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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2012 21:12:32 GMT -6
This program is such a bummer! Let's get nostalgic and look back on our old glory days. What was your favorite game in the history of the program? My nomination: www.uwmpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/011902aaa.htmlInstant classic at Hinkle featuring the greatest player to ever wear the Milwaukee uniform. Most importantly, this win over a ranked opponent signified that we had finally become a competitive mid major program. "I'm happy for the kids because they've worked so hard," Pearl said. "We've been in these positions before and not always capitalized. I continue to hear from people around the country who are impressed with our effort and the tenacity of our pressure." "We know the game of basketball is played in runs," Tucker said of UWM's comeback. "We stayed together. We stayed positive. We got stops and got baskets on our end." How the mighty have fallen... |
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Post by nickpanther78 on Dec 12, 2012 21:49:36 GMT -6
Great game for me would was when we beat UIC at the Klotsche Center on a Clay Tucker three with like 10 seconds to go... Students rushed the floor after the game, a conference game.. Was a great moment that I enjoyed with my dad. That night Butler lost and put us in a tie for first I believe. A couple weeks later we punched our Ticket at the Cell for our first big dance.. I hope those days will come back again at some point..
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Post by FTA1982 on Dec 12, 2012 22:05:30 GMT -6
My nomination: espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=254000052The most satisfying victory in program history. We knocked on the door in 2003, but officially arrived in Cleveland in 2005. "I don't give a [hoot] if you beat Alabama. This is the Big East." Suck it Jared Dudley. |
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Post by PantherU on Dec 12, 2012 22:49:07 GMT -6
My nomination: espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=254000052The most satisfying victory in program history. We knocked on the door in 2003, but officially arrived in Cleveland in 2005. "I don't give a [hoot] if you beat Alabama. This is the Big East." Suck it Jared Dudley. My favorite quote from that one was at the end, when one of our guys went up to him and said "This is the Horizon League mother f***er." Won't say who but maybe he'll come on here and fess up to it. |
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Post by GoPanthers33 on Dec 12, 2012 23:15:05 GMT -6
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Post by Hack on Dec 12, 2012 23:24:54 GMT -6
Easy one for me. March 11, 2003. A pure "Holy sh*t! Is this real?!" moment.  I went to UWM during the Ric Cobb days, and having moved away from Milwaukee during the first couple years of the Bruce Pearl era, I wasn't completely in tune with the emergence of UWM basketball. I became in tune that night. I found myself on press row (my second to last game as a working member of the mainstream media as I was transitioning into PR ... my last being the Notre Dame game) just taking it all in ... remembering attending my first UWM game in fall 1995 at the MECCA in front of dozens, having a conversation with a friend across the arena. Walking into the newly refurbished Arena and seeing 10,115 there to watch freaking UWM? Are you kidding me? And then 14-0 happened and the roof came off the place. There's no cheering on press row, but damned if I didn't have a hard time keeping the smiles, laughter, and pure enjoyment at what I was witnessing in. Oh, and there was this guy that night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTVMLtWuF0 |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2012 23:38:45 GMT -6
Gotta go with DePaul. Tonight @ Fairfield a close 2nd, and the Buffalacoylpse #3.
EDIT: "Kidding" aside. I was a regular at Axel's and had attended the HLT Championship that season at the Cell. I watched both the Alabama game and the BC game there.
In both games- I don't think I've ever felt that kind of amazing enthusiastic vibe for a sports game in my almost 30 years of life (counting Pack Super Bowls), and maybe I never will. I am obviously partial to college hoops over the NFL, but I do love the Pack. I grew up as a Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, etc. Duke groupie- but- (though I really respect Coach K.) I could give a rats tail about them now after my experience as a student at UWM.
The following year vs. Oklahoma, after Pearl and under the newly-minted Jeter, I had to watch the game on a lunch break at a sports bar near my work in Germantown (missed the first 10 minutes).
Great game (the 3's!!) and probably #3, but not nearly the same as watching those first two big ones at a packed Axel's. Yeah- it's a hole-in-the-wall and kinda sh*tty bar, but that year, my senior year, I lived behind what is now the Oakland Ave. Walgreen's on the 2900 block of Cramer St. and it was the closest place to walk to- plus the non-stop pool battles were fun.
I'll never forget the look on the faces of the people in the bar that day. The place was packed to the gills- all cheering loud as all get out for MILWAUKEE. Near the final two minutes I think (Eric?) the main bartender even stopped pouring drinks to watch, because it was so intense. Ja-Rod Dudley. Nothing better than to see us shock those holier-than-though busters!!
