Iona MBB Nostalgia - A thread for Old Guys

[iona05]

Feb 7, 2024 23:54:35 GMT -5 IONA86 said:

Feb 7, 2024 16:03:54 GMT -5 ic59 said:

Some that would be in the discussion that played at Iona:


1955-56 St. Francis (NY)- Finished 21-4.  Were ranked as high as 13th in the country.  

1955-56 Dayton - went 25-4.  Had 3 NBA players Jim Paxson (2 years in NBA - Father of Jim and Jon), Arlen Bockhorn(7 year NBA career) and Jim Palmer (3 year NBA) as well as 7' Bill Uhl who turned down the NBA after being a 2nd Team All American.  They were ranked 3rd in the AP final poll. They had wins over ranked teams such as Cincinnati, Utah, Kentucky, & Memphis  

1958-59 St. Bonaventure - Went 20-3.  Had future NBA players Tom Stith (1 year NBA then cut short due to tuberculosis), Sam Stith(1 year NBA) and Whitey Martin (1 year NBA).  They were ranked as high as 13th that season and had wins over NOVA, and BC. 

1959-60 Detroit Mercy - Went 20-7.  Their star was Dave DeBusschere.  Had wins over Purdue, Xavier, BC, ND, 

1961-62 NYU- Went 20-5 with victories over VT, Syracuse, ND, Temple, WV, UMASS and St Joes.  They had  Happy Hairston (Played 10 years in the NBA) Barry Kramer (Parade All-American, Haggerty Winner, All American, played to NBA Seasons).

1968-69 Duquesne- Went 21-5.  Were ranked 10th in the AP Poll when we played them.  Had Jarrett Durham (1 year NBA Career), Moe Barr( 1 year NBA Career), Bill Zopf (1 year NBA Career), Twin brothers Barry (! Year NBA) & Garry Nelson who went to law school instead of playing ball.  

1969-70 UMass - Went 18-7.  Had Dr. J and a very good shooter named Ray Ellerbrook.

1973-74 UMass -Went 21-5.  Had Al Skinner (6 year NBA career)  leading the team.   

1975-76 Detroit Mercy - Went 19-8.  Had four NBA players on the squad, John Long, Terry Tyler, Dennis Boyd and Terry Duerod.  They had wins over Michigan State, DePaul, a good Bonnies team, and lost by two to a loaded Marquette team that was ranked 2nd.  

1975-76 Seton Hall - went 18-9.  Led by NBA player Glenn Mosley (2 years in the NBA), they had wins against a good Providence team, beat Detroit Mercy, walked all over a good Georgetown team. 

1976-77 Holy Cross - Went 23-6.  Had wins against UMASS, a Providence team that was ranked as high as 8th, beat Michigan State, 

1976-77 St. John's - Went 22-9. Were ranked as high as 20th in the AP Poll. Had George Johnson who played in the NBA for 8 seasons, Glen Williams who was drafted 2nd round by the Bucks but never played in the NBA.

1977-78 Detroit Mercy - Went 25-4 and were ranked as high as 15th in the country.   Had three NBA players on the squad, John Long, Terry Tyler and Terry Duerod.  Had wins over a very good Toledo, St Bonaventure, and VCU squads. 

1979-80 Wichita State - Went 17-12.  Had future NBA players Antoine Carr (16 NBA Seasons), Ozell Jone s(NBA 2 years) and Cliff Levingston (11 year NBA)

1981-82 Marquette - Went 23-9.  Had Michael Wilson (5 year NBA) and Doc Rivers (12 year NBA career- Parade & McDonalds All-American, NBA All Star).  Had wins over Stanford, Arizona State, ND, VT, a good Dayton team.

1986-87 La Salle - Went 20-13.  Had Lionel Simmons (7 year NBA career, first-team All-American, NCAA POY, NBA All Rookie Team)  and Tim Legler (9 year career in the NBA).  

1987-88 La Salle - Went 24-10.  

1988-89 Seton Hall - Went 31-7.  Were as high as 9th in the Polls.  Lost to Michigan in the NCAA Finals.  The had NBA players John Morton (3 NBA Seasons), Andrew Gaze (2 years in NBA), and Anthony Avent (7 years in NBA).  They also had Ramón Ramos who was signed by the Trail Blazers but was injured in a car accident that ended his career.  

1988-89 La Salle - Went 26-6.  Had Simmons and Doug Overton (11 NBA seasons).  

1992-93 Seton Hall - Went 28-7.  Finished up ranked 6th in the country.  Wins over Tennessee, UCLA, UCONN, Providence, CUSE, PITT, Georgetown. NBA Players Terry Dehere (7 year NBA, 2nd team All-American), Luther Wright (1 year  NBA- McDonald's High School All-American) and Adrian Griffin (9 years in the NBA - Haggerty Award winner)   

1995-96 Rhode Island - 20-14 record.  Had future NBA players (Tyson Wheeler and Cutting Mobley. Beat a good VCU squad, beat USC, VT, & Temple. 

1998-99 Hofstra - Went 22-10.  Had Speedy Paxton (9 seasons) and Norm Richardson (1 season). Signature win was against Bobby Cremins and GT.  

Louisville came to Iona for a game on December 12th, 1957... they won 89 to 65.  The were very average and were very below average. 

