Question: What is the Greatest Moment in Alabama Men's Basketball History?

Almost totally from memory, so forgive any misrememberings.

The first Alabama team I saw play live was Johnny Dee's 'Rocket 8' in 1955-56, their inter-squad game at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham. With Jerry Harper, George Linn, Leon Marlaire and Jack Kubiszyn among others -- http://www.gadsdentimes.com/sports/20060218/alabamas-rocket-8-to-be-honored . I had moved to Indiana but somehow fortunately managed to pick up the Alabama-Kentucky game on the radio that year when Bama won 101-77 (I think the first time anyone scored over 100 points against the Wildcats). I have no doubt that team would have won the National Championship, but many of the players had played as Freshmen and so in those days weren't allowed to play in the NCAA tournament even though Bama won the SEC. (I remember at least some of the players joined the Phillips 66 Oilers and won the 'semi-pro' championship that year -- a forerunner of the NBA, I believe).

But probably the best 'moment' I remember was Alabama against Indiana in the NCAA tourney in 1976. Many consider the undefeated Hoosiers one of the greatest all time college basketball teams. As I remember, toward the end of the game Bama came back and was on the verge of taking the lead. Leon Douglas stole the ball from Kent Benson and if Douglas had scored the Tide might have won but he missed the layup (the dunk was still illegal on those days...). That game was perhaps the biggest challenge the undefeated National Champion Hoosiers faced all year. (I've always thought that if the dunk were legal back then, Leon would have scored and Bama would have gone on to be National Champs).

Many other great moments, like watching Wendell Hudson whip up on Auburn on TV, and there was the 1990 game against Loyola Marymount who were playing for their departed star Hank Gathers (what a great Alabama team that was). Just a few of the great moments I remember from Alabama basketball.

Roll Tide! Buckle up with Coach AJ!

CajunCrimson said:

The last 8 minutes of the second half v Stanford and the Sweet 16 game vs Syracuse....

What it was like to have real shooters on the team....

Shelton, Chuck Davis, Kennedy Winston, Pettway......

Yet, Gottfried only went 17-12.....but got an 8 seed...and Took down #1 Stanford who lost only once that year

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I would agree with this. Only time we have made it to the Elite 8. Played UConn tough but they drained a bunch of 3 pointers to put us away.

Oldtider1 said:

But probably the best 'moment' I remember was Alabama against Indiana in the NCAA tourney in 1976. Many consider the undefeated Hoosiers one of the greatest all time college basketball teams. As I remember, toward the end of the game Bama came back and was on the verge of taking the lead. Leon Douglas stole the ball from Kent Benson and if Douglas had scored the Tide might have won but he missed the layup (the dunk was still illegal on those days...). That game was perhaps the biggest challenge the undefeated National Champion Hoosiers faced all year. (I've always thought that if the dunk were legal back then, Leon would have scored and Bama would have gone on to be National Champs).

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Nice memory, however I watched this game live and Alabama held a 2 point advantage with just a few minutes left to play. The Tide looked on pace to win the game. The Hoosiers tied the game up and just after, Leon Douglas missed an easy layup to give us the lead, and it was off to the races for Indiana. This was my all time favorite Alabama Basketball team. This 1976 team won 20 games en route to an SEC title with coach C.M. Newton. This team also dismantled UNC in the NCAA regional finals.

The hiring of C.M. Newton.

CrimsonEyeshade said:

The hiring of C.M. Newton.

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Thank you, Coach Rupp.


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12Namath12 said:

Nice memory, however I watched this game live and Alabama held a 2 point advantage with just a few minutes left to play. The Tide looked on pace to win the game. The Hoosiers tied the game up and just after, Leon Douglas missed an easy layup to give us the lead, and it was off to the races for Indiana. This was my all time favorite Alabama Basketball team. This 1976 team won 20 games en route to an SEC title with coach C.M. Newton. This team also dismantled UNC in the NCAA regional finals.

