"How is That Possible?" - Rutgers 77 - Villanova 76

Courier News - February 10, 2011

Back in early December of 1965 I witnessed what for years seemed like one of the most remarkable comebacks ever made by a Rutgers basketball team.  It was an early season game against the University of Delaware at the Blue Hens home court.  The home team led from the opening tap and with just 1:04 left was up by seven.  Somehow Rutgers got it down to three, but there was only eight seconds left with Jim Valvano on the line for two foul shots.  Obviously, Valvano had to make both shots, which he did. The strategy was to foul and hope the shooter missed at least one shot (this was long before the three point shot).  Whether the strategy would have worked or not proved academic when Valvano tipped the inbound pass to Bob Lloyd in perfect position for an unopposed layup and Rutgers first lead of the night.  The only thing wrong with the play was it took just two seconds, leaving the Blue Hens six seconds for a last possession which came up empty.  In addition to being a dramatic come from behind win, it was an historic night since Lloyd's last basket were his 50th and 51st points, a Rutgers record later tied by Eric Riggins.  The 1965-66 team went on to a 17-7 record, the most wins in school history to that point, falling just short of an NIT bid.

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10, 2011

Considering the rules at the time, no shot clock, no three point shot, it's hard to believe a team could score four points in two seconds.  Even harder to believe, however, is what happened in our final buzzer beating shot on February 9, 2011 when Rutgers took on Number 9 Villanova at the RAC.  It was Mike Rice's first season as coach and while the team had played incredibly hard, they had suffered a number of tough losses.  Coming into the game, the Knights were 12-11, but just 3-8 in the Big East and in a three game losing streak.  Given the opposition, there didn't seem much chance the streak would end that night and the first half went according to form, with the Wildcats up 35-28 at the break.  Once the teams were back on the floor, however, Rutgers mounted a comeback to close to within 48-44.  Teams are in the top ten for a reason, however, and Villanova put on a spurt that gave the Wildcats a 64-51 lead with just 5:06 left.  Rutgers managed to cut the deficit to nine, but there were just two minutes left.

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10, 2011

As with the 1965 comeback, Rutgers was at the foul line, but Mike Coburn was only able to convert one of two.  It worked out for the best, however.  Dane Miller grabbed the rebound and threw it back to Jonathan Mitchell who hit a straight away three to cut the lead to five.  Nor was Miller done, he stole the inbound pass, leading to James' Beatty's three pointer from the right corner. Suddenly, Rutgers was down by only two, 70-68 with 1:34 left. Rutgers had made up seven points without Villanova even getting the ball out of the backcourt.  However, the Wildcats still had some answers.  Showing plenty of poise for a freshman, James Bell was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound and calmly sank both shots to put Villanova back up by four.  Mitchell promptly matched Bell's effort with a basket to get it back to a two point deficit, but Bell hit a three with just 11.9 seconds left to put Villanova up 75-70.

Record - February 10, 2011

Rutgers had to score quickly and did so when Beatty banked in another three to make it 75-73, but there were just 6.3 seconds left.  Rutgers quickly fouled Corey Fisher who only made one of the two shots, giving Rutgers a chance for a desperation three point attempt.  Beatty got the ball into the forecourt and kicked it back to Mitchell who was on the far right wing, well outside the three point line.  Mitchell claimed he "just let fly." From where I was watching, the ball looked like it was following a homing signal to the basket.  Not only did it go cleanly through the net, Mitchell was fouled on the play.  After Villanova took a timeout, the Rutgers senior made the free throw with just .8 seconds on the clock.  The Wildcats had time for a full court pass, but the receiver caught it out of bounds. Rutgers had won on what Jerry Carino labeled, without overstatement, "one of the greatest shots in Rutgers Men's basketball history."  Likewise Mitchell acknowledged it was "definitely" the biggest shot of his life."  Perhaps somewhat lost in the excitement was the fact that Rutgers had scored seven points in seven seconds, prompting Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia News to wonder "How is that possible?"

 

Some Things Never Get Old - Rutgers 64 Seton Hall 61

 

Asbury Park Press - March 10, 2008

Back in the dark ages (1964-68) when I was at Rutgers, the most important game in any sport was against Princeton.  Those contests may not have been that significant to Princeton, but from our perspective it was the game we wanted to win more than any other.  That was especially true of football because of the first inter-collegiate football game won by Rutgers on November 6, 1869.  Although it was great to win the first game, it took almost 70 years (the two teams didn't play every year) until 1938 before Rutgers won again.  By the mid 60s, the Scarlet Knights had prevailed only eight times, including four in a row from 1958-1961.  That gave the class of 1962 the distinction of never having seen Rutgers lose to Princeton in football.  My class had the opposite experience. Not only didn't we ever see Rutgers win, in my four years we were ahead just once for about 2 minutes before a heartbreaking last minute Princeton comeback.  Our lack of success during those four years led some to question whether it would be a successful season if we beat Princeton, but lost all the remaining games.  While I never got to that point, the sentiment was understandable because some games are that important no matter what else happens the rest of the season.

Asbury Park Press - March 10, 2008

During those same years, in December of 1965, I did get to experience one basketball victory over Princeton.  It was the first Rutgers win in almost 20 years, prompting a large crowd of students to meet the team bus when we arrived back on campus.  Since then, of course, Seton Hall has become the rivalry game in basketball and just as with Princeton, it's important no matter the circumstances.  Such was certainly the case on March 9, 2008, the last game of what had been a dismal season for the Scarlet Knights.  Heading into the game, Rutgers was 10-20 overall and 2-15 in the Big East, suffering through a nine game losing streak.  To make matters even worse, at the time, not every team made the Big East tournament and by virtue of its record, the Knights wouldn't get to play at Madison Square Garden.  Instead the final game of the season was against Seton Hall at the Prudential Center in Newark before a sellout crowd on the Pirates senior day.

