I'm a born and raised my whole life Kentucky fan, but I'll be the first to say the selection committee should've never had Kentucky playing in the Mideast Region in 84' knowing that the regional semi-finals & final would be played in Rupp Arena. NO TEAM should ever have the advantage of getting to play on their home court in any round of the NCAA Tournament. Especially with a trip to the Final Four at stake!
I agree. I'm glad there have been rule changes because the NCAA did some crazy things in the 80s. In 81, Kentucky, the higher seed, played UAB in Birmingham. The winner got Indiana in Bloomington. In 1982, U of L played UAB in the Elite 8 in...Birmingham. Georgia Tech played LSU in Atlanta in the 1986 Sweet 16, but LSU won. UK beat Alabama for the FOURTH time in the other Sweet 16 game in Atlanta that night. in the Elite 8, UK played LSU for the FOURTH time.
@@davidelswick6660 But LSU got too play on their home court for the first two rounds. That was way more unfair because the Omni was not Georiga Tech's home court.
@@davidelswick6660 Syracuse won its first two games in '8i7 at the Carrier Dome and reached the championship game. In '88, home courts were outlawed, although KU got to play the Final Four at its second home of Kansas City
I am an Illini fan but I watched this game and Illini fan or not they got hosed and this game actually changed the rule that this home court advantage was never allowed again.
It's sadly happened since then, but I completely agree. They pick these sites years in advance, and especially in 1984, they knew exactly what they were doing
Other teams got to play on their home floor during this era, too - that factor was simply part of the tournament (i.e., a school whose home court had been selected as a tournament site could win home court advantage by compiling a record that was good enough to justify that placement - for example, Rupp Arena also hosted the Mideast Regional in 1977, but since Kentucky lost to Tennessee in Knoxville toward the end of the regular season (meaning that they shared the SEC championship with Tennessee rather than winning the conference outright), Tennessee got placed in the Mideast Regional and Kentucky got sent to the East, where they lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight (in College Park, MD). The bottom line is that Kentucky still had to earn the home court advantage it enjoyed here - the only "unfair" factor being, perhaps, that not every team had an equal shot to do so because only a few schools had facilities with a realistic shot at hosting tournament games. Yet, did the rule change after this game really lead to more fairness? Absolutely not - it only produced more hypocrisy. For example, just two years later Georgia Tech was placed in the Southeast Regional, which was slated for the Omni Atlanta - but because the Omni technically wasn't Tech's "home court," the rule didn't apply (Tech got upset by LSU in Sweet Sixteen - and ironically, LSU knocked out Kentucky the very next game). Even worse (in my opinion, at least) is the fact that Duke and North Carolina (or at least one of them) gets to play the first two rounds of the tournament within the state of North Carolina almost every year. Sure, they play in Greensboro, Charlotte, or Raleigh (which don't count as "home courts"), but can anyone say that they don't enjoy a home court advantage? Just this year, Kansas - after a very middling record, by their standards - got placed in Kansas City as the #3 seed in the Midwest Regional, when Kentucky (a #2 seed) was sent to Jacksonville instead of Columbus for the first two rounds and to Kansas City instead of Louisville for the regional round.
@@dlhost89 Just a few years before this IU played in the Regional held in Bloomington @ Assembly Hall, also that '86 LSU played the first two rounds @ home in BR.
That last basket clearly should have counted. The ref under the basket even counted it. The other ref mistakenly waved it off. Score should have been 54 - 53.
Tom Zeeh yes he did. He probably anticipated the foul call from the bump when he came across the line. Illinois tried to slap at Beal 3 times from the time he got the hand off from Bowie under the basket. Ky could have run the clock out without a foul.