My picks for the best teams to come to Iona are in red. 

Great stuff 86. Which of these games (if any) did we win?

[GuyF]

92-93 Seton Hall was at County Center.

#25 Princeton came in here in 90-91 season.

[Super]

1977-78 Detroit Mercy - Went 25-4 and were ranked as high as 15th in the country. Had three NBA players on the squad, John Long, Terry Tyler and Terry Duerod. Had wins over a very good Toledo, St Bonaventure, and VCU squads
Coached by Dick Vitale

[resumeman]

86, I truly appreciate the amount of time and research you did for the informative post above!

[hawaii bill]

[iona05]

That was Pat Kennedy’s first season as HC of Iona. I am pretty sure we lost in the finals of the ECAC that year, but perhaps others will be able to confirm? How did that season go? If Valvano hadn’t left, I believe it would have been Jimmy V as the coach with Ruland, Burtt, Springer and Grimes all playing together. 😱

[ic59]

Feb 12, 2024 17:56:55 GMT -5 iona05 said:

That was Pat Kennedy’s first season as HC of Iona. I am pretty sure we lost in the finals of the ECAC that year, but perhaps others will be able to confirm? How did that season go? If Valvano hadn’t left, I believe it would have been Jimmy V as the coach with Ruland, Burtt, Springer and Grimes all playing together. 😱

Grimes came a year after Burtt and Springer and Jeff would have been gone. But if JV had stayed Mike Moses would have been the freshman PG, and probably not gone to Florida and then SJU.

[hawaii bill]

Feb 12, 2024 17:56:55 GMT -5 iona05 said:

That was Pat Kennedy’s first season as HC of Iona. I am pretty sure we lost in the finals of the ECAC that year, but perhaps others will be able to confirm? How did that season go? If Valvano hadn’t left, I believe it would have been Jimmy V as the coach with Ruland, Burtt, Springer and Grimes all playing together. 😱

This was Kennedy's second season 81-82.

[iona05]

Feb 12, 2024 18:29:12 GMT -5 hawaii bill said:

Feb 12, 2024 17:56:55 GMT -5 iona05 said:

That was Pat Kennedy’s first season as HC of Iona. I am pretty sure we lost in the finals of the ECAC that year, but perhaps others will be able to confirm? How did that season go? If Valvano hadn’t left, I believe it would have been Jimmy V as the coach with Ruland, Burtt, Springer and Grimes all playing together. 😱

This was Kennedy's second season 81-82.

You sure? Article says on this day in 1981, which would have been the 80-81 season.

[ic59]

Don't know the year, but I was at the game, Nassau Col. arena, I believe, and we were playing LIU in the finals. We were winning until SB threw a punch at an LIU player (Riley Clarida?) and was ejected. That's about all I remember.

[iona05]

Feb 12, 2024 18:55:52 GMT -5 ic59 said:

Don't know the year, but I was at the game, Nassau Col. arena, I believe, and we were playing LIU in the finals. We were winning until SB threw a punch at an LIU player (Riley Clarida?) and was ejected. That's about all I remember.

Did we have a strong team that season? Seemed like it was a transition year.

[gregcrow]

Feb 12, 2024 18:14:15 GMT -5 ic59 said:

Feb 12, 2024 17:56:55 GMT -5 iona05 said:

That was Pat Kennedy’s first season as HC of Iona. I am pretty sure we lost in the finals of the ECAC that year, but perhaps others will be able to confirm? How did that season go? If Valvano hadn’t left, I believe it would have been Jimmy V as the coach with Ruland, Burtt, Springer and Grimes all playing together. 😱

Grimes came a year after Burtt and Springer and Jeff would have been gone. But if JV had stayed Mike Moses would have been the freshman PG, and probably not gone to Florida and then SJU.

If Valvano hadn't left and if Ruland had not had an agent, Ruland would have been back for that year and that would have been some lineup. Grimes a year later.

[hawaii bill]

Feb 12, 2024 18:33:13 GMT -5 iona05 said:

Feb 12, 2024 18:29:12 GMT -5 hawaii bill said:

This was Kennedy's second season 81-82.

You sure? Article says on this day in 1981, which would have been the 80-81 season.

This day in December of 1981.

[gregcrow]

Feb 12, 2024 18:57:42 GMT -5 iona05 said:

Feb 12, 2024 18:55:52 GMT -5 ic59 said:

Don't know the year, but I was at the game, Nassau Col. arena, I believe, and we were playing LIU in the finals. We were winning until SB threw a punch at an LIU player (Riley Clarida?) and was ejected. That's about all I remember.

Did we have a strong team that season? Seemed like it was a transition year.

Correct. 15-14, Middle of the pack. Believe LIU went to the NCAA tournament that year. Last year in the ECAC.

[Joebird]

Feb 12, 2024 19:27:10 GMT -5 gregcrow said:

Feb 12, 2024 18:57:42 GMT -5 iona05 said:

Did we have a strong team that season? Seemed like it was a transition year.

Correct. 15-14, Middle of the pack. Believe LIU went to the NCAA tournament that year. Last year in the ECAC.

We were winning by about 12 to 15 at half and lost because Burtt got kicked out. Team was slightly above average but Springer was one of the best freshmen in the country and Steve Burtt was playing spectacular last several games of the year.