When did college basketball hit its peak for you?

[TTaylor2135]

non-Texas, I grew up in the northeast so the big east tournament in the early 2000s was always peek hoops for me. My family didn’t grow up with a lot of $$ but my dad would always take me and my two brothers to a full day/night session and it was always the best. Was never a big NBA guy so really how I started to fall in love with college hoops. 

Texas wise - the elite 8 team after KD with Augustin, Abram’s, Damion James. What a fun team, Memphis was just too good

 

[Jeff Howe]

3 hours ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

When I watched Grant Hill catch that insane unhuman like alley hoop. I've been a Duke game ever since.

Duke has had too many great players to mention.

Grant Hill, for a lot of different reasons, is the GOAT.

[LonghornFan4Ever]

Rick Barnes' run from 2001-02 to 2007-08 for me.  Fun era of basketball to watch.  So many great wins and heartbreaking losses, but was fun watching all that talent on the hardwood during that time.

[Jeff Howe]

4 minutes ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

Rick Barnes' run from 2001-02 to 2007-08 for me.  Fun era of basketball to watch.  So many great wins and heartbreaking losses, but was fun watching all that talent on the hardwood during that time.

A what-if moment that doesn’t get talked about enough:

How much deeper does Texas go in the 2002 NCAA Tournament with a healthy Chris Owens?

[LonghornFan4Ever]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

A what-if moment that doesn’t get talked about enough:

How much deeper does Texas go in the 2002 NCAA Tournament with a healthy Chris Owens?

Yeah, that was Dylan Disu injury before Dylan Disu.  Would've definitely beaten Oregon (should've beaten Oregon anyway imo) and gave Kansas a much tougher game than Oregon did in the Elite Eight for sure.

[Fan of the Game]

The Phi Slamma Jamma dominance was #1 as must-see basketball during that period. Recent Cinderella run by 15-seed St. Peter’s in 2022 to reach Elite Eight. In the current era we may never see a Cinderella run like St. Peter’s again. It was exciting to watch.

[genevalonghorn]

Great thread.  In my mind, it is hard to argue with the 1980's/1990's, not only in terms of quality, but theatre.  The John Thompsons, Jerry Tarkanians, Rollie Massiminos, Lou Carneseccas, and so on, down the line.  

As a young kid, one of my first competitive games was March 1990, Syracuse-Georgetown in the Dome, wall to wall coverage in the local and national press leading up to it.  Alonzo/Dikembe on one side, and Stevie Thompson/Billy Owens/Derrick Coleman/Mike Hopkins on the other.  Big John draws three techs in the first half and waives the towel etc. on the way out and up the tunnel.  Gosh, and as I look at the box score, Jim Burr officiated.  

Hard to argue with it, and I've rushed the court before against JJ Reddick's Duke.

Edited 38 minutes ago by genevalonghorn

[Rocky P]

I would say the whole 2000s is when it really peaked.  I remember not being able to miss a DUKE/UNC game during that time, it was as cant miss tv as you could get for CBB.

[genevalonghorn]

1 minute ago, Rocky P said:

I would say the whole 2000s is when it really peaked.  I remember not being able to miss a DUKE/UNC game during that time, it was as cant miss tv as you could get for CBB.

Apart from Duke/UNC, are there any competitive, must-see rivalries any more?  (And even the air has come out of Duke/UNC in my opinion.)

[Rocky P]

5 minutes ago, genevalonghorn said:

Apart from Duke/UNC, are there any competitive, must-see rivalries any more?  (And even the air has come out of Duke/UNC in my opinion.)

Not on a national scale.  But there weren't many before either on a national level.  Duke/UNC is what got me into college bb big time.  Before that it was all NBA and Texas games.