The Barn is a great nickname for the Gophers' Williams Arena, but due to declining attendance in the 21st century, it's often associated with an abandoned farm building outside Kimbley, Minnesota.
Perhaps the most accurate description of an arena hosting a major college basketball team is The Pit, home of the New Mexico Lobos in Albuquerque.
That's where Richard Pitino arrived shortly after being fired as Gophers coach in March 2021. The Lobos have always had a good draw, and this season they won 13,000 games a game. Pitino's club came from behind to win the Mountain West Tournament, but then lost to Clemson 77-56. in the NCAA tournament opener.
Built in a 37-foot hole in the mesa, the pit opened in 1966. First the roof was erected, and then the construction of the arena began. Street level was 45 rows above the court.
I have a sentimental attachment to this place for one reason. That's because it was the site of my favorite sporting event I've had the privilege of covering, the 1983 Men's Final Four.
The incident received a lot of attention this week, and North Carolina State advanced to the Final Four for the first time since then.
No team has ever made it to the Final Four with 14 losses like the current Wolfpack, and they need to win nine postseason games (five in five days in the ACC tournament) to get there.
It does look similar to Wolfpack '83, but here are the differences:
Men's college hoops had a golden age in the '80s, and Jim Valvano's Wolfpack helped start it with an upset run to the championship in 1983.
What we know now is anyone's guess: This NC State success is unlikely, but the top six players are transfers. And if the unfamiliarity with these teams doesn't drive you crazy, the referees will run to the scorer's table and spend four minutes deciding whether there are 4.2 seconds or 4.4 seconds left on the clock.
Pitt 40 years ago…North Carolina State actually had a familiar player. We had Thurl Bailey (great) and Lorenzo Charles up front, and seniors Derek Wittenberg and Sidney Rowe in the backcourt.
North Carolina State finished fourth in the eight-team ACC with an 8-6 record. The Wolfpack needed to win the ACC Tournament to qualify for the NCAAs, but only because at the time there were 52 teams instead of 64 or more.
NC State and Georgia are essentially qualifiers for the national semifinals, so it was no surprise that the Wolfpack advanced to Monday's title game with a 67-60 win.
The main event of Saturday's semifinals will be the Houston Cougars, wearing their “Phi Slama Jama” warm-ups, and the then-proud Louisville team, nicknamed “The Dunk Doctors” when they won the national title in 1980. was.
Original doctor Darrell Griffiths was gone, but Louisville had the McCray brothers, Rodney and Scooter, and twin talents from Camden, New Jersey, Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner.
But Houston? Hakeem Olajuwon, who would go on to become one of the top five big men in NBA history, and Clyde “The Glide” Drexler…you can't afford to lose with them, right?
Well, the Cougars had Guy V. Lewis in charge, but he was more of a recruiter than a coaching expert. They forced the Cougars into the zone until midway through the second half, taking a 57-49 lead.
Then he told his players to go full speed ahead, bringing in first-team All-Japanese Benny Anders off the bench.
The Cougars made three consecutive dunks and went on a 21-1 run, with Anders scoring the winning goal.
The final game was 94-81 in Houston, and Guy V was later asked what he told Anders when he let him play.
“I told him to go in there and dunk,” Guy V said.
What's wrong, Benny? “I went in there and dunked the damn thing,” he said.
Two nights later, Guy V never let up against Valvano's excellent guidance, and an off-balance Wittenberg took a desperate shot, but it was short and Charles caught it at the buzzer. One second before the bell rang, he made a two-handed dunk. .
NC State 54, Houston 52.
What I still remember most clearly about The Pit is that while Houston was making a series of incredible dunks on Saturday, Notre Dame's Roger Baldiselli, a member of the sports information crew, stood up and said, He showed me a handmade sign.
“Welcome to the 21st century”
Valdiselli passed away in 2022, and I never had a chance to say to him, “Roger, we have to be careful what we ask for.”
