There have been very few events in the history of college sports like the December 11, 1982 game between Georgetown and Virginia, and the battle of their centers Patrick Ewing and Ralph Sampson. While it is impossible to compare teams and players from different eras, there is no doubt that this was one of the most hyped regular season games in college basketball history. The game was a $1.25 million dollar production, in front of a sold out Capital Centre. It was a unique made for television game that helped launch Ted Turner's WTBS Cable Super Station. Georgetown would lose this night 68-63, in a tightly contested game. The only other college basketball game of similar magnitude had been the Elvin Hayes-Lew Alcindor matchup in 1968 in the Astrodome. Tickets were scalping for up to $300-$500, an enormous sum in the early 1980's. The game was a contrast between the senior-led Virginia Cavaliers and the reigning college player of the year 7-4 Ralph Sampson, and the young Hoyas fresh off a close NCAA championship loss to Michael Jordan and the North Carolina Tar Heels. Patrick Ewing had skyrocketed into the national limelight with his dominating performance in the national title game. It was the battle of the young and old, Big East vs. ACC. The Hoyas were ice cold through the first half as their youth and inexperience was evident. However, it was the first time senior Ralph Sampson had faced a player who could block his shot, as sophomore sensation Patrick Ewing had come to play. In the second half the Hoyas made a furious comeback. As John Thompson, Jr. would say it was more sheer determination than execution as the Hoyas vaunted all-court press almost brought the Virginia Cavaliers to their knees. However, it was too little too late. There was one exchange that will forever be remembered. Ralph Sampson took a back-door lob pass over Patrick Ewing for a dunk. Then Ewing called for the ball, and delivered what I consider to be the greatest dunk in college basketball history, as he turned into Ralph Sampson and threw down a ferocious tomahawk dunk as the crowd roared. Even Sampson had to admit that it was a great "dunk." Bullets GM and many NBA scouts would marvel that they now understood the true power of the future NBA #1 Pick Patrick Ewing.
Although in this last of the Countdown to Midnight Madness games, the Hoyas suffered a disappointing loss. John Thompson, Jr. was prophetic in saying that he would not trade Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas would go on to two more Final Fours and NCAA Championship games in the next three years. They would learn a great deal from this game and season. They would learn about teamwork, defense, and rebounding. They would go on to win the NCAA Championship in 1984, and become one of the most dominant teams in NCAA basketball history. Indeed this game was not just Patrick Ewing against Ralph Sampson. The Georgetown Hoyas have always been about the team first as Michael Jackson, David Wingate and others would help lead the Hoyas comeback. After this night, Ralph Sampson would go on to an injury-ridden lackluster NBA career whereas Patrick Ewing would become the New York Knicks' all-time leading scorer, an NBA Hall of Famer, and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Indeed the victory over Duke at Verizon Center in 2006 was a game for the ages, but this game on December 11, 1982 was an historic event much larger than just college basketball. There was something different in the air.
To read more go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/12.11.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/tipoff/longterm/2006/basketball/hoyas82.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/features/si50/states/virginia/flashback/
We are Georgetown! Hoya Saxa! Let the Madness Begin!
Dr. Thomas A. Wong
Proud Member of Generation Ewing
No comments:
Post a Comment