Herald News - March 10, 2008

 Nothing in the first half suggested the game would be anything but a bad ending to a bad season.  Rutgers turned the ball over 16 times in the first half and trailed by as many as 17 at one point.  Fortunately, late in the first half, Corey Chandler sparked a Rutgers comeback that cut the margin to 34-23 at the break. The Rutgers run continued in the second half, a 26-3 burst over the two halves and the Knights took a 61-59 lead with just 30 seconds left.  Things looked even brighter for Rutgers when a Pirates turnover and a charge negated two Seton Hall opportunities to score without them even getting a shot off.  Unfortunately Rutgers couldn't take advantage of the turnover, but after the charge the Knights had the ball under their own basket with only 12 seconds left.  On the inbound pass, however, Jerard Hazell of Seton Hall made a great play to force a held ball which gave the Pirates possession.  An ensuing layup in traffic didn't go in, but Jamar Nutter's bank shot with 4.3 seconds tied the game 61-61.

Courier New - March 10, 2008

In what sportswriter Jerry Carino described as "the chaos that followed," Anthony Farmer took two dribbles and passed to J. R. Inman who was standing unguarded on the right wing.  According to Carino, Inman off balance "lofted the shot on the move, off of one foot" from 21 feet with just one second on the clock.  While he and everyone else in the sold out arena held their breath, the ball swished through the net for a 64-61 Rutgers victory.  Needless to say pandemonium broke loose among the Rutgers players and fans while the bulk of the crowd went home silent and unhappy.  Inman called the shot "a big exclamation point" and "the greatest feeling I've had all season."   To answer the hypothetical question raised about Rutgers-Princeton football games, the victory didn't salvage a disappointing season, but wins like that in rivalry games are moments that never get old.

And a Rivalry Game to Boot - Rutgers 62 - Seton Hall 61

Daily Home News - February 9, 2005

As we saw with Damon Santiago's game winning shot against Pitt, buzzer beaters are even more satisfying when seasoned with added excitement such as a 20 point comeback.  Sometimes, however, the extra seasoning doesn't depend on things that may or may not happen, the matchup itself provides its own added excitement.  Rivalry games are a case in point.  Back when I first got involved in Rutgers basketball in the mid 1960s, the rivalry game was against Princeton. More recently, inside or outside of conference, it's with Seton Hall.  A buzzer beater win in a rivalry game almost seems too good to be true, but sometimes even extra sauce is added by something special, say, for example, a controversial call.  Of all those elements, only the rivalry was assured for the February 8, 2005 Rutgers - Seton Hall game at the RAC.  Both teams were struggling, especially the Scarlet Knights who had lost five straight, also the number of consecutive losses at the hands of their instate rivals.  Only a few weeks earlier, the Pirates had embarrassed Rutgers 74-58.

Daily Home News - February 9, 2005

In spite of, or perhaps because of, it being a rivalry game, much of the contest was far from classic basketball.  Bill Handleman of the Daily Home News called most of the game, especially the first twenty minutes "a monument to bad basketball."  Early in the first half Rutgers had the better of what scoring took place and led 20-8 with eight minutes to go.  Nothing good happened for the Knights for the remainder of the period, however, as they managed only six points, but still led 26-22 in a game where neither team was able to sustain any offense.  The scoring didn't improve much early in the second half, but Seton Hall mustered enough offense to take their first lead at 33-32 with 13:52 left.  That was followed by ten minutes of what Jerry Carino, also in the Home News, called "bricked shots, lousy-looking free throws and errant passes" which "plagued both sides."  At point it seemed like the game would be known for poor play rather than anything else, but basketball sometimes saves its best for last.

Record - February 8, 2005

John Allen of Seton Hall got the fireworks started with a long jumper that gave the Pirates their biggest lead at 43-40 with under four minutes left.  Quincy Douby of Rutgers quickly responded with a long three points shot from the left side to tie the game with 3:17 to go.  On the next Seton Hall possession, Douby's aggressive offense carried over to his defense as he stole the ball and was fouled by the Pirates Donald Copeland.  The Rutgers sophomore hit both shots to put Rutgers up by two.  After some back and forth, Rutgers still led 50-48, but Copeland hit a long three of his own to give Seton Hall a one point advantage with just 42 seconds left.  Douby was far from done, however, hitting a running jumper with only 27 seconds remaining.  Seton Hall went to John Allen on their last possession and although it appeared he got away with a walk, his 10 foot bank shot put the Pirates ahead by one with 16 seconds left.  Rutgers came down needing one for a tie and two for a win and Knights guard Jules Wiggan was fouled with only 6.5 seconds on the clock.  Wiggan made one, missed one and the game went to overtime.

Record - February 9, 2005

Rutgers took the lead early in the overtime when Douby banked in a ten foot runner.  The Knights maintained their lead for most of the five minute overtime period, but Kelly Whitney hit a shot with just 14 seconds left to tie the game at 61-61.  Rutgers brought the ball up the court looking for Douby to take the last shot.  Quincy put up an off balance shot from the left side of the key which missed and the game was headed to a second overtime.  Or was it?  In the excitement few people realized referee Les Jones had blown his whistle right after Douby released the ball, calling a foul on Copland of Seton Hall.  With no time left on the clock and no players on the line, Douby missed the first, but hit the second to give the Knights a one point win and spark no end of controversy about the call.  Seton Hall and its fans were adamant that no foul was committed while Rutgers was ecstatic to have won the game, ending both losing streaks at five.  Perhaps Rutgers Coach Gary Waters probably put it best by simply calling it "divine justice."

 

  

"So Sweet" - Rutgers 65 - Providence 64

Daily Home News - January 11, 2004

In choosing ten memorable Rutgers buzzer beaters, no consideration was given to where the game was played.  It's interesting that of the six thus far, only one was at home, probably the last buzzer beater at the old College Avenue Gym.  With the exception of Damon Santiago's shot against Pittsburgh, the remainder took place on neutral courts, but this week the scene shifts to the RAC.  In January of 2004, Rutgers had begun its Big East conference season with a frustrating loss.  Just a few days earlier the Scarlet Knights had taken #1 Connecticut right down to the wire before falling one point short.  The defeat, which no one considered a moral victory, left Rutgers at 0-2 in conference (7-4 overall) and badly in need of a conference win.  At least the next game was at home, but the opponent was another nationally ranked team, Providence coming off a frustrating loss of their own.  Playing Texas in a nationally televised game, the Friars suffered the worst possible kind of buzzer beating loss where it seemed to many the shot was taken after the buzzer sounded.

