Reliving a memorable NCAA tourney game

[Harry]

Deon Hunter flashed back to one of the memorable moments in his North Texas career this week.

Hunter was a star for the Mean Green back in 1988, when UNT made the NCAA tournament for the first time and faced a North Carolina team loaded with future NBA players like J. R. Reid and Rick Fox.

They all seemed like secondary figures to the main figure in Tar Heels hoops back then, head coach Dean Smith.

Hunter and his former teammate Ricky Robertson both recalled the day their paths intersected with Smith’s on one of the most memorable days in UNT sports history this week after learning that the North Carolina legend had died on Saturday at the age of 83. Smith’s funeral will take place today, while a public memorial will be held on Feb. 22 at the Dean E. Smith Center on the North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill.

Both Hunter and Robertson were key players for UNT back in 1988 when the Mean Green lost to the Tar Heels 83-65 in a first-round game in Salt Lake City.

“He was a John Wooden to me in my era,” Hunter said. “I always wanted to play for a top 10 or 20 team, but it wasn’t in the cards for me. When you are playing at a mid-major, the goal is to get to the tournament and get to play against a team like North Carolina. To know that Dean Smith had to game plan for me and Tony Worrell and our team was an experience.

“We got to one of the biggest stages in college basketball.”

Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20150211-mens-basketball-reliving-a-memorable-ncaa-tourney-game.ece

[wardly]

My 8th grade son and I flew with the team for that game, one of the best trips I have ever taken. The Mavs were in town Wednesday night so we went to the Jazz game.They had a 7'2'' center whose name escapes me who got a standing ovation for making a routine lay up. It seems that was the 1st time anyone had ever seen daylight between his feet and the floor. The next afternoon we went to the NC game.Tony Worrell had an off night , but Ronnie Morgan played well. J.R. Reed and team were just too much. Our pep band played "3 blind mice" as a tribute to the refs.

[FirefightnRick]

I second Wardly's sentiment. One of the best trips ever. We got to the Salt Palace early to watch the Mav's shoot around and got to visit with Mark Aguire and other members of the team. In our game I thought we got screwed pretty good with the ref's allowing NC to maul our guys all day. It was fun watching Big Al Hurley coming up out of his seat and yelling at the refs. Later we got to see Hank Gather's Loyola Maramount team run Wyoming out of the Huntsman Center. But possibly the best part of the trip was getting to sit with the voice of the Mean Green Bill Mercer on the plane and hear all the great stories he had to share.

Rick

Edited February 18, 2015 by FirefightnRick

[GrandGreen]

If NT had made their layups this would have been a close game. I was amazed at how much faster the NT team was than North Carolina and Ronnie Morgan owned the boards. Nerves just got to the team and their shooting was awful.

[drex]

I was on that trip, too. One story for you--as we were on the plane headed to Utah, the stew came to our seats (I was sitting with coach Gales and his wife). She told Jimmy Gales that he had a phone call. He went up front to answer the phone that was on the wall close to the bathrooms. I could see him talk and laugh a lot. When he came back his wife asked him who it was on the phone and he said it was Bill Blakeley. Gales said that Blakeley told him 'what ever you do, don't try to coach the team.' Jimmy Gales got a big kick out of Blakeley's call. As some of you may remember, Gales was an assistant coach with Blakeley and they were great friends.

[greenjoe]

Bill Blakely was for years, the only reason my wife attended North Texas basketball games. I've got an old Bill Blakely autographed program somewhere showing Coach Blakely pulling on his tie toward the side and sticking out his tongue showing the ref his displeasure with a call.

Blakely used to have a "season motto" on the back of his seat on courtside: "Under Construction", "still under construction", "miracles never cease", etc.

[FirefightnRick]

Good stuff drex, greenjoe and GG.

Rick

[drex]

Deon Hunter told me after the game that altitude hurt, too. Of course, North Carolina played in the same altitude...imagine it hurt both teams.

[FirefightnRick]

Deon Hunter told me after the game that altitude hurt, too. Of course, North Carolina played in the same altitude...imagine it hurt both teams.

Probably right. I tell ya who it didn't hurt, our band. After our game the Wyoming and Maramount fans were moving into nearby seats and everyone was talking about how impressive those kids were. Instead of playing the standard boring ass basketball band crap coming from North Carolina's band ours was rocking the house with their jazz-rock combo. Made me feel proud and realize how truly different our approach to music was then.

Rick