Ridiculous!! The point guard from Kentucky traveled. That was even a walk in the NBA!! The refs wouldn't have got out of that gym alive if they made that call. Illinois would've had the ball down 2 with a chance to tie and force overtime. At least this Farce was the last time a team played in the Elite 8 ON THEIR HOME COURT
INDEPENDANTS like Louisville, Marquette. Notre Dame, depaul Dayton, s. Carolina were alwzys given the shaft. Didnt help that Coach Al and Digger Phelps were critical of Ncaa in public. It cost them every year. Irish made final 4 in 78. Came back with 6 of top 8 players next year. All played in Nba. They lost to Spartans with Kelser just taking lobs from Magic on wing. They had alwzys been sent west or put in hard top or bottom bracket . ISU AND BIRD was midwest. Why irish got 1 seed was a shame. Depaul won west i think. Had a chance to take game against bird to ot after cutting 10 pt lead to 2. 18 seconds and all they had to do was get the ball to Aguirre down low. At least Ray Meyer praised ISU and his kids. Took the blame by saying' " i could have done more to help my kids win".
I remember this game as highway robbery. Illinois was so talented that year and could have won it all, but the officiating was so one-sided. I remember little of the game itself now, some 40 years later, but I remember it as the most blatant shafting of a college bastketball team I'd ever seen.
I think in 80 or 81. Depaul was 26 1. No dought the top seed. Cats and LSU were 26 6 and got deserved #1 seeds. Cats won Sec so should stay in me,mw or east. .cant recall other #1. LSU should have been 1 in west. Instead Depaul was Put in West Region.
I'm a born and raised my whole life Kentucky fan, but I'll be the first to say the selection committee should've never had Kentucky playing in the Mideast Region in 84' knowing that the regional semi-finals & final would be played in Rupp Arena. NO TEAM should ever have the advantage of getting to play on their home court in any round of the NCAA Tournament. Especially with a trip to the Final Four at stake!
I agree. I'm glad there have been rule changes because the NCAA did some crazy things in the 80s. In 81, Kentucky, the higher seed, played UAB in Birmingham. The winner got Indiana in Bloomington.
In 1982, U of L played UAB in the Elite 8 in...Birmingham.
Georgia Tech played LSU in Atlanta in the 1986 Sweet 16, but LSU won.
UK beat Alabama for the FOURTH time in the other Sweet 16 game in Atlanta that night.
in the Elite 8, UK played LSU for the FOURTH time.
Lets not forget lsu got to play on their home court in 86
@@davidelswick6660 But LSU got too play on their home court for the first two rounds. That was way more unfair because the Omni was not Georiga Tech's home court.
@@davidelswick6660 Syracuse won its first two games in '8i7 at the Carrier Dome and reached the championship game. In '88, home courts were outlawed, although KU got to play the Final Four at its second home of Kansas City
💯
I am an Illini fan but I watched this game and Illini fan or not they got hosed and this game actually changed the rule that this home court advantage was never allowed again.
It's sadly happened since then, but I completely agree. They pick these sites years in advance, and especially in 1984, they knew exactly what they were doing
Other teams got to play on their home floor during this era, too - that factor was simply part of the tournament (i.e., a school whose home court had been selected as a tournament site could win home court advantage by compiling a record that was good enough to justify that placement - for example, Rupp Arena also hosted the Mideast Regional in 1977, but since Kentucky lost to Tennessee in Knoxville toward the end of the regular season (meaning that they shared the SEC championship with Tennessee rather than winning the conference outright), Tennessee got placed in the Mideast Regional and Kentucky got sent to the East, where they lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight (in College Park, MD). The bottom line is that Kentucky still had to earn the home court advantage it enjoyed here - the only "unfair" factor being, perhaps, that not every team had an equal shot to do so because only a few schools had facilities with a realistic shot at hosting tournament games.
