Friday, October 2, 2009

Countdown to Midnight Madness: Week 2 Beast of the East, the Big East vs. the ACC


December 5, 1979 GU routs Maryland 83-71 at the DC Armory. In one of the legendary games in DC basketball history, the Hoyas dissected a powerful Maryland team that would dominate the ACC going on to a #8 national ranking. In 1978, Eric "Sleepy Floyd" had his coming out party as GTown downed the Terrapins 68-65 in Landover, MD. However, many in the area considered that a deviation as the ACC was the most feared basketball conference in the country, and Maryland led by Albert King was expected to flex its muscles vs Georgetown. However, it was the duo of former DC Dunbar stars John Duren and Craig Shelton who controlled the flow of the game and not the more heralded Albert King, and Ernie Graham. 6 foot 7 inch shooting guard Ernie Graham from MD was terrorizing the country with 40 point shooting performances. Yet it was once again "Sleepy Floyd" who dominated Ernie Graham with a sizzling shooting performance, and great defense blocking several of Ernie Graham's shots and using pressure "D" to take him out of its rhythm. The Hoyas were in control throughout to the surprise of many college basketball experts. There was a great intensity in the crowd as John Thompson, Jr. and Lefty Driesell had to be separated at mid-court in the midst of their famed shouting match. Only the two of them will ever know what was said, but this confrontation was followed by many years where GU and Maryland would not schedule each other. The Hoyas would again soundly defeat ACC champion MD in the NCAA tournament that year on their way to the Elite 8. Indeed this was one of the great teams in Hoya history. This season would see the formation of the Big East Conference where Georgetown would share the Big East Regular Season title with Syracuse, and St. John's and then win the first Big East Conference Tournament. Georgetown was given the coveted title of "Beast of the East" and lead the Big East Conference to national prominence. Indeed on this night in Washington, D.C., right in the view of the US Capitol, was the start of a great basketball conference and a shift in local power from Maryland to Georgetown. Thanks to that Hoya team ('79-'80) for leading the rise of Georgetown and the Big East in the Modern Era! We are Georgetown! Hoya Saxa!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong
Proud Member of Generation Ewing

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