Nowadays, we come across a so-called "the game of the century" seemingly every year (didn't the Patriots have a few of them in the past NFL season?) that it has become cliche. Even the people giving that moniker know it.
However, on January 20, 1968 ... exactly 40 years ago today ... we had the actual thing. #1 UCLA, led by Lew Alcinder, against #2 Houston, with Elvin Hayes in the middle, in Houston's Astrodome in front of 52,629 fans. UCLA was riding a 47-game winning streak (spanning over two-plus seasons) that included a win over Houston in the 1967 Final Four. That was Houston's last defeat heading into this contest.
Not only was this a great game (Hayes hit two free throws to give the Cougars the 71-69 win) but it may have been one of the most important college basketball games ever. This was the first NCAA hoops game to be broadcast nationally in prime time. Up to that point, only postseason games were televised nationally and there was quite a buzz about the non-profit NCAA putting a regular season game out there like this.
In some ways, it birthed "March Madness". Sure, Magic vs Bird helped turn it into the spectacle that it is today, but this game fathered the idea that there could be a madness part of the tournament. People wanted to see games like this. It also put the thought of having basketball games in football/basketball domed stadiums ... something so radical at the time. Because of the success of this game, the Final Four went to the Astrodome in 1971, then the 1982 Final Four went to the Louisiana Superdome. Since 1996, every Final Four has been held in a domed-stadium.
UCLA would get its revenge in the Final Four that season ... beating Houston 101-69 ... and moving on to win another NCAA tournament.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-20-2008 @ 7:24AM
Gene said...
Attended this game with my 12 yr. old son. My most exciting basketball game ever. The croud was unbelievable and Elvin Hayes was also.
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1-20-2008 @ 9:53AM
majort20 said...
Now that's College basketball.
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1-20-2008 @ 3:42PM
Richard Cowan said...
This article neglected to mention that Lew Alcindor had suffered a scratched cornea prior to the game. He spent several days in total darkness and was unable to practice. That was the only reason that Elvin Hayes was able to dominate him. The recovered all-american center was his dominant self again in the finals, which UCLA won.
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