Daily Home News - January 11, 2004

The first ten minutes of the game were relatively even until Providence went ahead with 9:23 remaining in the first half. It was a lead the Friars would hold for the next 30:36 of playing time.  At the half, Providence was ahead 36-26, but Rutgers used a 10-4 spurt at the to get back into the game.  From that point on the teams traded baskets which wasn't good enough for Rutgers.  Still down by five points with just over ten seconds left, Herve Lamizana put up a prayer which was answered when the ball went in off the glass.  After the game Lamizana himself admitted "that shot was luck," especially since he "didn't even look" and didn't "know how [it] went in."  Still down two, however, Rutgers had no alternative but to foul, putting a Friar on the line with two shots.  Making both would put the game out of reach, but providence was not looking kindly on its namesake this night. Both shots missed giving the Knights one last chance.

Daily Home News - January 11, 2004

Rutgers brought the ball across midcourt with just 5.7 seconds left and Coach Gary Waters took a timeout.  Waters said later, that he wanted no part of overtime so he designed a three point attempt.  Freshman Quincy Douby was to drive towards the basket and look for Lamizana.  If Herve wasn't open, Douby was to look for another Rutgers three point shooter in the corner.  Lamizana was open, however, probably because as Keith Sargeant put it in the Daily Home News "no one felt he could hit from near the bench."  Standing about 24 feet from the basket, Herve took the ball three feet behind the three point line and with "no time to think I just set it up and shot."  Unlike the earlier three point basket, this was a "pure shot" that hit nothing but net with .4 seconds on the clock.  Then to top off his evening, Lamizana blocked Providence's inbound pass and Rutgers had an improbable 65-64 win.  His game winning shot gave Herve 21 points for the game, complemented by eight rebounds and four blocks.

Record - January 11, 2004

While it was too early in the season to call the dramatic win a turning point, it was important to get that first conference win.  Certainly, Rutgers morale after the game was better than the Friars who suffered their second consecutive heart breaking buzzer beating loss.  Rutgers finished the regular season at 16-12 with a 7-9 conference record.  A frustrating one point loss to Virginia Tech eliminated the Knights from the conference tournament, but the team earned an NIT bid.  Consecutive victories over Temple, West Virginia, Villanova and Iowa State put Rutgers in the NIT championship game against Michigan.  Sadly the Scarlet Knights came up a little short against the Wolverines.  It was still a successful season, however, with some memorable moments, especially that January 10th buzzer beater.  It was as  Herve put it, "so sweet."  No one, except, of course, Providence could disagree with that sentiment.

Garden Party - Rutgers 61 Georgetown 60

Asbury Park Press - March 7, 1998

 Simple logic dictates that there are two mandatory parts of any buzzer beating shot - the shot and the buzzer.  However Rutgers recorded at least one buzzer beater before there even were buzzers.  It happened over a century ago on February 11, 1920 in Rutgers first signature win, a victory over Princeton.  The game was at the end of the first overtime period when with time running out, a foul on Princeton led to Leland Taliferro's game winning foul shot. It didn't matter who was fouled, because under the rules of the day, teams had designated foul shooters.  According to newspaper accounts of the game, the referee blew his whistle to call the foul just as the timekeeper started to blow the whistle he used in lieu of a buzzer.  In a game played before a sellout crowd, albeit only 1,000 fans,  it's hard to believe the whistle would have been heard above the din.  No such problem existed with the buzzer at Madison Square Garden in New York when it became college basketball's biggest stage.  In fact, it was so loud that a sportswriter, trying to describe the voice of Hilda Chester, a leather-lunged Brooklyn Dodger fan, wrote that she sounded like the buzzer going off at Madison Square Garden. It's a metaphor anyone who has ever been to the old building at 8th Ave and 51st Street has no trouble understanding.

Daily Home News - March 7, 1998

When the "new" Garden, opened in February of 1968, the buzzer certainly maintained the noise levels of the old one.  Thirty years later, Rutgers was playing at MSG for the third time in the Big East tournament. After opening round losses its first two years in the league, the Scarlet Knights had something to prove in Kevin Bannon's first season as Rutgers coach.  However, with an opening round matchup with #23 West Virginia, the safe money was that Rutgers at 12-14 was again headed home quickly.  Wise observers however would have noted that just a few weeks earlier, the Scarlet Knights had recorded an upset win over another ranked team, #21 Syracuse.  Past proved prologue when the Knights knocked off the Mountaineers, 75-72, earning a second round game with Georgetown.  Interestingly, Rutgers had defeated the Hoyas by 19 points at the RAC, just a month earlier, shredding the heralded Georgetown press in the process.  Wisely, Hall of Fame coach John Thompson dispensed with that strategy and the Hoyas jumped out to a 35-26 lead at half time.  It was not a good sign for Rutgers which was 0-11 in games where they trailed at half time.  When Georgetown went up by 10, early in the second half, it seemed unlikely Rutgers was going to reverse that negative statistic.

Courier News - March 7, 1998

However over the next ten minutes, the Scarlet Knights wiped out the Hoya lead and a Geoff Billet three with 10:27 remaining put Rutgers ahead 45-44.  The game went back and forth after that with Georgetown leading  58-55 in the closing minutes.  Rebounding a missed shot, Rob Hodgson was fouled and made both free throws to cut the deficit to one.  A Georgetown turnover gave Rutgers a chance to take the lead, but Billet missed a three and Jeff Greer failed to connect on two follow up shots.  Finally with 33.7 seconds left, Eric Clark grabbed another offensive rebound and was fouled.  The Rutgers senior, who was a good clutch foul shooter, came through once again, knocking down both shots to give Rutgers a one point lead.  Georgetown worked the ball to Shernard Long, their high scorer, and he made a clutch shot of his own, a 12 foot twisting jump shot over Hodgson to put the Hoyas up with just 13.9 seconds left.  Rutgers got the ball to midcourt with just 10 seconds remaining and Bannon called timeout.  Setting up last shot plays against Georgetown was problematic because of their aggressive physical defense.  In a post game radio interview, the Rutgers coach said the strategy was to have multiple players touch the ball and look for the best opportunity.