I missed the 2004 loss to (Temple?) in the NIT, but I did catch the end of the 2003 1st NCAA appearance, 1st Round Notre Dame loss. Unfortunately I was visiting my cousin at Illinois State University and we were at a March Madness party that wasn't too interested in Milwaukee, so I can't really say I got to see much.. except the unfortunate last chance that didn't pan "in".
Let's take the long view (2015? 2017?) and hope something like that can happen again. After all, it's not like we aren't a 30,000 student university in one of the top 25 most populated U.S. cities with 10's of thousands of surrounding alumni living in the state or anything.... Some day. Hopefully some day soon- we can return to that pride. Right now- I don't blame people for being down.
Hell, I am finally down. I have a sliver of hope- but after tonight... Just wow. Either we learn how to play (at least un-sloppy, at best- pitch perfect) basketball the rest of the way, or we are in for a world of hurt this season. But that is off topic!
The BC game. The Illinois game was good in the 1st 10 minutes, but got out of hand quickly in the 2nd half. The BC game will live on forever in anyone's mind who was privy to that showing of excellence by our guys in the Black and Gold. Amazing that it happened. But it can happen again some day. Believe or Despair. I think most of us have a dash of the former and a heaping of the latter... Time goes on.
After all is said and done, it's a "game". But yes, you play the game- to WIN.
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Post by Hack on Dec 12, 2012 23:42:18 GMT -6
A close second: UWM vs. Illinois (full game link) One of the most intense, fun environments I've been in ... and even in a defeat, I couldn't help but smile leaving the building. And those first few minutes ... holy sh*t!! |
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Post by uwm97 on Dec 13, 2012 8:15:22 GMT -6
Victor:
Watching the BC game at Axel's was perhaps the best environment in which I've ever watched a game - and that includes the '97 Super Bowl at BW3's on Water St where guys were climbing the light poles outside afterwards. Eric also bought us rounds of shots after the game ended. The cool thing was Axel's had the sound turned up wnd we could hear the game call by Eagle and Spanarkle, who did a superb job. What a game, what an atmosphere.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Dec 13, 2012 10:19:07 GMT -6
All of the above give me tingles. I love how this program rose from the ashes in six seasons to national prominence. Taking inventory of the banners at the Rosemont Horizon that read Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee was absolutely jolting.
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Post by PantherLou on Dec 13, 2012 14:16:47 GMT -6
A couple that come quick to mind for me, and oddly enough - they are both losses.
1. The Notre Dame game. The excitement of that final possession when we realized, "OH MY GOD - HE'S NOT CALLING TIME OUT" and seeing Clay Tucker go practically 1 on 5 was awesome. Even when Dylan's layup rolled off the rim, I realized that we had arrived and actually could win in the tournament.
2. The Bracketbuster game at SIU. Back when the Bracketbuster meant something. This was as big a mid-major game as had been on TV that I could remember, and for us to be playing in it was cool. Just a great basketball game, despite the loss.
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dutchpthr
Junior
ain't much if it ain't dutch
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Post by dutchpthr on Dec 13, 2012 14:33:22 GMT -6
Having been at the first ever NCAA game, the first ever NCAA victory game, and the home HLT games, it is hard to ever forget the game at the Cell when Clay took out Butler within the first 5 minutes all by myself basically, that was just amazing in every sense of word.
so my list would be:
1. 2003 HL Championship game vs Butler
2. 2005 NCCA 2nd round vs Boston College
3. 2005 NCAA 1st round vs Alabama
4. 2005 NCAA round fo 16 vs Illinois
5. 2005 HL Championship game vs Detroit
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Post by uwm97 on Dec 13, 2012 14:48:53 GMT -6
Lou:
The 2003 team had three of the most crushing defeats in school history: the SIU game, the Butler game a week later om another last-second shot, and the ND game. Nonetheless, the intensity of those games from a spectator's standpoint was off the charts; can't imagine what it was like for the players. I knew we had a legitimate, competitive program in the SIU game when we'd get down by 10, 12 points and keep coming back. And given Pearl's system, you never really worried about falling behind because a 10-point deficit could be erased in 90 seconds. As Spanarkle said in the BC game, the program under Bruce redefined the word "intensity."
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Post by FTA1982 on Dec 13, 2012 14:53:46 GMT -6
Does anyone have a copy of the Milwaukee/Notre Dame game? I have pretty much every nationally televised game from 2005 and 2006. I would like to get my hands on the ND game.
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Post by PantherLou on Dec 13, 2012 15:57:43 GMT -6
the intensity of those games from a spectator's standpoint was off the charts; Exactly. I haven't had that feeling watching a Panthers game in a long, long, time.  |
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