3 Best Big Sky Teams from 60s/70s

[Atlanta Griz1]

In my opinion, the Big Sky Conference of the 1960s/1970s was at it pinnacle then. We had some very good teams in that era, who ranked in the top 25 nationally. Perhaps the best 3 teams from that era were, in no particular order:

1) the 1975 Griz

2) the 1967-68 Weber State team. They were ranked as high as #4 nationally at one one. Star players were Willie Sojoerner (sp), Sessions Harlan, Justice Thigpen Sr., and Larry Berg. I remember how they intimidated during their pre-game warm-ups. Their lay-up drill was a dunk-fest, with every player on the team trying to out-do the others with creative dunks. The Montana players warming up on the other end just looked wide-eyed at the spectacle.

3) the Idaho State Bengals around 1977-78 time frame. They had 4 starters who played in the NBA from that team, including a 7-footer named Steve Hayes, and 6'10" power forward named Greg Cook, and two others whose names I don't remember.

Any old-timers wanting to add comments or memories are encouraged.

 

[Kabooom]

.....You might want to think about the Idaho Vandal Team with Don/Monson as their Head Coach....Late 70's/Early 80'S ERA. There was a nice article in Sports Illustrated on them and their Top 10 ranking....around 4th in the nation at one point in that season if memory serves me correctly....lol. The Sports Illustrated article has a picture in it showing a rural Idaho Bar/Resturant with an old lit-up card-type billboard out by the Hi-way...(popular in that era) that read....Idaho-3 Pac Ten-0, as the Vandals were currently undefeated in pre conference play against the the Big Boys from the PAC.....

Quality of Big Sky B-Ball back then.....I'm thinking is about what the West Coast Conf is today...

The Griz...

Started out as an Independent

Switched to the Pac Coast Conf. in the mid 20's( Now the Pac 12)
Butte Mines were going STRONG. Prohibition??....lollololol ....Labor /Unions on top of their game...
Then...

Switched to the Skyline Conf. in the early 50's(Now the Mountain West) Berkley Pit opens in the mid 50's...
The Anaconda Co. Now busting at the seams with copper down in South America....Has turned its back on the hard rock miners
To...

The Big Sky Conf.1963 (money issues/always getting our asses kicked in the two above mentioned Conferences/State Regents/Politics dumming the Griz down to a Kinder...softer....animal....as to better compete with the former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe MSU)
On a Positive Note.......TeePee burners are still burning at Midnite throughout Missoula, and the Dumas over in Butte is still has its lamp on.....

 

[AllWeatherFan]

.....You might want to think about the Idaho Vandal Team with Don/Monson as their Head Coach....Late 70's/Early 80'S ERA. There was a nice article in Sports Illustrated on them and their Top 10 ranking....around 4th in the nation at one point in that season if memory serves me correctly....lol. The Sports Illustrated article has a picture in it showing a rural Idaho Bar/Resturant with an old lit-up card-type billboard out by the Hi-way...(popular in that era) that read....Idaho-3 Pac Ten-0, as the Vandals were currently undefeated in pre conference play against the the Big Boys from the PAC.....

Quality of Big Sky B-Ball back then.....I'm thinking is about what the West Coast Conf is today...

The Griz...

Started out as an Independent

Switched to the Pac Coast Conf. in the mid 20's( Now the Pac 12)
Butte Mines were going STRONG. Prohibition??....lollololol ....Labor /Unions on top of their game...
Then...

Switched to the Skyline Conf. in the early 50's(Now the Mountain West) Berkley Pit opens in the mid 50's...
The Anaconda Co. Now busting at the seams with copper down in South America....Has turned its back on the hard rock miners
To...

The Big Sky Conf.1963 (money issues/always getting our asses kicked in the two above mentioned Conferences/State Regents/Politics dumming the Griz down to a Kinder...softer....animal....as to better compete with the former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe MSU)
On a Positive Note.......TeePee burners are still burning strong at Midnite throughout Missoula.

Dude.

You were four years old in 1963, and you weren't even born yet in the early 50's, so stop talking like you're some old guy like Spanky!

[Just kidding, Spanky.]

Tell me, young fella...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Kabooom]

.....You might want to think about the Idaho Vandal Team with Don/Monson as their Head Coach....Late 70's/Early 80'S ERA. There was a nice article in Sports Illustrated on them and their Top 10 ranking....around 4th in the nation at one point in that season if memory serves me correctly....lol. The Sports Illustrated article has a picture in it showing a rural Idaho Bar/Resturant with an old lit-up card-type billboard out by the Hi-way...(popular in that era) that read....Idaho-3 Pac Ten-0, as the Vandals were currently undefeated in pre conference play against the the Big Boys from the PAC.....

Quality of Big Sky B-Ball back then.....I'm thinking is about what the West Coast Conf is today...

The Griz...

Started out as an Independent

Switched to the Pac Coast Conf. in the mid 20's( Now the Pac 12)
Butte Mines were going STRONG. Prohibition??....lollololol ....Labor /Unions on top of their game...
Then...

Switched to the Skyline Conf. in the early 50's(Now the Mountain West) Berkley Pit opens in the mid 50's...
The Anaconda Co. Now busting at the seams with copper down in South America....Has turned its back on the hard rock miners
To...

The Big Sky Conf.1963 (money issues/always getting our asses kicked in the two above mentioned Conferences/State Regents/Politics dumming the Griz down to a Kinder...softer....animal....as to better compete with the former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe MSU)
On a Positive Note.......TeePee burners are still burning strong at Midnite throughout Missoula.

Dude.

