Jimmy Lee

[SWC75]

There used to be on the internet, on some odd site, (not You-Tube), a grainy, badly edited but fairly extensive clip of SU's win over North Carolina in the 1975 NCAA tournament. I couldn't find it but I did find this You-tube tribute to Jimmy lee, who hit the big shot in that game. Watching it, I felt Trevor Cooney could benefit from copying some of Jim's moves: the quick release, th dribble to one side, the change of pace dribble to get around his man, etc.

I couldn't find anything on the 1987 win over UNC: all the clips are the Indiana game.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I remember him well. The last shot of his career was at the buzzer in the NCAA Championship consolation game, which rolled around and out. If the Earth rotated the other direction, we would have won that game.

 

[kuethstheman]

Nice! Thanks for posting.

 

[ar inj]

Given the photo to the left, I had to comment. Thank you for the memories. He could shoot and more.

Other things I noticed, the shorts were short and the game was less physical, something I think all fans wish the game would go back to (not the shorts though)

 

[Col. Bleep]

I remember him well. The last shot of his career was at the buzzer in the NCAA Championship consolation game, which rolled around and out. If the Earth rotated the other direction, we would have won that game.

Wasn't that shot at the end of regulation?
On the radio you could hear the buzzer sound and then another 2 or 3 seconds before the ball finally fell off the rim.
We lost in OT to a great Louisville team that had just lost in OT to eventual winner UCLA.

Wish they had a 3-point line back then...Jimmy Lee woulda smoked it.
And Rudy Hackett would have had some spectacular dunks...if dunking was legal.
People don't know how good they were.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Thanks for posting the clip. Loved those teams. To be fair though I bet Cooney wished opponents covered him the same way too. Amazing looking back how much the physicality has increased to today's level. Most of his shots on that clip look to be well within the arc and defenses sure don't extend like they do now. Tough to compare players from other eras offensively without comparing them defensively. How many current D1 teams could get away with a 6'2" shooting guard anymore? He would have to be a pg now. Wonder how many current players would foul out in the first half if they went back in time though too?

 

[OrangePA]

What a sweet shot Jimmy Lee had.

One of the really great Syracuse University Basketball players.

 

[kuethstheman]

Thanks for posting the clip. Loved those teams. To be fair though I bet Cooney wished opponents covered him the same way too. Amazing looking back how much the physicality has increased to today's level. Most of his shots on that clip look to be well within the arc and defenses sure don't extend like they do now. Tough to compare players from other eras offensively without comparing them defensively. How many current D1 teams could get away with a 6'2" shooting guard anymore? He would have to be a pg now. Wonder how many current players would foul out in the first half if they went back in time though too?

Physical or not, there was some baaad defense on Jimmy Lee in that video.

 

[SWC75]

Given the photo to the left, I had to comment. Thank you for the memories. He could shoot and more.

Other things I noticed, the shorts were short and the game was less physical, something I think all fans wish the game would go back to (not the shorts though)

I liked the shorts. Players looked more athletic and trim then in the current, baggy pants days.

 

[SWC75]

Thanks for posting the clip. Loved those teams. To be fair though I bet Cooney wished opponents covered him the same way too. Amazing looking back how much the physicality has increased to today's level. Most of his shots on that clip look to be well within the arc and defenses sure don't extend like they do now. Tough to compare players from other eras offensively without comparing them defensively. How many current D1 teams could get away with a 6'2" shooting guard anymore? He would have to be a pg now. Wonder how many current players would foul out in the first half if they went back in time though too?

Cooney isn't that much taller than Lee. Probably a lot stronger, though.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Physical or not, there was some baaad defense on Jimmy Lee in that video.

Makes me wonder if it was the refereeing in that era that controlled and dictated the hands off defense too? The college game was more one of quickness, passing, ball skills, conditioning than the game of power, strength, length, playing through contact that we see now.

 

[SWC75]

Wasn't that shot at the end of regulation?
On the radio you could hear the buzzer sound and then another 2 or 3 seconds before the ball finally fell off the rim.
We lost in OT to a great Louisville team that had just lost in OT to eventual winner UCLA.

