This year's team aside, the 1987 team is arguably the best team in Alabama history. I have to admit when I heard we were playing Iona and they were coached by Pitino ( I had no clue that is where he was) I had flashbacks of that sweet 16 game against his Providence team. They could not miss a three pointer that day. I really hope we take care of business Saturday, granted we should and this is not quite the match up as the Providence game in 1987, but I think Billy Donovan just made another three pointer. Here's to a nice deep run deserving of the seed. Roll Tide!
1987 team
- Thread starter TIDE24
- Start date
Had to play ACC Champ North Carolina, with Mitch Kupchak, Phil Ford, and Walter Davis, in the first round of the tourney. Stomped them, and then manage to clank the next game away with missed FTs in a 4 point loss to Indiana (who finished 36-0). The one year where you could say we had the most talented team in the tourney.
Donovan was good but it was Delray Brooks that sunk our boat.
The debate between the 76 and 87 teams is a good one. I had to research it and here is what I re-learned. Top to bottom maybe 76 but I still think 87 was the best and I watched both play.
1976
Overall/SEC Record: 23-5/15-3
Overall/SEC Rank: 6 / 1
Avg Margin Victory: 9.4 pts
NBA Players: 3
1987
Overall/SEC Record: 28-5/16-2
Overall/SEC Rank: 9 / 1
Avg Margin Victory: 9.9 pts
NBA Players: 4
The 76 team had 4 players make the NBA - Douglas, King, Dunn, and Keith McCord. Rickey Brown played for the Globetrotters.
Amp Murray was drafted but never played. I think his kneee was shot.
Technically I should have included McCord but I did not since he transferred to UAB and was drafted out of UAB.
I saw Brown and Dunn play when they were in High School. Dunn was like a grown man playing with kids.
I'm from Bham also and TR was amazing and what a NBA career he had. I was a little young so my era was Enis Whatley/Eric Richardson/Buck Johnson. I remember going to Fair Park to watch Richardson and Whatley go at it and came away knowing I had seen something special in Whatley. No look passes bouncing off his teammates faces since they were not expecting it. Those were the days for Birmingham basketball.
The last Bama game I saw in Tuscaloosa was when Whatley was playing. The 81-82 team played well against Jordan, Perkins and Worthy in the tournament but were done in by the refs. 31 FTs vs 16 FTs.
I will admit I was a little young to remember the 76 team but do know the 87 team was incredible. Alabama has only has two #2 seeds in its history, 1987 and 2002, before this year, and only one team make it past the sweet 16 and that was a 17-12 #8 seed the made it to the elite 8 (they won one more game in the tournament then anyone else). The 1976 team only had to win one game to advance to the sweet 16, by 1987 they had to win two. Not arguing for or against the 76 team, just saying there is a debate. I did start with the statement "arguably" the best.
Agreed Brooks was deadly as well. I just remember it being a really disappointing day for me and I have not liked Pitino since.
Agreed Brooks was deadly as well. I just remember it being a really disappointing day for me and I have not liked Pitino since.
Birmingham guys also from that era - Dr K, Larry Kenon, and John Drew
Edit. I had remembered Drew being from Bham but he was from Monroe county.
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Who was Dr. K? Eddie Phillips and Mule King were great also. Do you remember Looney (I think)? Was a phenomenal scorer and ended up playing at a smaller school I believe?
One of my best friends’ father coached TR at West End. His father stated that TR was the consummate team player; One of the most unselfish players he ever coached. He had numerous TR stories that made you realize not only was TR a great player but an outstanding young man.
And remember too, at the same time Whatley and Richardson were butting heads in B’ham, there was a third highly recruited guard here by the name of Gerald Crosby. He signed with Hugh Durham at UGA. I believe he led that team to the Final Four in 1983.
Kent Looney.
My boss (an Alabama grad) ten years my junior and I were texting back and forth with the great players we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in our years. Mine started with Wendell Hudson, Leon Douglas, TR and Mule, Charles Cleveland and Boonie Russell.
And it went on and on. Many folks, some of which are lifelong Alabama fans, don’t realize the talent that has come through our program in 50 years.
I still say Kent Benson of Indiana committed offensive goal tending on his “tip in” late in the game to give them the four point lead. At that time the dunk was illegal and his hands were clearly in the cylinder on the put back. Should have been waved off.
I was sick at the end of that game. Bobby Knight later said that Alabama team was the best team they faced all year .
I don't remember much about the teams from the 70s. 1987 and this year have been my favorite years. Hopefully, Oats can put together a run like we had in 80s to early 90s.
Kent Looney played at Bama. I was at the game where CM went small ball against Kentucky against the twin towers and won in Coleman in 78. Amp Murray shut out Goose Givens. Looney started that game.
Whatley at Phillips and Richardson at Carver. I can’t remember where Gerald Crosby played.
I remember I was working in the ER at UAB when Whatley fell and broke his wrist during a game. Bartow, Wimp and Sonny were all at that game. Next thing you know, all three were in waiting room awaiting word on his injury. A pretty funny scene to be honest...
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