It’s been a while.
In all honesty, too long for Bulldog fans.
But for those of us who were fortunate to be around in the 1980s and very early 1990s, man do we have some great memories of March Madness … LA Tech Bulldog-style.
I was in junior high, high school and my very early college days at Louisiana Tech when the Bulldogs made March Madness an almost annual experience. And it was fun.
Five trips to the Big Dance in an eight-year span for the Bulldogs (with three more trips to the NIT during that stretch). Postseason basketball was an annual pilgrimage for the red and blue.
I was a huge Tech fan even back then. Bulldogs. Lady Techsters (who had a stretch of 27 straight NCAA Tournaments, 32 if you include the AIAW days, at one point in their history).
I became a March Madness nut back then, and in large part because of the Dunkin’ Dogs.
It all started during the 1984 NCAA Tournament when Tech knocked off Southland Conference power Lamar in Beaumont in the championship game of the SLC Tournament to snap the Cardinals 80-game home court win streak, earning the automatic bid to the Big Dance.
Tech faced Fresno State in a first round game of the Midwest Regional in Memphis. I remember watching the game at home as the Bulldogs defeated the “other” Bulldogs 66-56. The best memory, besides the win itself, was a highlight reel alley-oop that Karl “The Mailman” Malone threw down with one hand. It wasn’t just any alley-oop. The pass appeared to be too high and behind him, but The Mailman delivered with authority and the Dogs would advance to the second round.
Tech would fall to Akeem Olajuwon and the Phi Slama Jama boys of the Houston Cougars 77-69 in the second round, Houston squad that would advance to the national championship game that season.
The very next season, the Bulldogs would have arguably the greatest season in Bulldog basketball history … at least on the Division I level. Led by head coach Andy Russo, the Bulldogs went 27-2 in the regular and conference tournament seasons and were ranked as high as No. 6 in the country.
Tech’s first round match-up against Pittsburgh in Tulsa tipped off around 2 p.m. that Thursday. I remember watching the first half of the game in Mr. Alex Laney’s eighth grade class at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School. We were all glued to the TV as the Bulldogs began their dismantling of the Panthers, making easy work in the opening round.
That Saturday Tech faced Ohio State. I wasn’t able to watch the first half because of some scheduling conflict … I don’t remember exactly what … but I do remember I wasn’t happy. I rushed home to my grandparents house where I watch the final 20 minutes of another easy win.
Sweet 16 was next. In a game that diehard Tech fans still want to forget — at least the ending — I sat in my grandparents living room and watched with my grandfather, Roland Abegg. It was a back and forth game against an Oklahoma Sooners team led by Wayman Tisdale, an Oklahoma squad that had handed Tech one of its only two losses in the regular season.
Reunion Arena in Dallas was the site of one of the most heartbreaking losses in Tech history. Overtime. Tisdale hit a turn around jumper that bounced on the rim for what seemed to be an eternity before finally falling through the basketball. One last gasp by the Bulldogs on an inbounds play from halfcourt came up empty and the Cinderella season came to a close.
In 1987, the Bulldogs were sent to the Midwest Regional in Rosemont, Illinois. I sat in the living room of my friend Beth Glascock’s house watching Tech face a very talented DePaul team. I don’t remember much of the actual game that night, probably because it wasn’t too close … a 76-62 Bulldog first round loss.
I was so hooked on the men’s tournament by then that I became the unofficial “bookie” at Ruston High, running a chump change (dollar a team) tournament pool where one lucky person would win $64. I think the statute of limitations has passed on that side hustle.
By the time Tech made the 1989 NCAA Tournament, I was at the point of checking out of high school on that Thursday and Friday, in order to watch all the games. The Bulldogs matched up against LaSalle and Lionel “L-Train” Simmons in the Southeast Regional in Nashville. Simmons was the three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and averaged almost 30 points per game.
I remember a bunch of us “checked out of school” — skipped my have been a better term — and went to my friend Heather Jewell’s house to watch the Bulldogs, who were slight underdogs. But not so fast my friend.
Randy White, Byron Newton, PJ Brown, Anthony Dade and a host of Dogs pulled the upset, derailing the L-Train and his Explorer teammates 83-74 in Nashville. It was a great game to watch.
Up next was Mookie Blalock and the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma Sooners coached by Billy Tubbs. Tommy Joe Eagles was quoted the day between games saying something to the affect of “Dare we dream the dream that only dreamer’s dream?”
I sure did. But my dream became a nightmare.
That Saturday second round contest got ugly fast as the Sooners were simply too much, defeating Tech 124-81 in a game that was over by halftime. I didn’t even make it to the end of the game as I grabbed my basketball and headed to the end of Pinewood Lane to shoot some hoops and lick my Bulldog wounds.
In 1991, my sophomore year at Tech, the Bulldogs earned yet another berth in the Big Dance and were sent to Atlanta to face Rodney Rogers and the Wake Forest Demon Decans. It was a classic match-up of two heavy weights inside as Rogers battled Anthony “Bear” Dade that night.
Once again, I watched from my grandparents house as Tech fell short by a score of 71-65. Although I was disappointed in the loss, I had become spoiled and was convinced the Bulldogs would be back soon.
That was 34 years ago.
I feel lucky I was able to live through that magical eight-year ride with Tech hoops. It hooked me on March Madness, an event that I still believe is the best we have in the United States. It also solidified me on my passion for Tech teams.
Although my Bulldogs aren’t in the Field of 68 this year, I will once again be glued to the TV (or my phone) and will watch game after game over the next few weeks until a National Champion is crowned and One Shining Moment is played.
March Madness truly is madness.