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A small footnote, I was living in Indianapolis at the time and feeling pretty disappointed after that game I went down to Crazy Al's, my favorite local watering hole. Of course, being Indiana, almost everyone was a Hoosier fan and they all knew I was a big Tide fan. When I walked in, everyone turned and gave me a round of applause (not for anything I'd done but) because they appreciated the quality of the game -- and were maybe grateful they'd escaped with a win. I think maybe that was the closest Indiana came to losing that year. It did make me feel a 'little' better.

Signing Wendell Hudson to a scholarship.

Oldtider1 said:

A small footnote, I was living in Indianapolis at the time and feeling pretty disappointed after that game I went down to Crazy Al's, my favorite local watering hole. Of course, being Indiana, almost everyone was a Hoosier fan and they all knew I was a big Tide fan. When I walked in, everyone turned and gave me a round of applause (not for anything I'd done but) because they appreciated the quality of the game -- and were maybe grateful they'd escaped with a win. I think maybe that was the closest Indiana came to losing that year. It did make me feel a 'little' better.

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76 was easily the best basketball team we ever had. To this day Bobby Knight says it was the best team he ever coached against.

I'd have to go with the Tide and Indiana game as well. In my opinion, that game put Bama on the basketball map nationally.

CajunCrimson said:

And who is responsible for erasing us off that map? CAG?

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I'll give that honor ​to David Hobbs. Gottfried brought us back fairly well and then CAG kind of took us down again.

Alasippi said:

I'll give that honor ​to David Hobbs. Gottfried brought us back fairly well and then CAG kind of took us down again.

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Good point about Hobbs. He totally broke the momentum and bringing in NBA players that CM and Wimp built and we have basically been an afterthought expect for a couple of years under Gottfried.

That 76 year we played UT in Tuscaloosa and we beat them in OT. King and Grunfeld fouled out as did Leon Douglas for us in OT if memory serves correctly. I remember Rickey Brown making a key bucket and Greg McElveen hitting key free throws. It was hard to beat those Ray Mears teams with Ernie and Bernie. That game seemed to propel us to the tourney.

Also, the 1990 (?) SEC tournament game against Arkansas. It was a track meet back and forth the whole game with Elliott Richardson hitting a shot from the corner to win it for us.

Tide Rev said:

That 76 year we played UT in Tuscaloosa and we beat them in OT. King and Grunfeld fouled out as did Leon Douglas for us in OT if memory serves correctly. I remember Rickey Brown making a key bucket and Greg McElveen hitting key free throws. It was hard to beat those Ray Mears teams with Ernie and Bernie. That game seemed to propel us to the tourney.

Also, the 1990 (?) SEC tournament game against Arkansas. It was a track meet back and forth the whole game with Elliott Richardson hitting a shot from the corner to win it for us.

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Epic game and we had several during this period with Ark. I think it was Eric Richardson you mention. The talent on the floor between those two teams was extraordinary. Sprewell, Horry, James Robinson, Melvin Cheatum, Waites for us and Day, Mayberry, Miller for Ark. It was 40 minutes of h*ll on both sides

The SEC game being discussed: 1992 Elliot Washington Bama won 90-89 Sprewell, Horry, Caffey, Robinson and others including Cedric Moore and Andre Perry vs Todd Day, Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller.

The come from behind victory over Norm Sloan and the Gators on Senior Day in 86 or 87.

day-day said:

The SEC game being discussed: 1992 Elliot Washington Bama won 90-89 Sprewell, Horry, Caffey, Robinson and others including Cedric Moore and Andre Perry vs Todd Day, Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller.

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Thanks for the correction...memory not as sharp as it used to be. RTR

TiderJ said:

Epic game and we had several during this period with Ark. I think it was Eric Richardson you mention. The talent on the floor between those two teams was extraordinary. Sprewell, Horry, James Robinson, Melvin Cheatum, Waites for us and Day, Mayberry, Miller for Ark. It was 40 minutes of h*ll on both sides

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The thing I remember the most about that UT game was that the guest color commentator was a guy named John Wooden.