Good memories.

Second best/favorite/most memorable week of OU sports in my lifetime behind only the Sweet 16 run of 2012.

I'm too young for this, but I did go see Ohio and Gary Trent play at Kent State in my youth. I think the word had gotten out that Ohio had this really good player and my dad (went to Kent State, didn't graduate) wanted to go see him play.

The only thing I remember from that game is Gary getting a breakaway dunk and young, short me not being able to see over the person in front of me except for a tiny hole between their outstretched arms and head which was a perfect view of the rim when Gary slammed it home.

Can someone who was on campus after the NIT run explain how in God's name did this team not make the NCAA Tournament?

Three words: "Jeff Boals knee".

There were some very good MAC teams and coaches in that era too.

Miami was coached by Herb Sendek (current HC at Santa Clara after HC stops at NC State and Arizona St after Miami) and they had Devin Davis (6'9 post - Trent owned him though) who had a long pro career overseas, Landon Hackim (5'10 3pt specialist) and Jamie Mahaffey (6'6 wing defender and rebounder). They won 23 games and actually got an at-large NCAA bid that season.

Eastern Michigan was coached by Ben Braun (later went on to coach at Cal and Rice after EMU) and they had Brian Tolbert (6'2 3pt specialist) and two future NBA guys in their freshman class with Earl Boykins (all 5'5 of him) and Derrick Dial (6'4 wing). They won 20 games that year.

Ball State was coached by Ray McCallum (later HC at Houston and Detroit and assistant at Oklahoma, Indiana and Georgia St - his son Ray Jr got a cup of coffee in the NBA) and they were led by Steve Payne (6'8 post player) and another future NBA freshman Bonzi Wells (6'5 wing). As the year went on - Bonzi got better and better and they eventually won the MAC tournament that year.

Beyond just those teams and coaches - there were EIGHT (8) future NBA players in the MAC during the 94-95 season:
Earl Boykins (EMU) - Freshman
Derrick Dial (EMU) - Freshman
Casey Shaw (Tol) - RS Freshman
Bonzi Wells (Ball) - Freshman
Antonio Daniels (BG) - Sophomore
Nate Huffman (Kent) - Sophomore
Gary Trent (Ohio) - Junior
Ben Handlogten (WMU) - Senior

And to think Miami added two NBA guys in JUCO transfer Ira Newble and Freshman Wally Szczerbiak the very next season in 1995-96 as well.


But the real answer is as stated - Jeff Boals knee. Boals was the heart and soul of that team. Not only that but he was a fantastic rebounder, defender and more importantly passer from the high post and wing. He did all the little things. He blew out his knee one fateful night up at EMU and the team was never the same.

Prior to that game the team was 15-4, 7-1 in MAC. After the injury they lost 3 of their next 4 - and ended up 23-10 so only went 8-6 total after Boals went down.

I still think they deserved an at-large that year, but once they didn't and were shipped to the NIT, they eventually fell on the road at Iowa. A few days later Trent declared for the draft and that was that.

TTTTTRRRRIIIIIGGGGGGEEEEEERRRRRREEEEEDDDDD

I remember going to BG as a kid to watch Trent, Boykins and that Ball State program in a couple year period and thinking the MAC was the greatest show on wood. And it kinda was.