1975 Montana versus UCLA

[Proud Griz Man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fGDyZ8C6Hg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Ursa Major]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fGDyZ8C6Hg

Nice! I haven't watched this game since it originally aired almost 39 years ago.

 

[Maynardsgametrail]

Thanks for posting.

Funny stuff, My 5 year old son saw me watching this and asked, "Why are they wearing underwear?" :thumb:

 

[EverettGriz]

Great find! Thanks.

 

[Ursa Major]

Thanks for posting.

Funny stuff, My 5 year old son saw me watching this and asked, "Why are they wearing underwear?" :thumb:

I hope you gave that punk a good caning!

Daisy Duke

 

[Grizzly Oredigger]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a 27 year old lifelong griz fan and have never seen any of this game, even though I know all about it

 

[citygriz]

many comments on this, other than the "underwear:"

--over the past several years in basketball, the improvement in defense is off the charts. eric hays played at 6'3" yet was able to get open shot after open shot--even though he clearly had the hot hand. could he possibly have done that against the syracuse zone, or against so many of the trapping pressure defenses that we see today? i doubt it.

--any time you have a dominant center, you are going to be in almost any game. ken mckenzie is one of the all-time best at montana, so ucla's big guys could not dominate inside. (last night, with a chance to set an nba record for consecutive wins on the road in one trip (7), golden state jumped out to a 16-point lead on brooklyn. then andrew bogut sat down, the middle opened up, and brooklyn erased the lead in a matter of minutes.) ya gotta dominate in the paint--as we are learning the hard way with this year's team.

--for all the talent on the floor, montana had the player who would arguably emerge as the the best pro on either team, micheal ray. (okay, maybe marques johnson, but micheal ray might have been better even than him.) and yet in this game, micheal was a true freshman, and had very little impact. oh, had he been a year or two older!

--historical note, via my grandfather. this was wooden's last ucla team, and it went on to win another championship, even without alcindor (jabbar) or walton.

--to this day, i wonder what the outcome would have been if the ucla uniforms had read "boise state" rather than "ucla." there must have been a point late in the game when our kids were thinking, "we have a chance to beat...who again?"

 

[Grizbeer]

--to this day, i wonder what the outcome would have been if the ucla uniforms had read "boise state" rather than "ucla." there must have been a point late in the game when our kids were thinking, "we have a chance to beat...who again?"

I wonder what the outcome would have been if the Ref hadn't flattened Hays near the end of the game. :shock: And watching MRR again reminded me of will Cherry against New Mexico - not in talent level, but in confidence and exuberance, plus frosh mistakes (and Hays reminded me of Criswell, pure hustle).

the thing that really stood out watching that game again is how many Montana kids were on that team.

 

[citygriz]

i too would like to see more montanans on our team. but even back then, our key players in that game were from out of state--eric hays and tim stambaugh (oregon), ken mckenzie (canada) and of course micheal ray (colorado.) montana's population simply cannot supply two state schools playing division one basketball.

 

[BelierPeaux]

i too would like to see more montanans on our team. but even back then, our key players in that game were from out of state--eric hays and tim stambaugh (oregon), ken mckenzie (canada) and of course micheal ray (colorado.) montana's population simply cannot supply two state schools playing division one basketball.

Is Ken related to Bob and Doug?

 

[GrizLA]

As a loyal alumnus and fan of the Griz since 1966-67, I think it is kind of sad that one of the greatest memories of UM athletics is a surprisingly close LOSS to a good team, 35+ years ago. Is that a metaphor for UM? Close is good, losing is ok depending upon to whom UM loses to?

 

[cclarkblues]

i too would like to see more montanans on our team. but even back then, our key players in that game were from out of state--eric hays and tim stambaugh (oregon), ken mckenzie (canada) and of course micheal ray (colorado.) montana's population simply cannot supply two state schools playing division one basketball.

Is Ken related to Bob and Doug?

 

[cclarkblues]

As a loyal alumnus and fan of the Griz since 1966-67, I think it is kind of sad that one of the greatest memories of UM athletics is a surprisingly close LOSS to a good team, 35+ years ago. Is that a metaphor for UM? Close is good, losing is ok depending upon to whom UM loses to?

I would say UCLA was better than good and as great a dynasty that I can remember in college sports, but I would like to see something a little more current also.

 

[UMGriz75]

That was one of those "movie" seasons. I can't remember if I wrote the local campus coverage of the game, assigned it to a reporter, or where I was at in the process, I would have to go back and look; but I remember listening to the game and how exciting it was. I mean good grief, JOHN WOODEN! UCLA!

Among other fallout from the game, a young fellow named Jim O'Day resolved to attend the University of Montana.

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2012/11/jim-oday-why-i-chose-missoula/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The hero of the game, Eric Hays, followed his coach to UM from WSU where he had been a starter; Jud Heathcote. He even has his own Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Hays" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Heathcote remembers Wooden's graciousness: "Don't talk about how we didn't play. Talk about how Montana played." -- from the book "Jud: A Magical Journey," by Jud Heathcote.

http://books.google.com/books?id=RkItAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1934&lpg=PA1934&dq=john+wooden+eric+hays&source=bl&ots=awgLmSOoyK&sig=GYie11-h5AarbTRjxaJEnBXVMI4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=i-7RUuLIDNL2oATYm4CAAg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=john%20wooden%20eric%20hays&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.amazon.com/Jud-Magical-Journey-Heathcote-ebook/dp/B0080K3NDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389490064&sr=8-1&keywords=Jud+a+magical+journey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

As a loyal alumnus and fan of the Griz since 1966-67, I think it is kind of sad that one of the greatest memories of UM athletics is a surprisingly close LOSS to a good team, 35+ years ago. Is that a metaphor for UM? Close is good, losing is ok depending upon to whom UM loses to?

I would say UCLA was better than good and as great a dynasty that I can remember in college sports,..

Some sort of consolation is the fact that UCLA defeated Michigan 103 - 91 previously to having to play the Griz, and then Arizona St 89 - 75 directly afterwards.

The only other team that came closer to defeating UCLA on their way to the 1975 NCAA Championship was in the Final Four against Denny Crum's Louisville team; going into OT in a 75 - 74 win. That game is rated #18 in all time great games played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. UCLA defeated Kentucky 92 - 85 for the championship.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

i too would like to see more montanans on our team. but even back then, our key players in that game were from out of state--eric hays and tim stambaugh (oregon), ken mckenzie (canada) and of course micheal ray (colorado.) montana's population simply cannot supply two state schools playing division one basketball.

Is Ken related to Bob and Doug?

Towell off hoser! Well, ok, you may be right on that one eh. They might be his beer drinkin' cousins that couldn't make it out of the great white north eh?

 

[GrizPony]

As a loyal alumnus and fan of the Griz since 1966-67, I think it is kind of sad that one of the greatest memories of UM athletics is a surprisingly close LOSS to a good team, 35+ years ago. Is that a metaphor for UM? Close is good, losing is ok depending upon to whom UM loses to?

Yeah so true. Since 1975 your hometown heroes have only won 1 National Championship. So sad. :?

 

[Proud Griz Man]

A different cut of highlights, posted via the BSC's top 50 history

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUv8PhzMBOE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;