What Player(s) Got You Hooked On College Basketball?

[ClonesTwenty1]

Sullivan, Stinson, Vroman(RIP), Blalock, Homan.

I really would have enjoyed seeing what the duo of Stinson and Blalock could have did with a decent coach and coaching staff.

 

[deadeyededric]

For me it was guys like Victor Alexander and Justus Thigpen.

 

[Thomasrickj]

I grew up in the DC area and didn't really follow ISU until I was in high school. Growing up Allen Iverson at Georgetown (my mom worked for Georgetown University before she retired so I was always a fan of them) got me into college ball. He was such a rare specimen and couldn't be stopped. I was 8 when I first remember watching him in college and being mesmerized.

Glen Rice got me into basketball overall. I remember watching the NBA when I was 5 or 6 and a Heat game was on. He had such a ridiculous shot and played such a nice mid range game in addition to his smooth outside shot.

 

[Randoo49er]

Initially, my Dad introduced me to what I call the Big 3: football, basketball & baseball. Then the high school and Jr. college teams took over when I was in elementary school & on up.

 

[CloneSt8]

Okay, I admit that I am an old codger. But I remember the fun the students in the north "balcony" of the old armory had with the "Jerry Kloster Fan Club". "Best third string center in America!" (Hope I spelled his name right). Fans would go nuts if Jerry got into the game.

Other names from my era were John McGonagall, Raul Duarte (6'-9" from Peru), another guy who was pretty good - Don Smith (Zaid Abdul-Aziz), Bill Cain, ...

 

[ClonerJams]

Cato and Pratt.

 

[mb7299]

Probably misspelling it but I loved watching Eduardo najera. ISU player was Kenny Pratt. Honestly players like that weren't super talented but they kicked the others teams butt by outworking every one doing the dirty work.

 

[deadeyededric]

Probably misspelling it but I loved watching Eduardo najera. ISU player was Kenny Pratt. Honestly players like that weren't super talented but they kicked the others teams butt by outworking every one doing the dirty work.

Another OU guy that was really good in the 90's was Ryan Minor. Played baseball for them too. He actually passed away last year.

 

[cytor]

The 1986 team that beat Michigan in the metrodome. Hornacek, Grayer, Hill, Thompkins, etc

 

[mitten1975]

I was in the Hornacek, Jeff Grayer, era. I was watching when Grayer was injured in pro-basketball, and I always kept a close tab on both he and Hornacek. They were two extremely smart players.

 

[singsing]

I grew up wrestling and didn't pay much attention to basketball until college. Started playing pick up games with friends and eventually started mixing with some of the players. Born, Terry Woods, Doerfeld. Born worked camps with Manning so he was up visiting quite a bit. Cool dude. Probably my favorite non ISU player. Fred was in high school and went to a few of his Ames ball games. Had a few dinners at the Hoibergs. Fred's mom was a good cook. Anyway, been hooked since, but I still follow the wrestling just as much. I'd say it was Born though.

 

[JRE1975]

Showing my age.

I first got interested in college basketball when Drake had the final 4 run while I was playing high school basketball and thought it was cool that a small school team from Iowa could make it that far.

I went to school at Iowa State in the early 70's and I only remember going to one game while a student. Became a season ticket holder the second year of Orr and I have had tickets ever since! That 86 team really got me going to most games, but the Lafester Iowa game got me to contribute money to move to better seats!

 

[Drew0311]

Another OU guy that was really good in the 90's was Ryan Minor. Played baseball for them too. He actually passed away last year.

You probably know but he got the start at 3rd base to end Cal Ripkins streak

 

[mikeiastat]

Jess Settles *ducks*. For ISU it was Stinson, Blalock and Vroman.

Which decade of Jess settles? Wasn't he like 35 by the time he retired from Hawkeye basketball. Oh wait he still blowing smoke up our ass about how good the big 10 and iowa are. Is he still on the payroll?

 

[LarryISU]

I imagine others have said it, but Pistol Pete. I don't recall being aware of college basketball until he came onto the scene at LSU. He was a "must watch."

 

[mikeiastat]

Really Dedrick Willoughby, but an honorable mention to Kenny Prat and Shawn Bankhead from back in the Emmerson/Larch days.

Used to box in their dorm room and discovered my lifelong love of whiskey when they offered me a "can" of soda with straight rocket fuel in it.

 

[ISUTex]

Patrick Ewing and Jeff Grayer.

 

[ISUTex]

Grew up in KC hating KU. Don't really remember the '88 KU championship, but know KU fans were insufferable. Vaguely remember the 1989 Michigan vs. Seton Hall game, but it really ramped up in the Early 90s. UNLV and Duke in that era were great, which brought in the Fab Five Era. I adopted Duke as my team in that era. Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, etc. By the time I went to ISU in the mid 90s I was hooked on NCAA basketball and the tourney and it was a nice era to be a Cyclone Fan as well. Dedrick Willouby, Kelvin Cato, Fizer, Tinsley eras. Always easy to root against Roy Williams as he represented the enemy of my enemies at KU and UNC. NCAA March madness is the Best Sporting Event of the year.

That 1990 UNLV team was one the best college teams I've ever seen. They just manhandled Duke in the final.

 

[CloneFanInKC]

Stealing a conversation from The Drive on KXNO yesterday as I thought it was a good topic. What player or players first got you hooked on college basketball? Doesn't even have to be Iowa State players either could be any player or moment that you remember as when you started to follow college basketball on a bigger level. Can even include women's players too if you want.

For me probably was the Hoiberg and Loren Meyer team that got me hooked on ISU basketball and the Willougby/Cato team too. When I went "all in" hooked was definitely my freshman year in college in 1998 with Marcus Fizer and I loved watching Michael Nurse on that team too. I've had season tickets every year since 1998 minus the lost year during COVID when only a select few could get into games during 20-21 and I'm probably thankful I didn't have to sit through that 2 win season as I've seen some rough years before but not nearly as bad as that one was.

For the women I didn't watch or follow them at all until my freshman year in college and Angie Welle was probably that player that kept me going to games as she was a freshman that year too but Stacy Freese and Megan Taylor were fun to watch then as well. ESPN+ has been great to be able to catch their games now as I don't have the time to commit to season tickets to both them and the men. I still try to make it to a few women's games most years if I can.

Big Vic, Thigpen, Grayer and the first Bulls dynasty.

 

[CyclonePigskin]

The ‘68-‘69 Drake Bulldog team: McCarter, Wise, Draper, PullIan, Wanamaker. Won the Valley and took UCLA and Lew Alcindor/Kareem down to the wire in the NCAA semi-finals. As I recall televised games back then were rare for all but the “blue bloods“ prior to the NCAA tourney, and that was far from comprehensive, so I followed them mostly through the sports pages.