The Record - March 7, 1998

Executing the strategy as designed, Earl Johnson passed to Hodgson, who in turn threw it to Greer.  With time running out Greer was looking for an opening to the basket when he saw "Geoff [Billet] come to me and I had never seen his facial expression like that.  He wanted the ball."  Wisely Greer gave it to him outside the three point line at the head of the key.  The Rutgers junior went down the lane, got what he called a "good look" and put up a 12 foot runner trying to get the ball "up high" so it could get some help from the rim.  Watching Billet both Hodgson and Clark said the play seemed like it was in "slow motion" as the ball went towards the basket.  In the end, Billet didn't need the rim as the ball dropped cleanly through the basket while that loud as ever buzzer provided background music to the  pandemonium that broke out on the court.  Geoff ran around, not knowing "what I was doing," until he was mobbed by his teammates and then slapped hands with Rutgers fans as he ran into the tunnel.  After the game, Billet credited assistant coach Danny Hurley for pushing him to work on just that kind of shot after practice.  To no one's surprise, Geoff said it was "one of the best feelings I've ever had playing basketball."  A sentiment echoed by every Rutgers fan, especially those of us in attendance who left the Garden walking on air or so it felt.  

The Sounds of Silence - Rutgers 71 - PItt 70

 Daily Home News - February 21, 1996

Like all sports, basketball has its own unique features - buzzer beating shots being just one.  Another is what Hall of Famer Bob Cousy called, in his book of the same name, "The Last Loud Roar."  As the Celtics great described it, the home team comes from behind, forcing the opposition to call a timeout, generating an avalanche of sound from their fans.  It's a part of basketball that not only puts an exclamation point on the comeback, but sometimes spurs the home team on to even more success.  Sitting almost directly on the opposite side of the RAC from the visiting coach, I've seen them hesitate to call the timeout, knowing what's coming could make things even worse.  What about though, when the comeback takes place on the road and there are no home fans to deliver that final burst of enthusiasm.  Back in December of 1964, before I had even seen a college basketball game, much less been part of one, I remember Rutgers freshman coach Bruce Webster saying to our team - "When you go on the road, the only thing you want to hear is silence."  It was a good point, one, I've always remembered.  

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - February 21, 1996

On those occasions, silence can be its own reward and even more so when the big comeback is capped by a buzzer beating shot.  On February 20, 1996, few, if anyone, watching the Rutgers game at Pitt on television, or listening on radio, thought even one of those things would occur that night.  It was Rutgers first year in the Big East and, understandably, the season had more than a few challenges.  Going into the Pitt game, Rutgers was 7-14 overall and 4-10 in the conference with all four league wins at home.  Little in the first half suggested this was going to be the night the Scarlet Knights broke through on the road.  Averaging 14 turnovers per game, Rutgers gave the ball away 13 times in just the first 20 minutes and Pitt, coached by Ralph Willard, led by 13 at the break.  Nor did things look more promising in the second half when Chad Varga and Jason Maile of Pitt put on an offensive exhibition.  Varga scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half and Maile, who averaged under 5 points per game, hit six threes all in the second half.  Rutgers coach Bob Wenzel had employed four different defenses, none of which had slowed down the Panthers.  With only 7:21 left in the game, Rutgers was down by 20 points and it looked like the benches would be cleared shortly.

Courier News - February 21, 1996

However as has been proven over and over again, basketball games are 40 minutes, not 32:39 and Pitt did not score another basket the rest of the way.  Thanks to shutting down the Panthers' offense, Rutgers cut 8 points off the margin, but still trailed by 12 with just 2:30 left.  The Scarlet Knights final comeback began when Geoff Billet hit a three point shot and after a Pitt turnover, Damon Santiago scored to cut the Pitt lead to just seven.  After Pitt came up empty again, Santiago hit a three and the lead was only four with 1:12 left.  Maile who had been unstoppable earlier, missed a shot and Vontego Cummings' follow up was blocked by Rutgers Eric Clark.  Pitt then made the mistake of fouling Billet, the best foul shooter in the conference, who made both, bringing Rutgers within two points with 43 seconds left.  On what would prove to be Pitt's last offensive opportunity, Rob Hodgson blocked Kevin Willard's shot (son of the Pitt coach and current Seton Hall coach) giving the ball back to Rutgers.  Damon Santiago (who kindly shared his memories with me) remembers that he "got the ball and raced down court with about 5 seconds to go.  I got a shot off but it was a terrible fading shot that came up short.  Luckily for us the ball was knocked out of bounds by Pitt with 1 second left on the clock." Rutgers coach Bob Wenzel called a timeout and as he walked to the bench, Damon was more than a little "upset," thinking he blew it."

Courier News - February 21, 1996

Damon remembers that in the huddle, Wenzel designed a play for him "to come off a screen to get a shot in the corner."  Knowing with one second left he had to get the shot off quickly, Damon decided he "may as well go for the 3 and the win."  As the teams took their positions, Damon "knew they would be playing me to go over the top of the screen so I chose to go under the hoop to use the screen set up by Eric Clark."  Clark set what Wenzel later called "a perfect screen" and Damon got "just enough separation to get beyond the three point line, catch and shoot."  Unable to see the basket because of a Pitt big man jumping out on a double team, he let it "fly in the direction of the rim."  Although at the time it "seemed [to Damon] like it took forever to go in," go in it did, as the buzzer sounded for a one point Rutgers victory.  Santiago who scored 25 points was the hero,  but others made important contributions beginning with Hodgson and Clark who had 14 points apiece.  It is hard to imagine a more dramatic win and the school's first Big East road win at that.  

Damon Santiago

Earlier in the season, Damon won the home game against Pitt by sinking two clutch foul shots with one second left.  His buzzer beater at Fitzgerald Field House capped off a sweep of the Panthers which was especially meaningful to Damon since two of his childhood friends, Jerry McCullough (a player) and Orlando Antigua (a coach) were on the Pitt team. Damon topped off his senior season by being named to the Big East second team, an honor under any circumstances, but especially since the first team guards were Ray Allen and Allen Iverson.  After college, Damon played basketball professionally for a few years and then went back to school and earned a Masters Degree.  He is currently a Dean of Discipline for the Department of Education in New York.  Damon's memorable shot produced the kind of win that at home would have sent the fans storming on to the court, but on the road, silence never sounded so good.  Bruce Webster would have been proud.

