30 years ago today (March 26, 1979)- Bird vs. Magic

[Da Coach]

March 26, 1979- it was one of the most unlikely NCAA Championship games. Indiana State, lead by Larry Bird, entered the contest with an improbably undefeated record, and Michigan State, lead by Magic Johnson, gelled late in the season to make a great run to the final.

There are a number of articles written, and CBS & ESPN are doing special 30th anniversary pieces on the season, the game and the rivalry, Bird-Magic.

This article starts with a mention of Bradley-

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090326/SPORTS0606/903260431

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090326/SPORTS0606/903260318

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090326/SPORTS0606/903260408

http://www.sltrib.com/features/ci_11959897

A new book, ???When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball???, has been written about the game--

http://www.tribstar.com/cnhi/tribstar/opinion_columns/local_story_084222131.html

[ser_solace]

Man, this game was supposed to be in the Big10 network a few days ago. I tried to DVR it, but for whatever reason, the network was down or my DVR messed-up.

[Dubl R 1]

Man, this game was supposed to be in the Big10 network a few days ago. I tried to DVR it, but for whatever reason, the network was down or my DVR messed-up.

I watched it. It was almost hard to watch. Other than Bird and Magic, the other players seemed really, really slow, as did the overall game itself. Frankly, the other players just didn't seem to be very good, and their ball handling skills were questionable for such a high level game.

[Murph]

Ahhhh the good ole days, watching Larry Bird play in the Fieldhouse.

[Braves4Life]

I watched it. It was almost hard to watch. Other than Bird and Magic, the other players seemed really, really slow, as did the overall game itself. Frankly, the other players just didn't seem to be very good, and their ball handling skills were questionable for such a high level game.

Ahhhhhh, the good 'ol days Back when education mattered and you had the true student-athlete. Before college basketball was a big money sport and mid-majors still had a chance. Before the big power schools took over the NCAA Committee and decided to turn college basketball into a monopoly and pimp players for profit.

God, I miss those days.

[lake Camelot]

I remember Indiana State as not that good of an overall team. They had Nicks and Bird and not much else. But they were fun to watch that year.

[Murph]

Ahhhhhh, the good 'ol days Back when education mattered and you had the true student-athlete. Before college basketball was a big money sport and mid-majors still had a chance. Before the big power schools took over the NCAA Committee and decided to turn college basketball into a monopoly and pimp players for profit.

God, I miss those days.

Remember the year we won the NIT?

Mids and their conferences have been getting shafted for a long time.

[Murph]

I remember Indiana State as not that good of an overall team. They had Nicks and Bird and not much else. But they were fun to watch that year.

Hmmm, there were ranked 2nd almost the whole year and finished 2nd.

[lake Camelot]

Yes I realize that. They took care of business. it doesn't change my opinion. without Bird I say they would have been a team that barely won more than they lost.

[Murph]

Yes I realize that. They took care of business. it doesn't change my opinion. without Bird I say they would have been a team that barely won more than they lost.

Larry Bird had seen about every conceivable defense. Bradley double- and triple-teamed him for 40 minutes in a Feb. 10, 1979, game at Peoria, Ill. Bird took two shots, scored four points and passed off. Carl Nicks scored 31 points and Steve Reed 19 as Indiana State won 91-72.

Dick Versace called this the "birdcage" defense.


ISU was far from a one man team.

[Murph]

]would Carl Nicks have scored 31 if Indiana State weren't playing 4 on 3?? Doubt it..[/b]
They had some good players but Lake Camelot isn't all that far from being accurate.

Duh...Of course he wouldn't have, I don't know what his season average was but i see he did score 17 in the championship game and was a first round draft pick in 1980.

More on Carl Nicks

It was the 1978-79 season that he started improving and that's where he earned his nickname Mr. Intensity. That year he averaged 19.3 points but it was the 1979 season that he really came out and started scoring he averaged 26.7 points a game. Nicks started with Larry Bird in 1978-79 and helped lead Indiana State to the championship game in the NCAA tournament by averaging 19.3 ppg, 5 apg, 3.5 rpg and 1.8 spg on 46% shooting. Nicks was twice named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, in both 1979 and 1980. He was also named to the NCAA All-American team in 1980. In 2007, Nicks was recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference as one of the Missouri Valley Conference's "50 Greatest" Players and was inducted into the Indiana State University Hall of Fame in 2007.

You don't finish 2nd in the nation with a mediocre one man team.

[houstontxbrave]

I remember the ISU v BU game in the fieldhouse like it was yesterday. One of Birds baskets was a break away dunk. BU had in it press guide for a long time a photo of Harold McMath behind and Carl Maniscalco infront of Bird.

It is pretty obvious if Bird is not on that team they do not lose only one game, but without the others on that team, they do not play in the final four.. Heaton with his half court shot to beat I believe Arkansas in the tourney.

The next year, Nicks was back at ISU and I believe they were close to or around .500.

Regardless, that team was incredibly special, we can speculate if or who they would have been with or without Bird but the bottom line is he played there and they were undeafeted going into the national championship game. Bird did not do it alone, but he was the biggest presence on that team.

[Murph]

[quote=Da Coach;126801]March 26, 1979- it was one of the most unlikely NCAA Championship games. Indiana State, lead by Larry Bird, entered the contest with an improbably undefeated record, and Michigan State, lead by Magic Johnson, gelled late in the season to make a great run to the final.

There are a number of articles written, and CBS & ESPN are doing special 30th anniversary pieces on the season, the game and the rivalry, Bird-Magic.[quote]

Here are some amazing stats for the game....

Nearly a fourth of America's televisions watched -- 35.11 million viewers -- were tuned to the game. Its 24.1 Nielsen rating remains the highest for any game in basketball history, college or professional. The 2008 NCAA title game drew a 12.1, by way of comparison. The 1979 title game launched the NCAA Tournament to new heights.