I’ve been very fortunate to see some incredible Wahoo moments in my life. Sampson vs. Ewing, Clemson in ’91, UNC basketball in ’95, THE FSU game, Cuse to clinch the ACC Regular Season in 2014, the ACC Championship vs. Duke a few weeks later, and of course, the Final Four games in Minneapolis. But, in my eyes, nothing will ever top the Purdue game to get us to the Final Four. For a number of reasons, it will always remain The Best Game I Ever Attended.
Setting the Stage
I remember like it was yesterday. Sitting in the United Center with my Dad (CLAS ’70), Syracuse fans all around us, celebrating as they watched their team storm back for a Final Four berth. What followed was a two-mile walk of shame in the rain with Gtownhoo, a former UVA basketball player, my Dad, and another buddy who had made the trip, trying to comprehend what had just happened. At that point, I vowed to be there the next time we cut down the nets at a Regional Final, no matter what.
Hostile Territory
Fast forward three years later after beating Oklahoma in the round of 32.
I had bought four tickets for the South Regional in Louisville, but the former player that had joined us in Chicago was able to make other arrangements. So I invited hooman#1 on a thread from the Sabre, having never met him before, and I knew he was looking for a single. He met up with us before the Sweet 16 game and he hung out with us for the entire weekend. Getting to know him was a nice fortuitous outcome of that weekend. Here’s a shot of all of us after the Oregon game ...
Shortly after that picture, we got to walk back to the team hotel with Ralph Sampson, Kihei Clark’s family, and Tony Bennett’s son. That was surreal.
I remember wondering how may Purdue fans would make the trip down to Louisville following one of the best basketball games I’ve ever seen - the Sweet Sixteen matchup between Tennessee and Purdue. While I intuitively knew it basically would be a road game, I couldn’t believe my eyes as we made our way downtown on that fateful Saturday.
Black shirts and gold necklaces everywhere. A Boilermaker train was parading down the street in front of the stadium. I remember not seeing a single orange or blue shirt for 15 minutes as we tried to find a place to have a pregame beer. The only other thing I remember from the pregame, as we sat down at a bar prior to game time to catch the Texas Tech-Gonzaga game, was every single Purdue fan coming to the bar and ordering pitchers of Bud Light. The bartender told me they had literally run out of pitchers for the first time in their existence.
Another thing that will always stand out to me ... we never got any smack talk from Purdue fans. Not one word ... they just simply ignored us. Having been to games at Virginia Tech, Maryland, Carolina, Duke and NC State, let’s just say it was a new experience! Instant respect, and Purdue has now become my second favorite team - Boiler UUUUUP! (As an aside, Texas Tech fans in Minneapolis were very similar, unlike Auburn fans, but that’s a different story ...)
I do remember thinking that we owned that arena when it was filled with Cardinal red and black, so we were familiar with what we were about to face. Seeking some friendly faces as we entered the arena, I got a chance to see our (then) new AD towards the front, so I made my way down to introduce myself to Carla Williams. She was super nice and was more than willing to take a selfie with me. Felt like a pretty good omen.
Intensity
It’s hard to describe for those that weren’t there just how intense the game was with 21,000 Boilermakers there and how hard they cheer for their Boilers. I remember thinking how unfair it was to be playing a road game as a No. 1 seed, but that was the hand the Hoos were dealt.
So, it’s important to point out another factor in the craziness of this game. At the time, I was having heart issues and my cardiologist actually delayed my ablation s until after the NCAA run because he was worried the stress of the games might disrupt the benefits of the surgery.
And, true to his prediction, when Carson Edwards banked in that 3-pointer with a minute left, I immediately went into Afib, despite taking a heavy dose of medication during the game. Close to passing out, my adrenaline going crazy, the last few minutes of the game and overtime are a complete blur ... but here’s what I remember (trying not to let the dozens of times I’ve watched the replay influence these memories):
- ... this is the best game I’ve ever seen
- ... why is Sid the Science kid destroying us?
- ... no way Kline misses a free throw here
- ... hooman#1 going absolutely apoplectic Coach Bennett had benched De’Andre Hunter late in the game
- ... nooooo Mamadi, don’t tip it that far
- ... holy crap we blew it. I can’t believe we blew this game
- ... wait, Kihei got it? Kihei, what? Mamadi ... YES!
- ... OMG, Hunter just destroyed my fantasy football tight end’s little brother
- ... Kihei ... just sink these
- ... :
- ... I’m never going to bed
- ... Did Tony just let out a primordial scream?
Watching us cut down the nets, surrounded by 2,500 of my new closest friends was just unbelievable. The arena staff allowed us to get up close. It was almost surreal to be on the floor as we cut down the nets. It was so cool to see Kyle’s outpouring of emotion as he hugged his [then] fiancé after the game. I knew this game was important to them, but I think this picture really captures it.
Here’s a video of the Wahoos exiting the floor.
Hopped up on adrenaline and not wanting the moment to end, I found poor Dick Bennett in the crowd, who wanted nothing to do with me taking a selfie with him, but he relented.
The Party Continues
Okay. So I’ve just seen us cut down the nets to go to the Final Four with two of my best friends on the planet since our days at UVA, watched in person one of the greatest games in NCAA history. I’ve already “hung out” with Ralph Sampson, been within a couple of feet of Kyle Guy as he celebrated the win, got a selfie with Carla and Dick ... what could possibly top that?
Well, let’s go back to the team hotel and be there when the team gets there! Why not?
As if KFC Yum wasn’t enough of a UVA party, this place was absolutely nuts as the team was arriving. Check it out.
I’m not sure who was more elated, the fans or the players. Players were milling around, more than happy to snap a few shots. I’m sure those who were there will never forget it. A few photos to capture the moment.
I think we got back to our place around 3 a.m. and stayed up until dawn reliving the memories. What a game. What a magical night.
While seeing the Final Four in person will always be incredibly special, for so many reasons, the Elite Eight win against Purdue remains (and will likely forever remain) The Best Game I Ever Attended.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a new series “The Best” that’s exclusive to TheSabre.com where different authors share their experiences with UVA athletics.
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