The Importance of Being Ambidextrous - Rutgers 80 - Rhode Island 79

Courier News - March 5, 1990

As Christmas holiday tournaments fell out of favor in college basketball, the vacuum was more than filled by conference tournaments, designed not so much to determine the conference champion as to decide which school would earn the automatic NCAA berth.  There is no relationship between the decline of the one and the growth of the other, but it's also true that 50 years or so ago, conference tournaments were rare, the ACC being the most notable exception.  Since at the time only one team per conference qualified for what was not yet known as "the dance," the argument was that a team that finished 11-1 behind a 12-0 regular season champion deserved another chance.  Whether or not that logic made sense, conference tournaments gradually became more commonplace because they gave every team, at least theoretically, something to play for.   As the NCAA field expanded, however, conference tournaments have had less and less to do with determining who makes the "dance." That still leaves, though, the Cinderella scenario where an unsung team gets hot and plays its way into a tournament berth, it otherwise had no chance of earning.

Courier News - March 5, 1990

Rutgers enjoyed just such an experience in the 1988-89 season when Coach Bob Wenzel engineered the biggest turnaround in school history.  Adding only one new player, Wenzel took a team that had won only seven games the year before and led them to a 15-12 regular season record.  That alone made it a memorable season, but the team was not done yet.   One of the problems faced by mid-major and lower conferences was how to attract a large crowd to the championship game.  Unlike the major conferences, fans did not stick around once their team had been eliminated, leaving championship games to be played in half empty (at best) arenas.  The Atlantic Ten's solution was to play the first three rounds at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia with the championship game at the home of the highest remaining seed.  In the 1989 tournament, Rutgers defeated St. Bonaventure and then upset Temple in a dramatic overtime game to earn a place in the final.  Since lower seed Penn State had knocked off West Virginia in the other semi-final, the championship game came to the RAC. Urged on by what was the loudest crowd I can remember in my over 40 years in Section 105, Row F, Rutgers defeated Penn State, earning an NCAA bid before falling to Iowa in the opening round.

Herald News - March 5, 1990

A year later, Rutgers was back at the Palestra for an opening round Atlantic 10 tournament matchup with Rhode Island.  It had been an up and down season for the Scarlet Knights who stood exactly at .500, 15-15.  The first half of the game was, to put it mildly, unusual.  First, guard Earl Duncan, a Syracuse transfer, who was suffering from lingering knee and ankle injuries got hurt again and would play only 22 minutes.  With 16:21 left in the half the guard rotation shrunk even further.  Craig Carter scored, but landed on the foot of a Rhode Island player, dislocating his ankle which left his foot "at a grotesque angle."  "Writhing in pain," the embattled Rutgers player was carried off on a stretcher while waving to the applauding Rutgers fans.  In for Carter was Rick Dadika, a key part of the 1989 team who now had a more limited role off the bench.  Dadika stepped up big time, making five three point shots over the course of the game, tying an Atlantic 10 tournament record in the process.  Four of those came in the first half and, amazingly, Rutgers led 51-41 at the half.  Amazingly not only because of the injuries, but also since 14 of the 17 fouls called in the first half had gone against Rutgers including a technical on the bench.

Asbury Park Press - March 5, 1990

 Although down by 10, Rhode Island was far from finished.  In less than a minute the Rams cut the difference to four and with 15 minutes left, they knotted the contest at 55-55.  From that point the game went back and forth until a dramatic last two minutes.  With Rutgers up 74-73, Eric Leslie of Rhode Island hit two foul shots for a one point Rams lead.  Rutgers countered with a follow up shot by the late Keith Hughes, but Rhode Island's Kenny Green made a layup for a 77-76 Ram lead.  On Rutgers next possession, Donnell Lumpkin was fouled.  Trying to intimidate the freshman, Rhode Island coach Al Skinner called two timeouts to let Lumpkin think about the shots.  Not in any way intimidated, Donnell made both in what Skinner gracefully acknowledged as "a very nice job."  Rhode Island looking to take back the lead, had the ball out of bounds on the baseline in the forecourt.  The Rams ran a play that gave Mike Brown a go-head layup with just 11 seconds left.  With the ball out of bounds under their own basket, Wenzel called a Rutgers timeout not so much to set up a play, but rather a formation with multiple options.

Daily Home News - March 5, 1990

Freshman Mike Jones brought the ball across midcourt where a Rhode Island double team forced him to pass off to Duncan. The Rutgers junior dribbled to the left side of the lane where with four seconds left, his only choices were to shoot or drive.  Duncan opted for the latter, but was cut off by the Rams defense.  Resorting to a spin dribble, Duncan went up with the ball sensing that if he shot with his right hand Kenny Green, Atlantic 10 player of the year, would block it. Shifting the ball to his left hand, Duncan put it up just past Green's outstretched hand. The shot went in as the buzzer sounded giving Rutgers a place in the semi-finals against Temple.  While Duncan had made the winning shot, he got plenty of support from Jones and Dadika off the bench.  Jones was all over the court with 11 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and no turnovers while Dadika scored 19 points.  The next night it seemed like history might repeat itself when upstart UMass, coached by John Calipari, knocked off number two seed Penn State.  A Rutgers win over Temple would have again brought the championship game to the RAC, but alas, it was not to be.  A year later, however, Duncan and Keith Hughes led Rutgers to its only regular season conference championship and the school's last NCAA appearance. 

"Win Over All" - Rutgers 61 Notre Dame 59

Daily Home News - February 10, 1984

Our first two buzzer beaters were part of twenty win seasons that ended in post season play.   However, the nature of buzzer beaters is such that they aren't limited to any one type of season.  A year after Brian Ellerbe's winning shot against Temple, Rutgers was suffering the effects of losing multiple veteran players like Kevin Black, Roy Hinson and Rich Brunson.   On February 9, 1984, the Scarlet Knights were 8-11 at risk of the program's first losing record in 20 years.  Making things even more frustrating, five of the losses were by a total of 13 points.  One positive sign was the end of a five game losing streak thanks to a close win over George Washington due in part to some clutch foul shooting by junior forward Chris Remley.   Next up was a non-conference matchup with Notre Dame at the Continental Air Lines Arena in East Rutherford, the first basketball game ever between the two schools.  Notre Dame under Coach Digger Phelps had won eight of its last nine and sported a 15-6 record on the way, they hoped, to the NCAA tournament.

