec 15, 2011 9:24:37 GMT -5
So I finally signed up. I have been reading your posts for over a year and have enjoyed your insights and observations. You folks really enjoy your Iona basketball. Well when I saw this thread I had to join. I was a senior at Iona in 79-80. We were still a commuter college and most other schools and their fans still dismissed us (especially schools like Holy Cross and Georgetown). We had Coach V and Ruland and Vickers and Hamilton. Life was good and the future looked bright. The Louisville game is still the best sporting event I have ever attended expect my daughter's 12U softball championship game. The NCAA's were special. This is before the Big East (I always heard that Lou Carnesecca of St. Johns kept us out of Big East because he didn't want to compete with Coach V for home grown talent). I drove to Providence with my friends for both games (got a speeding ticket along the way). If Ruland hadn't broken his hand by punching a kid in the head we would have beaten Georgetown (who went to Elite 8 (I think) that year and started them on the march to greatness). Horrible events after the tournament set us back for a few years. This team, this coach, you guys, make this a special year. Maybe its time for us to take what we should have gotten years ago. We can be the top mid major year in and year out. We have a new administration and some great financial supporters to make it happen. Go Gaels. Welcome aboard ionaintheblood, as you can tell lots of maroon and gold flowing through veins here, enjoy the ride! |
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