the moments that "make" final 4 teams

[Shark58]

nice article on espn about when each of this year's FF teams had the "moment" where it clicked in that they could make it this far

The moment that brought each team to the Final Four

btween 75, 87, 96,03, 13 & 16 we have 6 teams that made it this deep.

iyho, what were their "moments"?

 

[PoppyHart]

In '03 it was beating MSU on the road.

Last year, it occurred with about 10 seconds left in the Regional Final.

 

[Briancuse]

In '03 it was beating MSU on the road.

Last year, it occurred with about 10 seconds left in the Regional Final.

You could point to the Msu game, I thought it was the Pitt game in the dome.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Shutting down Indiana in 2013.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

In '03 I'd honestly say beating #2 Pitt in the "triple court storm game", specifically Jeremy McNeil's FTs to tie it & then last-second putback for the win. Getting that type of contribution from the least likely player is when I knew this team was special. Always loved this quote from 'Melo:

Pitt stopped: SU basketball team beats No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome

McNeil, a 28.6 percent free throw shooter this season and 45.7 percent for his career, hit two free throws with 46.9 seconds remaining to tie the game at 65. Pittsburgh players yelled at each other to box out for a potential rebound because they expected him to miss.

I didnt think he was going to hit both, but I knew he was going to hit one," Anthony said. He always makes one in practice. He never makes both.

 

[bpo57]

In 2003 I think it was when we rallied back to beat Ok State in Boston. That was a very physical game and they were taking it to us. Jeremy McNeil had a monster game on the back end of the press and we never looked back.

 

[dasher]

nice article on espn about when each of this year's FF teams had the "moment" where it clicked in that they could make it this far

The moment that brought each team to the Final Four

btween 75, 87, 96,03, 13 & 16 we have 6 teams that made it this deep.

iyho, what were their "moments"?

In '75. UNC subbed and we stole the ball about 5 straight times for hoops. In '87, we were behing Florida by 5 and they drove to the hoop and Dc blocked the shot and we got two the other way. Changed the game. I think the Ga game in '96, everyone remembers the late shots by Cipolla and Wallace but Sim's made back to back 3's to get us back in the game.

 

[dasher]

In 2003 I think it was when we rallied back to beat Ok State in Boston. That was a very physical game and they were taking it to us. Jeremy McNeil had a monster game on the back end of the press and we never looked back.

They were just too quick for us and yet JB speeded the game up by pressing and we just blew them out

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

I can tell you the exact moment in both 2010 & 2012 that I knew we weren't going to the Final Four

 

[bpo57]

They were just too quick for us and yet JB speeded the game up by pressing and we just blew them out

Yup. SU was down 17 in the first half.

 

[DoctorBombay]

I can tell you the exact moment in both 2010 & 2012 that I knew we weren't going to the Final Four

Geez, dude.

In '75. UNC subbed and we stole the ball about 5 straight times for hoops. In '87, we were behing Florida by 5 and they drove to the hoop and Dc blocked the shot and we got two the other way. Changed the game. I think the Ga game in '96, everyone remembers the late shots by Cipolla and Wallace but Sim's made back to back 3's to get us back in the game.

Great call, Dash.
Sim's 2 BIG 3-pointers turned the momentum when it looked like UGA was starting to pull away. That was a very underrated Tubby Smith coached UGA squad. We had to fight tooth-and-nail to survive and advance.

 

[TexanMark]

As Dasher wrote...the '75 team's destiny turned on Coach Dean Smith's famed Blue Team turnovers of the ball. Coach Smith thought he'd sub in those guys and milk the clock while the underdog Cuse guys got tired having to play against a fiery defense of his 8-12th guys on the roster. Back in the 70's teams were 15 deep of scholarship players. Anyways Cuse responded to the Blue Team by going on a run...and turned UNC's lead into an eventual victory for SU.

Cuse sneaked into the Top 25 prior to playing UNC but after beating UNC and Kansas State to make the F4 they vaulted to #6. It was a seminal moment in the reemergence of SU as a NE Basketball Power.

 

[bpo57]

As Dasher wrote...the '75 team's destiny turned on Coach Dean Smith's famed Blue Team turnovers of the ball. Coach Smith thought he's sub in those guys and milk the clock while the underdog Cuse guys got tired having to play against a fiery defense of his 8-12th guys on the roster. Back in the 70's teams were 15 deep of scholarship players. Anyways Cuse responded to the Blue Team by going on a run...and turned UNC's lead into an eventual victory for SU.

Cuse sneaked into the Top 25 prior to playing UNC but after beating UNC and Kansas State to make the F4 they vaulted to #6. It was a seminal moment in the reemergence of SU as a NE Basketball Power.

One play I remember from that 75 game against UNC was that Dean Smith ran an inbounds play under SU's basket (had to go 94 feet) with just a few seconds left in the game and NC was down 2. He ran the play where the inbounder runs sideways and leads the defender into a screener along the baseline. The SU defender crushed the screener but the ref thankfully swallowed his whistle. It really was a foul and NC should have been shooting a 1 and 1 for the chance to tie the game. Brilliant play call - I had never seen that before - to no avail.

 

[orangenirvana]

I have no memory of 1975 (I didn't exist) or 1987 (I was four) but the rest I think there are two moments. The first occurs during the regular season when the team shows they have the potential for greatness. The next moment occurs leading up to or in the Tournament where something sparks and the "momentum" truly occurs.

1996
(a) Winning at #3 Arizona shortly before Christmas
(b) The heroics of the Sweet 16 victory over Georgia

2003
(a) Beating Pitt and preventing them from being ranked #1
(b) being down 25-8 in the 2nd round vs. a good Oklahoma State team and not only winning, but winning going away

2013
(a) Winning at #1 Louisville in January
(b) Going on a nice BET run (including a win over #5 Georgetown in the semifinals)

2016
(a) Winning the Battle of Atlantis Tournament with victories over #18 UConn and #25 Texas A&M AND winning at Duke in January
(b) Blowing out 7 seed Dayton in the first round

 

[kirbivore]

1987: Providence beating Georgetown in the Elite 8. SU had already lost to Georgetown 3 times that season. As for what SU did I'd say the sweet 16 vs. Florida when Vitale and others were pumping up Dwayne Schnitzus and saying he'd destroy Seikaly. When SU pounded the Gators I thought they'd win it all.

 

[Col. Bleep]

after beating UNC and Kansas State to make the F4 they vaulted to #6. It was a seminal moment in the reemergence of SU as a NE Basketball Power.

You're right.
A couple of years after that came the Louie & Bouie era...then the Dome...then the Big East...and look where it's gotten us.
(And I don't mean the second round of the NIT).

 

[Zepharus]

In '03 I'd honestly say beating #2 Pitt in the "triple court storm game", specifically Jeremy McNeil's FTs to tie it & then last-second putback for the win. Getting that type of contribution from the least likely player is when I knew this team was special. Always loved this quote from 'Melo:

Pitt stopped: SU basketball team beats No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh in the Carrier Dome

McNeil, a 28.6 percent free throw shooter this season and 45.7 percent for his career, hit two free throws with 46.9 seconds remaining to tie the game at 65. Pittsburgh players yelled at each other to box out for a potential rebound because they expected him to miss.

I didnt think he was going to hit both, but I knew he was going to hit one," Anthony said. He always makes one in practice. He never makes both.

"That ish looked good"