I'm fairly certain Iowa State lost that game. Nobody cared much about basketball when I was a student - wrestling was more the thing. I recall the excitement when wrestlers like Frank Santana, NCAA stud walked into a bar we were in. Paul says he would drink beer right out of the pitcher. Most of the wrestlers I saw had cauliflower ear - not attractive, in my view. So let's get back to basketball.
Iowa State did have some basketball history prior to those 1970's doldrums, in the 1950's and again when Johnny Orr marshaled in the Hilton Magic era and on to the Larry Eustachy years. Paul and I purchased basketball tickets for a few men's and women's games as our children grew up. One year we took them to see ISU play Kansas when Roy Williams coached, staying at the Gateway where the KU team stayed. Jud was thrilled when Roy waved at him as we pulled away from the motel.
Once our children attained independence (and we were no longer driving to high school basketball games twice a week), Iowa State University offered some very reasonable season ticket prices, and Paul and I snatched them up. Can you say Nosebleed? It's a 2 hour drive from Creston to Ames, so we missed most of the weekday games, and it was the Coach Greg McDermott era, so the team wasn't all that great. But we got our money's worth.
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| Jud and me at the B12 tourney - after we win baby! |
After a couple years, the Goldsmiths moved down to the big time! Okay it was only about 10 rows down - so we are no longer second from the top. But aisle seats! Later when we moved to West Des Moines, it go much easier to make more games as it's only a 45 minute drive.
Creighton hired away GMac (Coach Greg McDermott - who was a very nice man but didn't seem to be getting the job done at ISU) and ISU took a leap of faith and hired former ISU and professional hoops player (and son of my college advisor) Fred Hoiberg. The program flourished!
Fred's tenure was a fun ride. For one thing, he is not hard on the eyes and wore great suits at games. The team improved consistently as he learned on the job. There were some exciting finishes - especially as the talent level increased in the ISU ranks. Some of my best sports memories happened in the last two years at the Big 12 Tourney with my friends and my husband and son and Kara by my side. Priceless! Last year after the season, Fred had a chance move on from the college game to achieve his life's dream - to coach professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls. Sad for us, happy for him. Enter good guy coach, Steve Prohm who should be allowed several seasons to get his team and system in place in my opinion.
Fred Hoiberg recruited many talented players who Paul and I enjoyed watching these past few years. One has become one my all time favorites. Georges (pronounced George) Niang will play his last game in Ames on Monday night. I am going to miss him as a player - unique in today's game (so much so that it's become a Bingo card drinking game joke to listen for how game announcing teams will describe his old many YMCA moves) and hard for other teams to guard. I'll also miss the character that he is - not that I know him personally, but through interviews, too countless to number. He's always crediting the fans and he himself is a big fan of ISU and Ames, Iowa. Monday night he'll be asked to give a little speech after the game. I think there will be a few tears shed - by me and many others including manly men. Someday I'll be looking up (from my cheap seat) at Georges's jersey hanging from the rafters.
Before last night's game, we met Mary and Dana at Whiskey River for a bit to eat. It was fun to catch up with them. After the game we met Kevin and Kari at Dublin Bay for a brew and to celebrate a nice victory over Kansas State. ISU games bring us together with pals and we're thankful for that!
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| Kevin and Kari after Saturday's win |
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