Comments on: ITH Super Happy Fun Time Top 10 List: Steve Alford

By: MPmike

MPmike — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:22:03 +0000

I agree that it's not the Dream Team, but it was probably the best team as far as Collegiate players. They dominated the 1984 Olympics.

By: MPmike

MPmike — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:22:03 +0000

I agree that it's not the Dream Team, but it was probably the best team as far as Collegiate players. They dominated the 1984 Olympics.

By: MPmike

MPmike — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:22:03 +0000

I agree that it's not the Dream Team, but it was probably the best team as far as Collegiate players. They dominated the 1984 Olympics.

By: MikeinNC

MikeinNC — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:48:15 +0000

I agree with you on everything except the playing defense part…I think that is the only thing keeping him from being worthy of #1 in my opinion

By: MikeinNC

MikeinNC — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:48:15 +0000

I agree with you on everything except the playing defense part…I think that is the only thing keeping him from being worthy of #1 in my opinion

By: MikeinNC

MikeinNC — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:48:15 +0000

I agree with you on everything except the playing defense part…I think that is the only thing keeping him from being worthy of #1 in my opinion

By: SB_Hoosier

SB_Hoosier — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:07:34 +0000

I agree that Steve Alford epitomizes IU b-ball. He wasn't overly quick, couldn't jump out of the gym, and wasn't that fast. But he was a tireless worker, always gave his all, did the little things it took to win, played defense, understood the game, and was as technically sound as they came. To me, that is Indiana basketball.

By: plane1972

plane1972 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:27:08 +0000

Steve Alford
Michael Jordan
Wayman Tisdale
Leon Wood
Alvin Robertson
Jon Koncak (sp?)
Joe Kleine
Chris Mullin
Patrick Ewing
Vern Fleming
Sam Perkins
1 or 2 more I can't recall
Â
Good team, but can't be mentioned in the same breathÂ as the Dream Team, though, imho.

By: MPmike

MPmike — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:55:56 +0000

Thanks for the info. I can recall that Stockton and Malone tried out but did not make the final cut. I wonder who else was on that '84 Olympic team? This could be a good trivia question to name the 12 players on that team.

By: gregmquinn

gregmquinn — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:58:04 +0000

I am really surprised Alford is ranked #5. I thought he had a chance to be #1. While May, Cheaney, Isaiah and Bellamy were better athletes, Steve Alford truly embodied Indiana basketball from high school through college, until today. Although I'm excited about Coach Crean, there is a part of me that will always want Alford to come back as our head coach. Maybe someday…

By: wolfer

wolfer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:40:00 +0000

If memory serves me right I think the 3Pt shot was in effect when I saw Alford play against Iowa in Bloomington in '86-87. Iowa had three 7'0″ players in their front court. They played a zone and had the three 7'0″s out on top and the wings to force Alford to shoot over them. I recall SA simply moved farther away and with a killer's attitude nailed numerous three pointers from beyond the 3pt line. I don't mean by a little I mean by 6-8 feet from the line. Absolutely a great shooting exhibition. Plus, it drove Iowa coach Lute Olsen crazy. A great IU win and memory.

By: plane1972

plane1972 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:38:34 +0000

Sorry to break it to you, but neither Karl Malone nor John Stockton was on the '84 team. They were both cut just like Barkley. I think you're mixing the '84 and Dream Team into one giant roster. '84 was a great team, though.

By: Millport

Millport — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:44:41 +0000

They called him “Big Bear”. At 6'4″ he probably was considered a big bear. I saw him every once in a while around campus and he was a good sized man.
I would think that it really bothered him what happened under the Lou Watson/Jerry Oliver tenure. Sounds like a familiar theme, doesn't it? How many coaches has UCLA gone through? NC went through two before landing Williams. Duke will be interesting. IU is not the first, nor will it be the last to suffer

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:28:40 +0000

FYI

McCracken and Wooden were neighbors in Martinsville and played together as boys. Now that you mention it perhaps McCracken deserves a mention in the top 10 .

Can we have have 11 in the top 10………?……..after all, we are not the engineering school in Indiana where they are forced to accept the number 10 as is. We are the creative math people.

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:28:40 +0000

FYI

McCracken and Wooden were neighbors in Martinsville and played together as boys. Now that you mention it perhaps McCracken deserves a mention in the top 10 .

Can we have have 11 in the top 10………?……..after all, we are not the engineering school in Indiana where they are forced to accept the number 10 as is. We are the creative math people.

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:21:58 +0000

To be more specific I meant that Austin Carr would probably have benefited from the 3pt line more than any other player including Bird because he was equally good around the basket and going to the basket as he was deadly from outside . Unlike Alford, Rayl, Mount etc he could not be defended for the 3pt shot alone.

Bird also would have benefitted but his game was more inside than Carr.

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:21:58 +0000

Bird also would have benefitted but his game was more inside than Carr.

By: Millport

Millport — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:06:30 +0000

The interesting point to me, was that he was inducted as a player, not as a coach. Wooden was inducted twice, as a player and as a coach. The only IU players in the hall are McCracken, Bellamy and Thomas.

By: Millport

Millport — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:06:30 +0000

By: DJW

DJW — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:53:19 +0000

Mac's Boys: Branch Mccracken And the Legendary 1953 Hurryin' Hoosiers

Author: Jason Hiner