Yet, did the rule change after this game really lead to more fairness? Absolutely not - it only produced more hypocrisy. For example, just two years later Georgia Tech was placed in the Southeast Regional, which was slated for the Omni Atlanta - but because the Omni technically wasn't Tech's "home court," the rule didn't apply (Tech got upset by LSU in Sweet Sixteen - and ironically, LSU knocked out Kentucky the very next game). Even worse (in my opinion, at least) is the fact that Duke and North Carolina (or at least one of them) gets to play the first two rounds of the tournament within the state of North Carolina almost every year. Sure, they play in Greensboro, Charlotte, or Raleigh (which don't count as "home courts"), but can anyone say that they don't enjoy a home court advantage? Just this year, Kansas - after a very middling record, by their standards - got placed in Kansas City as the #3 seed in the Midwest Regional, when Kentucky (a #2 seed) was sent to Jacksonville instead of Columbus for the first two rounds and to Kansas City instead of Louisville for the regional round.
David Host you summed it up best especially the UNC Duke getting to play close to home almost every year in the tournament
GO BIG BLUE 🐱 🏀 🏆
@@dlhost89 Just a few years before this IU played in the Regional held in Bloomington @ Assembly Hall, also that '86 LSU played the first two rounds @ home in BR.
In order to make it fair they should have made 60% of the tickets available to illinois fans
Unbelievable no clock shot and had to play such an important game on your opponents home court. And only 40 years ago!!! Nuts!!!
That last basket clearly should have counted. The ref under the basket even counted it. The other ref mistakenly waved it off. Score should have been 54 - 53.
The Illini got hosed…
It was a true home court advantage for UK
Amazing that Portland still drafted Bowie a few months later.
That last second shot was really close. I looked at it in slow motion. It appeared good. That said, it didn't matter ... it was a 3 point game.
Brent Musberger spitting facts post game
Beal traveled.
Tom Zeeh yes he did. He probably anticipated the foul call from the bump when he came across the line. Illinois tried to slap at Beal 3 times from the time he got the hand off from Bowie under the basket. Ky could have run the clock out without a foul.
Who has a link to Terps vs Illinois. Terps vs Georgetown 1980. Terps vs Tennessee 1980. Terps vs Houston 1983. All ncaa tournament
The Portland Trailblazers would find out that it wasn't just cramps for Sam Bowie
They found it out the hard way
They found it out the hard way
Ridiculous!! The point guard from Kentucky traveled. That was even a walk in the NBA!! The refs wouldn't have got out of that gym alive if they made that call. Illinois would've had the ball down 2 with a chance to tie and force overtime. At least this Farce was the last time a team played in the Elite 8 ON THEIR HOME COURT
This also happened to illini in 81.
INDEPENDANTS like Louisville, Marquette. Notre Dame, depaul Dayton, s. Carolina were alwzys given the shaft. Didnt help that Coach Al and Digger Phelps were critical of Ncaa in public. It cost them every year. Irish made final 4 in 78. Came back with 6 of top 8 players next year. All played in Nba. They lost to Spartans with Kelser just taking lobs from Magic on wing. They had alwzys been sent west or put in hard top or bottom bracket . ISU AND BIRD was midwest. Why irish got 1 seed was a shame. Depaul won west i think. Had a chance to take game against bird to ot after cutting 10 pt lead to 2. 18 seconds and all they had to do was get the ball to Aguirre down low. At least Ray Meyer praised ISU and his kids. Took the blame by saying' " i could have done more to help my kids win".
Htf did Kentucky get to play a tournament game on their home court 😳
I remember this game as highway robbery. Illinois was so talented that year and could have won it all, but the officiating was so one-sided. I remember little of the game itself now, some 40 years later, but I remember it as the most blatant shafting of a college bastketball team I'd ever seen.
Kentucky still rarely play to far from home in the tournament
NCAA been in the bag for UK since Jim Crow. Unreal.
Bring back the cool paper Pom - Poms!
Travel
I think in 80 or 81. Depaul was 26 1. No dought the top seed. Cats and LSU were 26 6 and got deserved #1 seeds. Cats won Sec so should stay in me,mw or east. .cant recall other #1. LSU should have been 1 in west. Instead Depaul was Put in West Region.
“A cramp” 😂
CoRuppt arena at its best.
The only reason Kentucky made the final 4 in 84 was because they got to play in corrupt arena.