Sports Then and Now

With March Madness cancelled, the entire sports world on pause and many public gatherings and places across the country and globe closed due to the COVID-19 virus, there are only so many shows on Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming channels that we can watch before sports withdrawals are surely to kick in.

Fortunately, YouTube is home to a plethora of vintage sporting events that can help pass the time before live sports return.

In part 1 of a multi-part series, Sports Then and Now has selected 10 vintage conference tournament games that include some of the all-time moments and players in college basketball history. For each one we have included the records, rankings, coaches and notable players at the time of the game, but are not spoiling the game with a summary in case you don’t remember the outcome and want to enjoy the moment without spoilers.

The fun part about watching vintage games is that it includes the original announcers, as well as showcasing some players who went on to greatness often before they had become household names, or as they were building their reputation. Players like Patrick Ewing, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Ralph Sampson, Tim Duncan, Jerry Stackhouse and many more are included in our selections.

There are certainly other great games to watch on YouTube, but we have chosen these partly because the entire game is available and the game epitomized the excitement of March Madness.

Enjoy!

1983 ACC Tournament Championship Game – Virginia vs. North Carolina State

Records Entering Game: Virginia 27-3; North Carolina State: 19-10

National Ranking: Virginia #2; North Carolina State unranked

Coaches: UVA: Terry Holland; North Carolina State: Jim Valvano

Notable Players: UVA – Ralph Sampson, Othell Wilson, Ricky Stokes, Rick Carlisle; NC State – Thurl Bailey, Sidney Lowe, Lorenzo Charles, Dereck Whittenburg, Terry Gannon

1984 ACC Tournament Semifinal – Wake Forest vs. Maryland

Records Entering Game: Wake Forest 21-7;  Maryland: 21-7

National Ranking: Wake Forest #19; Maryland #14

Coaches: Wake Forest: Carl Tacy; Maryland: Lefty Driesell

Notable Players: Wake Forest: Kenny Green, Anthony Teachey, Delaney Rudd, Danny Young, Muggsy Bogues; Maryland: Len Bias, Ben Coleman, Adrian Branch, Keith Gatlin, Herman Veal

1985 Big East Tournament Semifinals – Georgetown vs. Syracuse

Records Entering Game: Georgetown 28-2; Syracuse 21-7

National Ranking: Georgetown #1; Syracuse #13

Coaches: Georgetown: John Thompson; Syracuse: Jim Boeheim

Notable Players: Georgetown: Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams, David Wingate, Michael Jackson; Syracuse: Rafael Addison, Pearl Washington, Rony Seikaly

1995 SEC Championship Tournament Game – Kentucky vs. Arkansas

Records Entering Game: Kentucky  25-4; Arkansas 27-5

National Ranking: Kentucky #3; Arkansas #5

Coaches: Kentucky: Rick Pitino; Arkansas: Nolan Richardson

Notable Players: Kentucky: Tony Delk, Rodrick Rhodes, Walter McCarty, Jeff Sheppard, Antoine Walker, Scott Padgett; Arkansas: Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck, Clint McDaniel

1994 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Championship Game – James Madison vs. Old Dominion

Records Entering Game: James Madison 19-9; Old Dominion 20-8

National Ranking: James Madison: not ranked; Old Dominion: not ranked

Coaches: James Madison: Lefty Driesell; Old Dominion: Oliver Purnell

Notable Players: James Madison: Clayton Ritter, Kent Culucko, Louis Rowe, Darren McLinton; Old Dominion: Odell Hodge, Petey Sessoms, Mike Jones

2005 ACC Tournament Championship Game – Duke vs. Georgia Tech

Records Entering Game: Duke 24-5; Georgia Tech 19-10

National Ranking: Duke #5; Georgia Tech: unranked

Coaches: Duke: Mike Krzyzewski; Georgia Tech: Paul Hewitt

Notable Players: Duke: J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams, Daniel Ewing; Georgia Tech: Jarrett Jack, Will Bynum, Luke Schenscher

1996 Big East Tournament Championship Game – Georgetown vs. Connecticut

Records Entering Game: Georgetown 26-6; Connecticut 29-2

National Ranking: Georgetown #6; Connecticut #3

Coaches: Georgetown: John Thompson; Connecticut: Jim Calhoun

Notable Players: Georgetown: Allen Iverson, Othella Harrington, Jerome Williams, Jahidi White; Connecticut: Ray Allen, Doron Sheffer, Travis Knight

1995 ACC Tournament Championship Game – Wake Forest vs. North Carolina

Records Entering Game: Wake Forest 23-5; North Carolina 24-4

National Ranking: Wake Forest #7; North Carolina #5

Coaches: Wake Forest: Dave Odom; North Carolina: Dean Smith

Notable Players: Wake Forest: Randolph Childress, Tim Duncan, Rusty LaRue, Travis Banks; North Carolina: Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Donald Williams, Jeff McInnis, Pat Sullivan

2009 Big East Tournament Quarterfinals – Syracuse vs. Connecticut

Records Entering Game: Syracuse 24-8; Connecticut 27-3

National Ranking: Syracuse #18; Connecticut #3

Coaches: Syracuse: Jim Boeheim; Connecticut: Jim Calhoun

Notable Players: Syracuse: Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, Paul Harris, Arinze Onuako   Connecticut: A.J. Price, Kemba Walker, Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet

2014 Big Ten Tournament Semifinals – Ohio State vs. Michigan

Records Entering Game: Ohio State 25-8; Michigan 24-7

National Ranking: Ohio State #24 ; Michigan #8

Coaches: Ohio State: Thad Matta; Michigan: John Beilein

Notable Players: Ohio State: LaQuinton Ross, Lenzelle Smith, Aaron Craft; Michigan: Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson, Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton