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Post by southernsader on Jun 4, 2020 14:28:10 GMT -5
Thanks all for the memories, pics etc....the Aud was such a funky, interesting basketball venue....most have been so antiseptic/bland since. How did most people from HC get to games then? Walk, bus, drive? How was the parking? Did people hang out in that area pre-game/post-game? Hitch hiked down there many a frigid night - think of it often when posters here lament students not bothering to walk up the hill to a game these days.
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Post by rgs318 on Jun 4, 2020 14:34:20 GMT -5
Walked/hitched to most games - and it always seemed to be COLD.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jun 4, 2020 14:45:09 GMT -5
Walked/hitched to most games - and it always seemed to. be COLD. In my reminiscence I mentioned that I thought we had busses but didn't remember them. So, I think I must have walked or hitched as well. I do remember walking back and getting picked up by Crusaders with cars. I never had a car in college and hitch-hiked 145 mile to and from home several times a year, So a walk or hitch hike seems more likely now that I think about it. My roommate got a car as a soph so maybe we drove the last three years. Memory a bit foggy now....
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Post by trimster on Jun 4, 2020 14:45:55 GMT -5
I go back to Jack the Shot Foley watching games in the Aud...Downstairs seating was on portable bleachers, up stairs were very comfortable upholstered arm chairs...Upstairs if one sat in the first 2 rows on the side, you could see the whole court , and in the seats at the front end..The other seats, no sight line to see the sideline of the court....Little Theater was at the back end of the building (opposite end from Main street)..first row seats there were about 20 rows up from the floor..I remember the WTAG radio broadcast was done from that end of the court, a raised platform,up about 3 feet..If one sat behind it, it was basically in the way, you couldn't see the sideline and team benches.. Atmosphere was mostly good to great..I started season tickets in 74-75, the last season in the Aud. Opening game there were about 350 people there, as the season rolled on and the Saders kept winning the place filled each night. .My 2 favorite memories of the Aud, Joe Carbelera yelling at Mike Vicens "to be good" late in a game that Mike was getting more physical as the game went on. It appeared he was going to punch the guy who was guarding him!... and the 2nd, HC vs Georgetown that same season, Mike Vicens always took a "hard" foul early on the guy he guarded, usually the best player on the opposition...That night he did take a hard foul, of the offensive variety! He got the ball on the fast break with his defender guarding the hoop, and Mike put his lead foot into the defenders chest! basically knocking him to the floor and stepping on him!! The kid never went near the hoop again on D!! The Georgetown coach (John Thompson??) had to pull the kid from game,he refused to get close to Mike, and wouldn't guard him!!!! I am shocked and chagrined that Michael would do such a thing. I remember the game well. HC lit up the Hoyas that night.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Jun 4, 2020 14:48:15 GMT -5
Walked/hitched to most games - and it always seemed to. be COLD. In my reminiscence I mentioned that I thought we had busses but didn't remember them. So, I think I must have walked or hitched as well. I do remember walking back and getting picked up by Crusaders with cars. I never had a car in college and hitch-hiked 145 mile to and from home several times a year, So a walk or hitch hike seems more likely now that I think about it. My roommate got a car as a soph so maybe we drove the last three years. Memory a bit foggy now.... I think we usually walked. I also remember walking many times to the bus station in downtown Worcester. That walk down Southbridge St. is not exactly scenic. I remember Guano Bridge, under which the pigeon poop was liberally spread.
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Post by longsuffering on Jun 4, 2020 14:55:07 GMT -5
I remember stopping at the Miss Woo diner on the way back and ordering a VC (Veal Cutlet) with red sauce (a mildly spicy tomato sauce) for 65 cents and it was delicious.
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Post by rgs318 on Jun 4, 2020 15:04:50 GMT -5
Walked/hitched to most games - and it always seemed to. be COLD. In my reminiscence I mentioned that I thought we had busses but didn't remember them. So, I think I must have walked or hitched as well. I do remember walking back and getting picked up by Crusaders with cars. I never had a car in college and hitch-hiked 145 mile to and from home several times a year, So a walk or hitch hike seems more likely now that I think about it. My roommate got a car as a soph so maybe we drove the last three years. Memory a bit foggy now.... There were buses...sometimes. I remember taking them to the Aud, for some games, but not back to the Cross after the game.
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Post by timholycross on Jun 4, 2020 15:22:11 GMT -5
The first three years I was there it was different with the separate freshman team. I can't remember exactly what time the games started, but 6 or 615 seems about right if the varsity game was 815. I don't recall the interval between games being more than 20 minutes.
When the freshman became a JV team, I would say after perhaps a year (2 at the most) the games started a lot earlier and didn't back into the varsity games nearly as much.
Then, maybe early-to-mid-80s, the JV game got replaced by the women's game.
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Post by another65er on Jun 4, 2020 15:34:03 GMT -5
I was the WCHC play-by-play guy from sophomore year (62-63) through half of my senior year (64-65) and saw some incredible performances. The broadcasting vantage was just above the basket near Lincoln Sq. and offered decent sightlines. As someone noted, the Aud was not a spectator friendly location. I remember some great visiting teams (St. John's with Sonny Dove and the McIntyre brothers and Joe Lapchick) (Nick the Quick Workman of Seton Hall) and PC (Jimmy Walker, George Zalucki, Dexter Westbrook, Mike Riordan, Jimmy Benedict). But perhaps the best individual performance I ever broadcast was Randy Cross of BU who threw in 44 in a three- or four-overtime loss to the Crusaders.
Also was a spectator when The Shot torched UCOnn with all-time record. UConn's long-time coach, Hugh Greer, suffered a fatal heart attack the next wee. I always thought Jack's performance was a contributing factor.
Unfortunately had I known there was going to be an ESPN, I might have stayed with broadcasting. Then again, as my wife reminds me frequently, "You have a great face for radio."
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Post by hchoops on Jun 4, 2020 15:44:53 GMT -5
That Randy Cross performance was amazing, as was Mal Graham of NYU
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Post by rgs318 on Jun 4, 2020 17:13:59 GMT -5
I was the WCHC play-by-play guy from sophomore year (62-63) through half of my senior year (64-65) and saw some incredible performances. The broadcasting vantage was just above the basket near Lincoln Sq. and offered decent sightlines. As someone noted, the Aud was not a spectator friendly location. I remember some great visiting teams (St. John's with Sonny Dove and the McIntyre brothers and Joe Lapchick) (Nick the Quick Workman of Seton Hall) and PC (Jimmy Walker, George Zalucki, Dexter Westbrook, Mike Riordan, Jimmy Benedict). But perhaps the best individual performance I ever broadcast was Randy Cross of BU who threw in 44 in a three- or four-overtime loss to the Crusaders. I remember that 4 OT win over BU very well. The thing that still stick with me is hearing the entire Aud (both the HC and BU fans) chanting "GO CROSS GO!" over and over through the overtimes.
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Post by hc87 on Jun 4, 2020 19:29:40 GMT -5
Again, great remebrances etc here....thanks again guys. Was at HC today....place looks amazing as always....the new Fieldhouse looks like it's going to be something else.
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Post by another65er on Jun 5, 2020 9:55:45 GMT -5
BTW, someone mentioned the bar across the square(which ironically was a rotary). In my era it was The Valhalla. Because of I-290, Luigi's at the bottom of the hill closed and was torn down debefore I turned 21 during my senior year so never enjoyed a beer there. The Valhalla, the Black Orchid, Breen's and the PNI were some favorite watering holes for my schoolmates in that age.
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Post by trimster on Jun 5, 2020 16:15:44 GMT -5
Breens is still going strong. I think it was called something else for a while. The name Patriot sticks in my mind. Breens now has some excellent sandwiches in addition to its adult beverages.
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Post by timholycross on Jun 5, 2020 16:51:43 GMT -5
Leitrim's is still in business, it appears?
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Post by Tom on Jun 6, 2020 8:19:03 GMT -5
I have no recollection of Breens being called anything except Breens. And they do make a good sandwich
Although I haven't walked through the door this century, Leitrim's is still open, or at least it was prior to the pandemic. Some might recall a thread on this board last Spring discussing some HC students being really obnoxious trying to Uber back to campus from Leitrim's
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Post by jkh67 on Jun 6, 2020 9:27:24 GMT -5
BTW, someone mentioned the bar across the square(which ironically was a rotary). In my era it was The Valhalla. Because of I-290, Luigi's at the bottom of the hill closed and was torn down debefore I turned 21 during my senior year so never enjoyed a beer there. The Valhalla, the Black Orchid, Breen's and the PNI were some favorite watering holes for my schoolmates in that age. My recollections of booze at HC start with freshman treks down the Hill on a Friday or Saturday night to importune "legal" upper classmen to buy us beer at the Purple Packy. Imperial quarts of 'Gansett ruled. We would then go over to the nearby rail yards to slurp down the brew. The weather was usually cold and raw.
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Post by jkh67 on Jun 6, 2020 13:12:34 GMT -5
Very few seats where you could see the whole court, esp in the upper deck, unless you were in the Little Theater which was a few miles behind a basket Some great games and performances there. One was PC’s Jimmie Walker who had 40+. John Wendelken had many terrific games there, as did his backcourt partner, Joe Kelly. Ed Siudut had a great soph season there. I especially remember Siudut lighting it up against a Mal Graham-led NYU squad.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Jun 6, 2020 13:59:48 GMT -5
I have no recollection of Breens being called anything except Breens. And they do make a good sandwich Although I haven't walked through the door this century, Leitrim's is still open, or at least it was prior to the pandemic. Some might recall a thread on this board last Spring discussing some HC students being really obnoxious trying to Uber back to campus from Leitrim's Trimster is correct. Breen's was briefly named "The Patriot" ~ 40 years ago.
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Post by Xmassader on Jun 6, 2020 14:13:44 GMT -5
jkh67 Ed lit it up and HC won 92-85 despite 47 from Mal Graham. A short while later Jimmy Walker had 46 and Mike Riordan 25 in an 88-71 Providence win over HC.
As the story goes, several weeks before the Providence-HC game, Villanova had beaten Providence using a zone and holding Walker to 18 or 19 and HC coach Jack Donohue decided to use a zone vs. the Friars. Needless to say, perhaps not the best move with the two future pros lighting the Crusaders up for 71. I believe that in ‘65-‘66 HC (with Al Stazinski guarding Walker) and without Siudut, Teixeira et al. on the team played MTM vs. a higher-ranked Providence team at Providence lost by 9 and “held” Walker to 19. OTOH, perhaps Walker and Riordan would have gone for 85 if HC had played MTM😏
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Post by timholycross on Jun 6, 2020 19:29:15 GMT -5
Were any of Jack's teams a decent zone team?
His last team, which I watched up close, was much better playing man. Stan Grayson, of course, was a fantastic defender.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jun 6, 2020 20:28:54 GMT -5
I have a vague recollection of a "rat trap" defense--does that ring a bell to anyone.
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Post by Xmassader on Jun 6, 2020 20:57:49 GMT -5
timholycross The answer to your question is “no”. The decision to go zone in the ‘66-‘67 Providence game was particularly perplexing because Ron Teixeira had come on late in the year as a rim protector/shot blocker and Al Stazinski and Gerry Foley (particularly Stazinski) were good MTM defenders. Having said that, if one was to generally classify coaches as offensive or defensive coaches, Donohue was clearly stronger on the offensive side of things. However, as I said in my earlier post, with Walker and Riordan on the floor for Providence, the choice of D may not have mattered much.
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Post by Chu Chu on Jun 8, 2020 16:04:08 GMT -5
I have many fond memories and attended games there as a student from 1965 through 1969. We used to walk to and from the game from campus, often stopping at the Miss Woo on our way back. Because it was small, it was always packed and raucous, so the atmosphere seemed great to me. From the second level, the 1/3 of the court on the side you were sitting on was not visible. I used watch the fans on the other side to try and guess what was going on. Sitting on the stage of the Little Theater was weird, but you could see everything. It was an intimidating backdrop for foul shooters, and we did our best to distract them.
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Post by hc87 on Jun 8, 2020 16:22:20 GMT -5
When did HC start playing games at the Aud?
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