On this day March 27, 1978....The Goose was Golden
- Thread starter rick64
- Start date
This was a year before I was born but still part of our history and wish I would've been able to see it! The goose was a great player and I love having him do games on the radio with Tom Leach now!
I was 20 years old; it was my 1st championship as a UK fan. I remember that game well, the game when Goose became legend.
UK & Givens was pretty successful during the Goose's 4 years here
1974-75..... NCAA Runners Up
1975-76..... NIT Champs, when the NIT was a decent post season tournament
1976-77..... NCAA Elite-8
1977-78..... NCAA Champions
I was a fourth grader when that team won. If any Kentucky team has a chance to beat the 96 team it is this one. Those of you who are too young to have watched this team don't know what you missed. They could play any style, had speed, height, depth and experience. That 1-3-1 zone with Robey and Phillips across the middle was tough for anyone to handle.
The Greatest Performance Ever on the Indiana Hoosier's Home Basketball Floor...And it was by a Kentucky Wildcat -- hahahaha.
For you youngsters, the Final Four was in St. Louis -- the arena floor got damaged by some sort of storm or water leak. So, they brought in the floor from the Indiana home court, and Goose made sure no Hoosier ever had a better night playing on it...
For you youngsters, the Final Four was in St. Louis -- the arena floor got damaged by some sort of storm or water leak. So, they brought in the floor from the Indiana home court, and Goose made sure no Hoosier ever had a better night playing on it...
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Was fortunate that my parents took me to the Checkerdome as a 12 year old. The feeling of seeing the Cats win it all in person is like nothing else I've ever experienced.
I was 16 and it was my first championship as a fan. My younger brother was only 7 but understood the importance of this game. We called each Goose for years. Great team.
My favorite team, my favorite game. Great childhood memories. I was 13.
That was my first FF. That’s my favorite team. And Macy my favorite player.
Still my favorite FF too. I guess because it was the first? Because the Checkerdome was a dump. 😆
I always thought the championship was won on Sat against Sutton’s Arkansas team.
They were much better than Duke.
They would have beaten Duke too had they gotten past us.
We were worried about Ark taking too much out of us because Duke had a bye against ND on Sat.
But the worry was for nothing.
The title was already destined for UK👍🏀
Still my favorite FF too. I guess because it was the first? Because the Checkerdome was a dump. 😆
I always thought the championship was won on Sat against Sutton’s Arkansas team.
They were much better than Duke.
They would have beaten Duke too had they gotten past us.
We were worried about Ark taking too much out of us because Duke had a bye against ND on Sat.
But the worry was for nothing.
The title was already destined for UK👍🏀
It's also my all-time favorite team
Hard for the younger folks to understand how big that win was. The pressure on that team and Coach Hall to win it all form the beginning was massive and far beyond anything Cal had on him even with the 2015 squad. Everything had built up to this year and they were thought to go undefeated too but had a couple of slip ups. Two Lexington Kids leading playing a big role made it even more special when the won it. It was almost more of a relief at first than joy but then the celebration kicked in.
Silk and Steel (Givens and Lee) and King and Kong (Robey and Phillips) with the professore Macy. Fun times
Silk and Steel (Givens and Lee) and King and Kong (Robey and Phillips) with the professore Macy. Fun times
I was a freshman at UK. Partied in the streets-literally-kissing girls I didn’t know. Went to the airport to greet the team. 47 yrs later I’m still half drunk from that night.
You’re right. They called it “the season without joy”.
But I remember a lot of joy.
The team, and Joe B especially, were under tremendous pressure.
He was under appreciated.
Great defender.
Strong as a bull.
And a dead eye shooter if left open.
4 of us from Owensboro was there. We made a sign out of a king size bed sheet. It said
KENTUCKY
AND
NBC
# 1
OWENSBORO
Across the bottom, well made sign
It was mentioned in Courier Journal
The next day
Joe B did have a classic line at the welcome home celebration about all the “no joy” talk in the media. Something like “we brought home a trophy . . . Notre Dame had fun!”
Getting a dig in at Digger Phelps for wining the consolation game and coming in third.
Notre Dame only had like eight future NBA players from that team, among them guys like Bill Laimbeer(of Detroit Pistons fame), Kelly Tripuka(10 years in the NBA, two time all star) , Orlando Woolridge (13 years in the NBA) I’m not sure how it’s a bye when you defeat the more talented team.
I wasn’t born early enough to enjoy this one.
I do remember a framed Herald Leader at Rafferty’s commentating it as a young boy.
I do remember a framed Herald Leader at Rafferty’s commentating it as a young boy.
Actually, Notre Dame lost the consolation game to Arkansas. Digger didn't even wanna play. He mentioned at that Final Four that the NCAA should do away with the 3rd place game. About 3 years later, they did just that.
Joe B . . . . 2-0 in the 1978 Final Four
Digger . . . 0-2 in the 1978 Final Four
Yes, Digger and Notre Dame "had fun in St. Louis."
I knew it was over when the Goose banked one in off the side of the back board he could not miss.
The only Championship I got to attend live. Checker dome St. Louis. 12 rows up in the Duke section was all we could get. The memories of that day and that game are as clear today as when they happened.
This is so true. Joe B. was not a popular coach. He had to win it! Had to! Yes, a relief.
Raffertys!! Our Friday night go to back then. Bluegrass Sandwhich or California Burger and frosty mug
Yeah thats right. I remember Joe set it up well and delivered the line witha classic grin on his face.
I was a young man living in an apartment in an old house a block behind Memorial Coliseum watching that game on TV while drinking Little Kings. Givens was definitely the star of the game. But watching that clip reminded me of how well Kyle Macy played point. He could see that Givens had the hot hand and was feeding him some very fast, very accurate assists. Macy deserves a lot of credit for the way he played the point in that game.
By any chance, was the Kentucky Arcade open then? I spent a lot of my middle school years there in the 90s and was curious when that place opened.
From what I remember, it was Duke who was the ones the media said was "having fun" . I remember Dick Enberg saying during the introductions how Duke's players are smiling and having fun while Kentucky was "all serious" and "without joy". Guess who was joyful and smiling at the end! This was when the media started their Duke lovefest.
I don't recall it. But there's a lot I don't recall from 1978. I changed the oil in the lawnmower yesterday. Everything before that is kind of fuzzy.
Was telling my nephew this same thing last week. This was the coming out party for Duke basketball. They had some history before that but that team was the darlings of the country with the two freshman Banks and Dennard. They were the cinderella golden boys against the old giant Kentucky. And that is what led to the modern day Duke program being what it is. Coach K took it to new heights but the spark started with that team.
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