OHIO STATE TO VISIT HC

Will give Coach B an opportunity to say something in the Vermont post-game press conference that hasn't been said by an HC coach in quite some time . . . "We're on to Ohio State."

Herb Williams and Granville Waiters were probably on that team, too.

Nice memory, Clock.

Freshman year for me 1979. The Buckeyes (including Kelvin Ransey, Herb Williams, Granville Waiters, and Clark Kellogg) were coming to town to take on the Crusaders early in the season at the Hart.

HC was led by Ronny Perry and had a number of other very good players including Garry Witts and Bobby Kelly. No tickets were to be had. Given that this was a can't miss event, a friend and I reached out to head trainer Jack Scott to let us in the back door. He told us to get there no later than 5:45pm for what I believe was the 7pm tap. Sure enough, we go in the back and Skitchie tells us to make ourselves scarce. We are walking down the hallway peeking in and out of a few doors when my friend says, "hey, check this out, this is the Buckeye locker room." Being the inquisitive types and knowing the Buckeyes were out in the gym for the shootaround, we figure we will pop our heads in and see what we see. While doing that, we then hear the team coming down the hall. What to do? We can make a quick dash for it out the front door and run the risk of getting tossed or try to find the only haven inside the locker room. So we head for the showers and don't make a peep. For the next 30 minutes or so, we listen to Eldon Miller and his staff review the game plan.

Then wouldn't you know it, none other than Granville Waiters himself goes moseying about the space and just so happens to pop his head into the communal shower area. I'll never forget him then turning back to the OSU team and staff and saying, "Hey coach, we got a couple of white dudes back here." In a split second, one of the assistants comes back and confronts us with the standard, "Wtf are you guys doing here." Pleading innocence we stated quickly how the game was an SRO and we just wanted to watch what was sure to be a great game and then we bolted out there.

The game was in fact a great game. HC ended up losing by about 8 but I will also never forget Bobby Kelly going in and throwing down a two handed slam right before half to send the Cross off at halftime up by a point or so. The place rocked.

A great memory and welcome to college.

Andy Laska, wasn't it?

Fantastic story-love it!!

Great story. Worthy of being included in Crusader Nation magazine, so you might forward it to ADNP for editorial consideration.

They had a guy named Jim Smith, frontcourt mate of Williams.   Granville was on the team too but he wasn't a regular.

HC fared well for a half in that game.   Then, shades of Bill Carmody, OSU went to a 1-3-1 zone (with Williams,Kellogg and Smith forming a wall across the court that Donald Trump would envy) and it was all over.

John Havlicek was at the HC/OSU game sitting with Fr. Brooks and Ron Perry.
Those were the days when the Hart used to rock. I lived in HoJos; and often the traffic getting on campus would be backed down College Hill, in front of HoJos and even on to the 290 exit ramp.
Not to beat a dead horse, but HC has to get out of this league!