Asbury Park Press - February 10, 1984

Thanks to 15 points from Tom Sluby, Notre Dame was in charge most of the first half and led 32-24 at the break.  The Fighting Irish extended their lead early in the second half and were ahead 38-26 when Rutgers mounted a comeback.  After a Brian Ellerbe layup, Steve Perry hit a jumper and John Battle contributed a three point play to cut the margin to 38-33.  After that, however, Notre Dame regained control, extending the margin to nine with just 5:36 left in a game played without a shot clock.  Fortunately, the box and one defense, Rutgers employed to contain Sluby was proving effective since Notre Dame had not scored a basket in the last two minutes and would not score again from the field.  Even so Rutgers needed offense and, once again, Brian Ellerbe got things started with a corner jumper.  Steve Perry scored off another rebound (one of his eleven for the game) and then followed that by making three of four free throws to bring Rutgers within two.  Finally the Knights came all the way back to tie the game at 59-59 with 59 seconds left when John Battle hit both ends of a 1-1.

Record - February 10, 1984

Notre Dame was in possession and with no shot clock chose to hold the ball for what they hoped would be a game winning, preferably buzzer beating, shot.  With just 13 seconds left, Digger Phelps called timeout to set up their final possession.  Sluby made the inbounds pass to 6'10" Tim Kempton who tried to pass the ball back to Sluby, but Brian Ellerbe at 6'1" had other ideas.  The Rutgers guard darted in between the two Notre Dame players and deflected the ball towards the sideline.  He then jumped over and around the much taller Kempton without fouling and somehow got the ball to teammate Audra Bell without Kempton getting it first.  It was one of the greatest hustle plays I've seen in over 60 years of watching Rutgers basketball, reminiscent of a similar effort by Darius Griffith against UCLA on the very same floor.  Now it was Rutgers turn to take timeout to plan a game winning shot.  Understandably Coach Tom Young designed the play to go to John Battle who had already scored 23 points.  Equally understandably, Notre Dame had no intention of letting Battle beat them.  

Herald News - February 10, 1984

Record  - February 10, 1984

After inbounding the ball to Perry, Chris Remley got it back in the backcourt and dribbled into the forecourt looking for Battle who was closely guarded by Notre Dame.  Recognizing there wasn't time to pass the ball, the Rutgers junior continued to dribble to a point slightly to the left of the head of the key.  From 22 feet, Chris "just fired" what he called "a pretty good shot."  It was more than "pretty good." The ball swished through the basket with one second left leaving the Irish only a desperation pass that bounced harmlessly away.  In a classy post game comment, Kempton of Notre Dame said Rutgers won because "they outhustled us."  The rebounding figures support that view.  After being pounded on the boards 19-8 in the first half, Rutgers did a complete turnaround in the second half by exactly the same ratio.  Steve Perry led the way with 11 boards in addition to 12 points and John Battle led Rutgers in scoring with 23.  While it was not a league game, the win marked a turning point as the team won six of its next seven, ending the season with a 15-13 mark.  Non-conference or not, the magnitude of the win and especially the shot couldn't be under estimated.  As Chris Remley aptly put it - "That's tradition we beat, not just a team."

Courier News - February 10, 1984

The game winning shot was the second of Chris Remley's career, following one he made in a high school Christmas tournament, interestingly in Piscataway, although not at Rutgers.  Upon graduating from college, Chris was drafted by the Boston Celtics before going overseas to play professional basketball in both Ireland and Australia.  After two years in Australia, Remley returned to the United States and began a long teaching career in the Rahway, New Jersey public schools.  In addition to teaching, Chris has enjoyed an almost 30 year coaching career in multiple sports including tennis, golf, boys and girls soccer and, of course, basketball.  He has the distinction of being the second high school coach in New Jersey sports history to have won a sectional  championship in both boys and girls basketball.  

Lou Goetz - R.I.P.

Rutgers Targum February 1969

 I was greatly saddened to learn of the death on January 19th of  Lou Goetz, a three time Rutgers basketball letter winner and my long time friend.  Lou and I first met when we were freshman at Rutgers in the fall of 1964, he was the first of my many Rutgers basketball friends.  At the time freshman were not eligible to play varsity basketball so he played and I managed on the last Rutgers freshman team coached by Bruce Webster, a unique experience in its own right.  Lou had to sit out the following year due to illness, but he returned for the 1966-67 team and was a valuable reserve on the great Lloyd-Valvano led 1967 NIT team.  Lou started every game over the next two seasons and was an extremely important part of the 1969 NIT team.  For that season, Lou, at 6' 1," moved to forward where he always played at height disadvantage.  In spite of that challenge, his ability to contribute in ways that don't show up in the box score was a major reason why basically the same roster improved from 14-10 to 21-4.  In the process the 1969 team won 16 straight (the second longest winning streak in school history) and finished with the second highest winning percentage in over 100 years of Rutgers basketball (.840). 

 

Lou laying one in against Bucknell in February of 1968

In a February 1969 interview with the Rutgers Targum, Coach Bill Foster explained that even though Lou only averaged about six point per game he was invaluable because "he plays one way - aggressively."  The possible problems caused  by Lou's lack of size at the forward's spot, didn't bother Foster because Goetz "makes up for his lack of height with hustle."  Equally important was the fact that Lou was "one of the most unselfish players I've ever seen."  With those comments, it's no wonder Foster wanted to keep Lou around after his playing days were over.  After graduation, Lou became one of Foster's assistants at Rutgers and followed him to both Utah and Duke.  During the 1978-79 season, Lou and former Rutgers player and coach Bob Wenzel were on the coaching staff of Duke's NCAA runner-up team, a season immortalized in John Feinstein's Forever's Team.  Lou finished his coaching career as the head coach of the University of Richmond.

