Classic Clips - Wearin' o' the Green

I ran across this 1976 Midwest Regional clip today looking for old Notre Dame tournament highlights and it made me long for an NCAA tournament more like those in the 1970s. It may be unrealistic, given the desire for corporate money and mega-arena crowds these days, but can you imagine if tourney games were still played in Allen Fieldhouse or at the Dean Dome or in many of the other legendary on-campus venues around the country.

Yes, I know the occasional first round pod is still slated for a campus arena, but I think the feel and buzz of March Madness would be even further amplified by a throwback to the days of these classic venues.

Maybe, for old time's sake, we'll at least see a wearin' o' the green on Friday as ND opens its 2011 tournament with Akron. But please, hold the knee-high, green-striped yellow socks.

And below, you can read an excerpt from the UPI account of ND's dramatic come-from-behind win.




LAWRENCE, Kan. (UPI)- Talk about the luck of the Irish. Notre Dame had it Saturday.

After struggling to keep alive in its opening game of the NCAA Midwest Regionals against 16th-ranked Cincinnati. Notre Dame received two big breaks in the final eight seconds and edged the Bearcats 79-78 on a last second tip by Toby Knight. Eleventh ranked Missouri beat No. 10 Washington 69-67 in the other half of the regional doubleheader for the Tigers' first post-season tournament win.

"We were just playing out of desperation at the end," said Digger Phelps, coach of the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish. "We were lucky to win it. I admit that but we didn't quit and that is what counts."

It would have been easy for Notre Dame to quit if it so desired. The Irish trailed by eight three different times in the second half and were down by three with 23 seconds to play. But Don Williams, who finished with 22 points, hit a jump shot with 12 seconds left to cut Cincinnati's lead to one. The Bearcats got the inbounds pass in but. it was knocked out of bounds with eight seconds left.

This time, Cincinnati's Hal Ward was unable to make the inbounds pass in the allotted five seconds and Notre Dame got the ball.

"In that particular situation we just told the players they had eight seconds to get the ball in bounds and get the shot off and once the shot was off I wanted all five on the offensive boards," said Phelps.

Knight was one of the five who crashed the board and he was in the right spot, tipping in a missed 18-foot jumper by Bill Paterno.

"I was right next to him and gave him the pass so when Bill shot all I had to do was follow the ball and tip it in," said Knight, who had 12 points.

"We were all in there and so if it had not come to me it would have gone to Bruce Flowers or Adrian Dantley."

And while that shot did not go to Dantley, plenty of them did as he led the Irish with 27 points and eight rebounds.

Brian Williams paced Cincinnati with 19 and Gary Yoder had 14 for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati had the largest lead of the first half when it took a 39-33 margin with 1:28 to play. But Notre Dame came back with baskets from Bernard Rencher on a 20-foot jump shot and Knight on a layup to cut the margin to two at the half.

Notre Dame had trouble getting started in the second half and with Dantley scoring 10 of the Irish's first 12 points, Cincinnati raced to a 55-49 lead which it built to eight points, 61- 53, with 8:42 to play before Dantley got help.

In the final 6:50 Don Williams began hitting from outside and scored 10 points, including six on long jump shots in the last 1:55 to bring Notre Dame back into the game and set up Knight's shot.

Cincinnati, holding a 78-77 lead with eight second left to play, lost the ball when Hal Ward was unable to throw the ball inbounds within five seconds.

Notre Dame took the ball out, passed it in to Paterno who fired his long jump shot which Knight tipped in just before the buzzer (video).

Ramsey and Lars Hansen paced the Huskies with 14 points apiece.