Yeah whittenburg never played in the NBA. Sidney lowe did for a couple of years or so. Thurl Bailey was better than a journeyman. He was the 6th man of the year and also averaged like 19 a game once or twice. He was a damn good player.
Yes, it looks like Bailey did have a good long career. I was just going off memory (which is clearly a bit dusty). Although, I don't recall him being a big part of any playoff push, so maybe that's why I thought he was a journeyman. I guess we could get into a debate about what that terms means but anyway.... Looks like Whittenburg was in fact drafted by the Suns, but it appears that his NBA career did not go much beyond that. And Charles was in some sort of auto accident that ended his life.
You know it's interesting that not too many remember that first trip to the Final Four. Lost to UNC IIRC. Nor do they remember the Coogs star in those days: the mercurial guard Rob Williams. I was always a bit surprised that Williams never made a splash in the NBA. And, IIRC, not too many remember that Akeem/Hakeem was on that Rob Williams team too.....I think I'm correct about that, but I'm going off memory. Edit: Just now remembered that Rob Williams passed away a few years ago. Did play for the Nuggets for a couple of seasons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Williams_(basketball)
When you size up who was on both teams, NC State was the underdog but not by as much as people make them out to be. They played in a very tough conference and they beat the Jordan led national champs to get into the tourney. They were big. They were well coached. They were seasoned. They had a great backcourt, similar to ours right now. They were playing with a chip like we are now. They had really good players! The Coogs absolutely shoulda won but that matchup was bad for us. A lot of people don’t remember or never knew that the very next season, we opened the season with a loss to.......NC State. Even with the huge revenge factor, they beat us again. That NC State team was very very good and finally peaking. They were hungry. Houston was on a 25 game winning streak and crushing everyone. Perfect storm for the upset. It still kills me that Guy Lewis played into their hands after we grabbed a 7 point lead. Unbelievable to this day.
Both Pryor and Jackson had "head/hair catching on fire" incidents. In the case of Pryor (at least), I believe it was drug related. He was trying to light something off the stove flame, IIRC.
Some very good analysis. I couldn't remember the next-season loss to NC State. I think the whole thing was kinda one of those traumas that your mind just buries. Seriously, I was 15 or 16 at the time, and was so wrapped up in it, and geeked on Phi Slama Jama, and I thought the Cougars were destined. You might remember those Cougars that were slapping the court floor in horrific dismay, wailing, after the 'ship loss to NC State. That's what I felt like.
Yeah, that first trip, the Cougars were the clear underdog. UNC had Michael Jordan and Jame Worthy. Akeem was a freshman, just beginning to learn the game. Remember him saying, "All I want is donk and donk and donk." Rob Williams turned pro after that and the Coogs actually got better.
So unfortunate that Guy will forever be remembered with that mistake. Great coach. If college ball had shot clock in those days, we would have won.
If you read Hakeem's book, "The Air up There" (IIRC), he pretty much absolves Guy V of this loss. Yes, Guy V went to the "four corners," but there were times, during those times, when players had good shots and passed them up.....
There are some CLUELESS people on here. First, Guy V didn't play into anyone's hands. The team was running on fumes after the Louisville game, which was a freaking track meet (throw in the altitude). Next Guy V wasn't the one missing all those damn free throws. MY missed 4, Benny 3, AF 1 (and most of these were front ends of 1 and 1). Drexler had four first half fouls and when the Coogs went on the run to go ahead it pretty much wiped the Dream out who had checked out numerous times to get oxygen. That said, instead of being excited and enjoying this yrs team (and birth in the sweet 16) some of you bozos want to talk about this ****? Whatever floats your boat....
Should change handle to "The Snark." Some of us like remembering about the Cougars when we were kids. Even the painful memories.
NC state had to win an extra game to get there. They were playing in the same altitude. You act like you’re bringing new info to the table. You’re not.
It wasn't the four corners that beat us that night it was missing the front end of 7 one and ones. NC State had survived over and over by fouling teams when they got behind and it paid of because they kept winning. I know most won't realize this, but the next year they put in the 10th team foul became automatic 2 free throws because of what they did during that tournament run.
Not making our free throws, other than Davis, has been causing us problems this year as well. I cringe whenever we get into those one and one foul situations if someone other than Davis goes to the line. Last year's team was better at the free throw line but I guess that was because either Rob Gray or Davis were shooting the majority of the free throws.
Sampson has said on more than one occasion you are much better free throw shooting teams when your best free throw shooters shoot the majority of your free throws. Brooks is the head scratcher that dude is too good of a shooter to be 63% at the line. White is 67% which is not bad for a college big. Galen is around 65% abd although its not good for a guard he is much improved he was god awful a couple years ago. The team is at 70% for the season which isn't bad I don't think. FWIW only 3 teams still remaining are in the top 50 in free throw percentage.
BTW did anyone see where Georgia State's Head BB Coach Ron Hunter is about to become Tulane's HC? He was the one that referred to our HC as grandpa. It will be interesting to see how he does. I hope the powers that control the checkbook at UH are able to keep Sampson here. After the success he has had here rebuilding our BB program I am sure he will be in high demand during the offseason.
