Big East hoops was a beast, but the Sooners could always tame it
Published: 12/14/2012 8:00 AM
Last Modified: 12/14/2012 8:00 AM
If the Big East really is about to die as a basketball conference, we should probably take a moment to remember Villanova's perfect game, Louie Carnesecca's sweaters and "Send it in Jerome!"
We might also recall a few of the conference's not-quite-as-proud snapshots. Because of there was one thing better than watching the Big East's finest, it was watching the Big East's finest lose.
It was watching the Big East's finest lose to the Big Eight. Or the Big 12.
When Billy Tubbs beat Syracuse or destroyed Villanova, then needled their conference with lines like: "They should put a caption on their TV games," or "If you watch one of their games, don't drive a car or operate machinery because it might make you drowsy," didn't we all bust a gut?
Wasn't it great to see Oklahoma State pop Pitt in the 2004 Sweet 16, Kansas blitz Villanova en route to the '08 national title, or Texas KO UConn in the '03 Sweet 16?
Everyone from our neck of the woods took a little extra satisfaction, I think, in taking their hacks at the mighty Big East, the Sooners included.
Here are three of those hacks, from three different eras, that meant the most...
Jan. 7, 1984: OU 98, Syracuse 91
Think the Sooners enjoyed winning in the Carrier Dome? Listen to Billy Tubbs: "We beat a great ballclub today from the almighty Big East, the greatest conference in the world."
Wayman Tisdale put up 33 points and 10 rebounds, setting up Tubbs' first Big 8 championship season.
Jan. 7, 2002: OU 69, UConn 67
Another Tulsan led the way as Ebi Ere scored 24 points. The Sooners bullied the bullies with 28 offensive rebounds, one of the proudest single-game statistics of Kelvin Sampson's era.
The Sooners had a road-map win, and they rode it all the way to their last Final Four appearance.
March 27, 2009: OU 84, Syracuse 71
At one point during the Sooners' Sweet 16 knockout of the Orange, Willie Warren cried out: "This is Big 12 basketball! Don't sleep on us!"
The Sooners weren't just trying to work themselves into the Elite Eight, they were trying to stick a sock in the Big East love-fest they had watched the night before on ESPN.
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