Wish they had a 3-point line back then...Jimmy Lee woulda smoked it.
And Rudy Hackett would have had some spectacular dunks...if dunking was legal.
People don't know how good they were.

I don't recall a lot of what would now be three pointers, (that would be more Kid Kohls). The line didn't matter then so Jimmy just looked for an open shot. Why go deep? Most of his jumpers were in the 15-20 foot range. I'd guess one to the shots in the clip would be a trey. Of course, with the line, Jimmy might have changed his game to account for it.

 

[RoysRunts]

Jimmy had more picks set for him in 1 Game than Cooney has had since he's been at SU, (Thank's Roy)

 

[Cheriehoop]

Cooney isn't that much taller than Lee. Probably a lot stronger, though.

2 inch and 33 lb difference. The PG, Bug Williams was just 5'10". Not zone friendly size for sure.

 

[RoysRunts]

Called in a radio show many years ago and asked BoeHeim if there were any Video's of St Bona/Lasalle/UNC/KState He said not that he knew of. I'll always remember that Charge Play at the end that Dean Smith set up on the SU Inbound pass,I only saw it used 3 times in College BBall all three times by Dean Smith , All 3 times the refs didn't call it.. Ask Kevin King or Steve Shaw if they know of any Tapes

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think I remember JB using an out of bounds defense where the inbound target ran over an SU player at an end of game situation - we got the call. I think I remember a BC game where a charge call against Andre Hawkins sending Michael Adams to the line, cost us a game too.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Wasn't that shot at the end of regulation?
On the radio you could hear the buzzer sound and then another 2 or 3 seconds before the ball finally fell off the rim.
We lost in OT to a great Louisville team that had just lost in OT to eventual winner UCLA.

Wish they had a 3-point line back then...Jimmy Lee woulda smoked it.
And Rudy Hackett would have had some spectacular dunks...if dunking was legal.
People don't know how good they were.

You are right--end of regulation.

 

[llandz]

I was dancing in the Muscular Dystrophy dance contest at SU that weekend. They bought in a little black and white TV and we gathered around and watched that game while dancing. And boy did we dance after that game was over!! One of my favorite SU basketball memories.
I listened to the consolation game in my car radio parked behind Bird library in that little circle drive through part. I remember sitting there at night listening. It was not on TV.

 

[jgeorge322]

I know mr lee well. Grew up 2 houses down from him. Great guy. He used to have a chain net on his hoop in the front yard. I can still remember the sound it made of him splashing free throw after free throw.

 

[TexanMark]

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jim-lee/15/320/16b

 

[OrangePA]

Physical or not, there was some baaad defense on Jimmy Lee in that video.

I'm no scientist, but if I recall correctly Jimmy Lee shot about 90% from the FT line for three years.

And as far as I can recall, we haven't had anybody as good or as cool under pressure during the ensuing forty years.

He was a great player who knew how to play the game.

The same holds true for Mike Lee and Mark Wadach - the guys who seemed to truly usher in the modern program.

 

[Consigliere]

There used to be on the internet, on some odd site, (not You-Tube), a grainy, badly edited but fairly extensive clip of SU's win over North Carolina in the 1975 NCAA tournament. I couldn't find it but I did find this You-tube tribute to Jimmy lee, who hit the big shot in that game. Watching it, I felt Trevor Cooney could benefit from copying some of Jim's moves: the quick release, th dribble to one side, the change of pace dribble to get around his man, etc.

I couldn't find anything on the 1987 win over UNC: all the clips are the Indiana game.

Saw Jimmy at the BC football game. He used to have hoops season tickets right in front of me but moved a couple of years ago. Last I knew he was in the Southern Tier working for Mirabito.

 

[OrangePA]

Saw Jimmy at the BC football game. He used to have hoops season tickets right in front of me but moved a couple of years ago. Last I knew he was in the Southern Tier working for Mirabito.

He's in Syracuse.

Very support of the Athletic Department.