Top TU Recruiting Classes: No. 1 - the 1980 class

[Chris Harmon]

Tulsa's 1980 class turned a dead basketball program into one of the best teams in college basketball almost overnight.

 

[seniorgolfer]

Tulsa's 1980 class turned a dead basketball program into one of the best teams in college
basketball almost overnight.

Not only one of the best, but definitely one of the most exciting...Local TV showed a highlight clip
from that 1980 opening season Louisville game (seemingly forever) that was a clinic on the magic
of Paul Pressey with a basketball in his hands...I had watched several of the preseason practices,
so I sort of knew what to expect, but most people in the crowd was shocked that TU could play
with the defending champs, much less beat them.....

I had been able to find a couple of tickets behind the TU bench, and one of the late game shots
showed a glimpse of a 48 year old (at the time) idiot, for sure, standing on a three feet high hand
rail, cheering the team on to victory...It was me, and looking back, it seems kind of silly, but it was
a very special time for those of us who had suffered through a very bad dry spell for TU basketball....
There was an emotion that ran through the crowd that night, and the Purdue game as well, that I
had never experienced before (or since) at a basketball game....

That team was exciting, indeed.....You might argue whether that recruiting class (Pressey, Anderson,
D. Brown, etal) or the 1998 class (KJ, Harrington, Kurtz, Heard, etal) was the best in the modern era
(since 1980), but for excitement, give me the 1980 group.....They put TU basketball back on the map,
assuming we had ever been there.......

P.S.
By the way, excellent discussion in the 'Alley' re: the 1980 class vs. the 1998 class......

 

[Bill Lowery]

Great post Senior. I've told this story before but I brought 3 non Tulsa fans to the game from Ponca City. OSU, Kansas State and Boston College grads. They were so excited after the 1st few minutes and seeing Pressey with the behind the back, between the leg passes, they instantly became Tulsa fans.

I drove those guys to as many home games we could make. I wish I'd been looking at that rail and seen the excitement on your face. I know everyone had that same look. As you stated, it was total excitement and fan frenzy. Never before or since, have I seen a Tulsa crowd be that excited.

Unlike you Senior that had seen them practice, it took me by total surprise. How could Pressey, who I believe avg 10-12 pts in juco be an all american? When I saw him I knew immediately. He was a 1 man band. And his supporting cast was pretty darn good too. I could see how their juco team went undefeated and won the national title.

The funny thing is, we should have won by 20. We missed layup after layup but no one cared because we'd steal the ball back and score. The looks on the Louisville players faces was priceless. Like when we trounced UCLA under Tubby--who are these guys.

And the frustration of the Louisville players. I remember Derek Smith (wasn't he the player missing a finger?) and David Brown going after each other and big Andy Stoglin putting the bear hug on Smith (it was him and not Brown, was t it?) Great times.