Blog Archive for March, 2007

March Madness is finally here!

It is going to be an exciting NCAA tournament this year. There is no clear-cut favorite, so we could have a surprise winner come April 2nd. Wisconsin has a great chance to make a deep run into the tournament, and Marquette has a good chance to make some noise too. Of course, with the exception of the lone Marquette alum on our staff, the Museum is firmly behind Bucky.

Yesterday, my colleagues and I were discussing the tournament, namely whether or not a team from the service academies - Air Force, Army, Navy - had ever made the Final Four. The answer is no. Playing basketball for an academy is much different than playing for Wisconsin, Duke, or Florida. The coaches recruit players, but before entering the academy, they must receive a service-connected or Congressional nomination, and go through a thorough review process. The fact that any of these teams have ever made the tournament is a feat unto itself.

AIR FORCE: The Falcons have made the “Big Dance” four times, including last season. They first made the tournament in 1960, losing to Ray Meyer’s DePaul Blue Demons in the Midwest Regional. Air Force is going to need some help to make the tournament this year following a late season swoon that saw them fall out of the Top 25.

ARMY: The Black Knights have certainly experienced great success with their football teams, but basketball triumphs have been few and far between. Army has never made the NCAA tournament, and has not played in the postseason since 1978. Yet, Army basketball remains famous for two big reasons: Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski. Knight became head coach at Army at the age of 24, spending six seasons at West Point. His teams made four National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearances, which at one point was held in very high regard. His 1970 team finished 3rd. The captain of the 1969 team was a point guard from Chicago named Mike Krzyzewski, who later went on to coach at Army (1976-80) before becoming head coach at Duke. Knight eventually left Army for Indiana University, but did you know he almost became head coach at Wisconsin? If not for a travel snafu which caused him to miss his interview, Knight might have ended up in Madison!

NAVY:  Of all the service academies, Navy has had the greatest basketball success, earning 11 bids to the NCAA tournament. The Midshipmen won two games in the 1954 tournament before losing to eventual national champion, La Salle. During the mid-1980s, Navy played in three consecutive tournaments winning one game in 1985 and advancing to the regional finals in 1986. The leader of these great teams was future NBA superstar David Robinson, whose domination of the low post led them to victories over national powers Louisiana State (1985) and Syracuse (1986). Robinson’s performance against Syracuse - 35 points (21-27 from the free throw line!), 11 rebounds, and 7 blocks - remains a thing of legend around Annapolis.

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Just a reminder that the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is hosting a special lecture this Tuesday, March 13. Please join University of Vermont Professor of History Mark Stoler as he examines the “Road to Iraq,” a history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The program will begin at 7pm and is free and open to the public. For more information, please the “Museum Programs” section of the website.