Lou with his (and my) longtime friend Steve Weinstein at the 50th anniversary of the 1967 NIT team

Lou's death brought back a lot of memories of our times together at Rutgers.  I remember a freshman game at Manhattan College played in a gym so decrepit that there aren't enough adjectives to describe how bad it was.  Suffice to say the scoreboard clock didn't go any higher than 10 minutes probably dating back to the days when college basketball played 10 minute quarters.  As a result the time was kept at the scorer's table for the first ten minutes of each half and then the scoreboard took over.  During a foul shot in the second half, Lou, who was on the court, asked me on the bench, "How much time is left?"  Thinking he didn't know the clock was working, I responded - "The scoreboard's working."  He said, "I know, but I can't read the numbers from here."  It was probably no surprise that not long after he began wearing contact lens.  In fact, it was his success with them, that led to my getting them, so among other things, I owe over 50 years of better eyesight to Lou.  

Lou with the late Dick Stewart (far left) and Jack Penhall

Four years later during a game against Dartmouth, then coached by Dave Gavitt, Rutgers put on one of those second half spurts that causes the other team to call timeout.  Caught up in the excitement, Lou ran from the floor into the huddle, yelling "Let's run them out of the gym."  It was an admirable sentiment, but since the "gym" in question was Madison Square Garden, his word choice was less than memorable.  Needless to say, he heard about that for a few days afterwards.  Later that same season we were playing a Bob Knight coached Army team at West Point.  If there is a worse experience in college basketball, I don't want to know about it.  Down late in the second half, Lou guarded the man bringing up the ball so relentlessly that he forced a 10 second violation.  It would be nice to say that it was the turning point in a Rutgers come from behind victory, but it wasn't.  A day or so later, however, Lou said me the play made him ask himself - "Why can't I do that all the time?"  In some ways that sums up Lou Goetz both as a player and a person.   He worked relentlessly at whatever he did, analyzed what happened and used what he learned to improve.  Lou Goetz was a credit to his team, his university and everything he touched - may he rest in peace.

What Goes Around - Rutgers 70 - Temple 68

A week before Christmas of 1982, the Rutgers men's basketball team was in Lexington, Kentucky to play in the University of Kentucky's annual holiday tournament.  Although out of fashion today, such events were long a staple of college basketball.  Typically four team affairs, these tournaments gave the host team an opportunity to play two additional home games while offering the visitors a trip and, in this case, the opportunity to take on one of college basketball's most storied programs.  Rutgers hopes were high for the 1982-83 season, the prior year Rutgers had won 20 games and made it to the second round of the NIT.  Thus far, nothing had happened to diminish those hopes, Rutgers was 5-0 with a win over archrival Princeton.  Hoping to play Kentucky in the championship game, the Scarlet Knights took on Tulane in the opener.  Down 54-53, freshman Chris Remley hit a shot with 2 seconds left that seemingly gave Rutgers the win and a matchup with the Wildcats.  It was not to be, however, Tulane's Paul Thompson took a full court pass and hit an 8 foot baseline jumper as the buzzer sounded.  Instead of the dream matchup, Rutgers was relegated to the consolation game to play conference rival Duquesne in a game that didn't count in the conference standings.

Daily Home News - January 30, 1983

Recovering quickly from the discouraging loss, Rutgers came back to win six of its next seven before a two game losing streak gave the Knights a 11-4 record.  Next up was a Saturday January 29th afternoon game against Temple at the historic Palestra.  The 1982-83 season marked two college basketball firsts.  It was the year conferences began experimenting with the three point shot and also the legendary John Cheney's first season as coach of the Temple Owls.  Cheney's initial campaign in north Philadelphia had been marred by injuries especially the loss of big man, Granger Hall, leaving the Owls a guard dominated team led by Jim McLaughlin and Terence Stansbury.  As a result Rutgers had a height advantage which the Knights immediately exploited, jumping out to a 11-2 lead in the first five minutes.  However turnover problems (13 in the first half) and the shooting of the Temple's guards quickly cut into the lead.  At the end of 20 minutes, Rutgers led only 35-33 in spite of shooting 50% from the floor and enjoying a 24-10 rebounding advantage.  After the break, the Owls quickly caught up and took the lead with just under 18 minutes left in the second half, an advantage they would hold for the next 12 minutes.

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 30, 1983

Temple led 62-54 with just under 8 minutes left with Rutgers big men Roy Hinson and Clarence Tillman both on the bench with four fouls.  Rutgers was far from done, however, Kevin Black began the comeback with a finger roll and a  foul shot to cut the margin to five.  Back in the game, even with four fouls, Tillman forced a turnover and then hit a three pointer as the shot clock was winding down.  It was now a one possession game and after Temple again came up empty, Black hit two more foul shots to tie the game at 62-62 with 4:30 left.  Temple broke their scoreless streak with a foul shot, but Rick Brunson's jump shot gave Rutgers a one point lead, its first advantage since early in the half.  Temple responded when McLoughlin hit a three pointer of his own and the Owls led 66-64.  With just 1:43 left, Roy Hinson was fouled and made both to again tie the game.  On Temple's next possession, Brian Ellerbe deflected the ball to Brunson who hit another clutch shot to again put Rutgers up by two 68-66.  Down two with just over a minute to play, Temple knotted the game once more on a Kevin Clifton jump shot.

Camden Courier Post - January 30, 1983

Holding the ball for the last shot, Rutgers took timeout with 23 seconds left.  Coach Tom Young drew up a play to go inside to Roy Hinson and exploit the Knights height advantage, but it wasn't there.  With time running down, Brunson passed to Ellerbe who was the second option on the play.  Shooting from a point the Philadelphia Inquirer called near the NBA 23' 9" line, Ellerbe drained a shot which according to the paper "everyone but the officials thought was a three pointer."  In spite of a long protest by Coach Young, the lack of instant replay made it impossible to check whether Rutgers was up three or two.  In the end it didn't matter even though just like the Tulane game, there were two seconds left on the clock.  This time a long pass went out of bounds, Rutgers had a buzzer beating win and Brian Ellerbee had the first winning basket of his career at any level.  