You were four years old in 1963, and you weren't even born yet in the early 50's, so stop talking like you're some old guy like Spanky!

[Just kidding, Spanky.]

Tell me, young fella...

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

.....What would your mother say....... :lol:

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Idaho lost to Montana on a Doug Selvig tip-in two-pointer with less than 10 seconds left

“Greatest season in Vandal basketball history.” The 1981-82 Vandal men’s basketball team went 27-3, repeated as Big Sky champions and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA Tournament after beating Iowa on a buzzer-beater in overtime. The team started the season 16-0, including a win at the Far West Classic in Portland, Ore., over Oregon, Oregon State and Iowa State. The team finished the regular season with an overall record of 25-2, losing the two games by a combined four points. The Vandals won every home game, extending their home winning streak to 35 games. The team won the Big Sky tournament and regular season titles. The 1981-82 team’s 27 wins is a team record, while their .900 win percentage is also the best-ever at Idaho. Head coach Don Monson won Big Sky and Kodak Division I Coach of the Year honors for that season, Phil Hopson and Brian Kellerman earned All-Big Sky honors, Ken Owens earned Big Sky Tournament MVP honors and Kellerman and Gordie Herbert earned All-Tournament Team honors. When the Big Sky announced its 25th Anniversary Team, two members of the 1981-82 squad, Kellerman and Owens, were named to the team.

.....You might want to think about the Idaho Vandal Team with Don/Monson as their Head Coach....Late 70's/Early 80'S ERA. There was a nice article in Sports Illustrated on them and their Top 10 ranking....around 4th in the nation at one point in that season if memory serves me correctly....lol. The Sports Illustrated article has a picture in it showing a rural Idaho Bar/Resturant with an old lit-up card-type billboard out by the Hi-way...(popular in that era) that read....Idaho-3 Pac Ten-0, as the Vandals were currently undefeated in pre conference play against the the Big Boys from the PAC

 

[ordigger]

In my opinion, the Big Sky Conference of the 1960s/1970s was at it pinnacle then. We had some very good teams in that era, who ranked in the top 25 nationally. Perhaps the best 3 teams from that era were, in no particular order:

1) the 1975 Griz

2) the 1967-68 Weber State team. They were ranked as high as #4 nationally at one one. Star players were Willie Sojoerner (sp), Sessions Harlan, Justice Thigpen Sr., and Larry Berg. I remember how they intimidated during their pre-game warm-ups. Their lay-up drill was a dunk-fest, with every player on the team trying to out-do the others with creative dunks. The Montana players warming up on the other end just looked wide-eyed at the spectacle.

3) the Idaho State Bengals around 1977-78 time frame. They had 4 starters who played in the NBA from that team, including a 7-footer named Steve Hayes, and 6'10" power forward named Greg Cook, and two others whose names I don't remember.

Any old-timers wanting to add comments or memories are encouraged.

It was the 1976-77 team that went 25-5, featuring Steve Hayes who averaged 20 pts/11 boards a game - along with Cook and Greg Griffin who also started. No others actually played a NBA game - although they may have gotten a look. Ed Thompson and Brand Robinson were other two starters.

They beat Long Beach State, and UCLA before falling to UNLV in the Regional Finals.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/idaho-state/1977.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.cgi?college=idahost

The 1968-69 WSU team went 15-0 in conference, 27-3 during the year but I can find no record of being ranked, at least by the AP. Their regular season losses were to West Texas A&M, and Seattle (both of whom they beat later in the year). They loss to Santa Clara in the West Regional Semi Final

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/weber-state/1969-schedule.html

The first Weber team I can find ranked during Big Sky play was the 1979-80 which finished the season 17th.

 

[Atlanta Griz1]

In my opinion, the Big Sky Conference of the 1960s/1970s was at it pinnacle then. We had some very good teams in that era, who ranked in the top 25 nationally. Perhaps the best 3 teams from that era were, in no particular order:

1) the 1975 Griz

2) the 1967-68 Weber State team. They were ranked as high as #4 nationally at one one. Star players were Willie Sojoerner (sp), Sessions Harlan, Justice Thigpen Sr., and Larry Berg. I remember how they intimidated during their pre-game warm-ups. Their lay-up drill was a dunk-fest, with every player on the team trying to out-do the others with creative dunks. The Montana players warming up on the other end just looked wide-eyed at the spectacle.

3) the Idaho State Bengals around 1977-78 time frame. They had 4 starters who played in the NBA from that team, including a 7-footer named Steve Hayes, and 6'10" power forward named Greg Cook, and two others whose names I don't remember.

Any old-timers wanting to add comments or memories are encouraged.

It was the 1976-77 team that went 25-5, featuring Steve Hayes who averaged 20 pts/11 boards a game - along with Cook and Greg Griffin who also started. No others actually played a NBA game - although they may have gotten a look. Ed Thompson and Brand Robinson were other two starters.

They beat Long Beach State, and UCLA before falling to UNLV in the Regional Finals.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/idaho-state/1977.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.cgi?college=idahost

The 1968-69 WSU team went 15-0 in conference, 27-3 during the year but I can find no record of being ranked, at least by the AP. Their regular season losses were to West Texas A&M, and Seattle (both of whom they beat later in the year). They loss to Santa Clara in the West Regional Semi Final

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/weber-state/1969-schedule.html

The first Weber team I can find ranked during Big Sky play was the 1979-80 which finished the season 17th.

Greg Griffin played one season for the Phoenix Suns (see link)

Ed Thompson broke his ankle in pre-season for an NBA team (can not recall which one), and was cut.

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Greg-Griffin/NBA/65521/Career/By_Split