Brian Ellerbe 

The win marked the beginning of a nine game winning streak that put Rutgers in a good position for the post season.  Ironically, in a rematch with Temple in the semi-finals of the Atlantic Ten tournament, the Owls got a revenge victory.  It wasn't enough, however to mar the Knights season which was rewarded with an NCAA bid and an opening round matchup against South Western Louisiana.  Rutgers defeated the Raging Cajuns, the Scarlet Knights last NCAA victory, before falling to St. John's in the second round.  Brian Ellerbe went on to a long college coaching career including being the first African-American coach at Loyola University of Maryland and the University of Michigan.  Brian holds the Rutgers and Madison Square Garden records for assists in a game, 16 against North Carolina State on December 27, 1984.  The 1982-83 team finished the season with a 23-8 record, the 23 victories put them third in total wins behind the 1976 (31) and the 1978 teams (24).  It is a team and a season to be remembered.      

Practice Pays Off - Rutgers 62 - Fordham 61

Although perhaps not equal to the metaphorical one thousand words, the above picture captures basketball's most dramatic moment - the buzzer beating shot attempt.  Time has run out, but since the ball is in the air, the shot's outcome will spell the difference not just between victory and defeat, but also between a moment to be treasured and one that can't be forgotten no matter how hard we try.  Like no-hitters in baseball or goal line stands in football, basketball buzzer beaters are relatively rare. Indeed some college teams go through an entire season or seasons without such moments.  There is probably no logical explanation for how or why they occur, such moments are opportunities that as Shakespeare said "taken at the flood leads on to fortune."  And regardless of how they happen, they deserve to be remembered and celebrated.  To that end, the 2021 version of this blog will focus on 10 such moments in Rutgers basketball history.  For our purposes, a buzzer beating shot is defined as one that either won the game or set up a game winning foul shot.  For the most part the shot ended the game and there is a limit of one buzzer beater per player.   

Bob Greacen laying one in against Delaware - Daily Home News

Rather than trying to rank the ten games, they will appear in chronological order beginning on February 27, 1969, when Rutgers hosted Fordham at the College Avenue Gym.  While known today as "the Barn," at the time, it was simply the Gym, considered outdated in many ways, but a major home court advantage.   Visitors sometimes asked if the court was regulation size.  It was, but didn't always seem that way due to the fans, primarily students, sitting right on top of the action.  Capacity was listed as 2,800, but it was probably more the number who could be squeezed in without unduly upsetting the fire marshal.  The 1969 team was a senior led squad, a number of whom had been a major part of the 1967 team, the first post World War II Rutgers basketball team to gain national attention.  Heading into the Fordham game, the 1969 team was well on its way to a return to the NIT thanks to a 17-3 record and a 12 game winning streak.  At the time, the NIT had far more prestige than today.  Only about 25 teams made the NCAA tournament so there were roughly only 40 post season opportunities available for 300 or so teams.  In addition, all the NIT games were played at Madison Square Garden when it was truly the Mecca of college basketball.  Some teams actually declined an NCAA bid to play in the NIT.

Rutgers Daily Targum - February 28, 1969

Like Rutgers, Fordham, 15-7, was hoping for an NIT bid.  As usual the Gym was packed and the atmosphere became even more intense thanks to 100 or so Fordham students who tried to hassle the ushers. Since the ushers were Rutgers football players that didn't go well for the visitors.  Next the Fordham mascot tried to harass Bob Greacen, Rutgers leading scorer during the pre-game warmups.  Today that probably would have earned Fordham a technical foul, instead it just ratcheted the intensity up even higher if that was possible.  The first half was close throughout, but at the break Rutgers led 36-31.  The lead didn't last long, however, as Fordham went ahead with 14:00 left in the second half and led by six, 59-53, with three minutes left.  Rutgers had struggled to score throughout the second half, making only six baskets, four by Dick Stewart, team captain and second leading scorer.  Fortunately, Greacen got hot at the line and made five of six foul shots to bring Rutgers within one with just over a minute left.  After Fordham failed to score, Greacen was fouled again and made both shots for a 60-59 Rutgers lead.  With 30 seconds left Fordham missed their initial shot and a follow up, but Ken Crucius rebounded his own miss and scored to give Fordham a one point lead.

Daily Home News - February 28, 1969

Ten seconds remained in the game and Coach Bill Foster took a time out to set up a play.  Bob Greacen remembers that in the huddle Foster asked Dick Stewart if he wanted to take the last shot.  In typical selfless fashion, Stewart said "Greek's hot, let him take it."  Stewart inbounded the ball to John McFadden who dribbled across midcourt and passed the ball to Greacen.  With the seconds counting down, "Greek" took one dribble, faked and took a 19 foot jump shot from the right of the key, aiming to bank it in off the backboard. It was, "Greek" remembered, a shot he had practiced a thousand times in his backyard and all the practice proved to be more than worth it.  The ball went off the glass and swished through the net as the buzzer sounded.  Greacen was mobbed, not only by his teammates, but students who stormed on to the court, led by football star and Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame member Bruce Van Ness.  They lifted "Greek" on to their shoulders while the Gym echoed with chants of "NIT, NIT, NIT."  Fordham was understandably heart broken by the result, but in the end they also received an NIT bid.   

Although taken in an earlier game against Columbia, this is basically the shot Greacen took to beat both Fordham and the clock.  

In addition to the last second heroics, it was a remarkable night for Greacen who shot eight of sixteen from the floor and an incredible 15-17 from the line (88%) for 31 points, just over half of Rutgers total.  The win was Rutgers 13th in a row and they added three more for what was then a school record 16 straight.   Although the streak and the season ended with a loss in the opening round of the NIT, the team's 21-4 record is the second highest winning percentage (.840) in Rutgers men's basketball history, topped only by the Final Four team which also had the longest winning streak at 31.  Bob Greacen was the first choice in the second round of the 1969 NBA draft, chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks who took Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the first round.  Greacen played two seasons for the Bucks and was a member of the 1971 NBA championship team.  After playing briefly in the ABA, Bob embarked on a long teaching career in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  He holds the College Avenue Gym record for points in a game (46) and is tied with Eric Riggins for baskets in a game (19). Bob is a member of the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame.