Who made the best non-tournament shot as a Hog that I ever saw. For me, it was Mayberry in the infamous Strollin with Nolan game. First let me set the stage. Bear in mind that this was nearly 30 years ago at a very uninhibited period of my life, and some of my memories might include a bit or two from another game, but I have a handle on the basic stuff.
I was living in Conway back then and one of my party buddies had taken a room in the back of his garage and converted it to what was affectionately known as the hog pen. Every televised game in football and basketball was watched there by a group of from 6-12 guys. It was always a party atmosphere. Sometimes a fun party and sometimes a pity party but always a party. He had a 25" TV(big as you could get at the time) and even installed bleachers.
Now, Nolan had gone from near fired to odds on favorite to be governor if he wanted. What turned the program for him was a recruiting class of Day, Mayberry, Miller, and juco Lenzie Howell. And we were stinking good and great fun to watch. Never understood how it always happened, but it seemed everytime we got really good at basketball, SWC rival and perpetual nemesis Texas tried to get good too. Of course, with it being Texas and it being the SWC, they always seemed to bring their own personal crew of refs wherever they played. This particular Texas team had a very hatable trio of guards named Travis Mays, Lance Blanks, and a third whose name escapes me. WE HATED THOSE GUYS, including their seedy little coach Tom Penders, who to our great delight, Nolan dubbed as Sweet Tom.
Anyway, they were ranked and we were ranked and it was a really big game. We got our game faces on and prepared for battle. As always was with Texas, the media could not kiss up to them enough even though we were clearly the better team. To add to the drama, the network doing the game had brought in Cheryl Miller to do color commentary. A woman's voice doing play by play already seemed wrong, but Cheryl was particularly grating.
The worst of it, she seemed to openly root for the horns and was especially smitten with Travis Mays. I have to admit, we had a great time hearing her female voice proclaiming that she really loved the way Travis could take it hard to the hole and finish with the best of them when he got there. She followed with how he could really stuff it with authority when given a big enough opening. And then there was the way he plugged the hole on defense. Those are the ones I remember, but it looked like somebody within the network with a great senses of humor set her up by scripting it for her. A couple of beers and a few tokes into the game, and we were literally rolling on the floor every time she spoke of Travis, which was often. Anyway, back to the game.
We were clearly the better team, but everytime it looked like we were going to run off and leave them their striped shirted buddies bailed them out. It stayed that way the whole game and got beyond ridiculous. In the waning moments, when it looked like the refs had pulled it off, Nolan just got up and walked off the court in disgust. Just left. Texas had a 3 point lead and I believe, Cheryl's fantasy man at the line shooting a pair. 80+ percent FT shooter just seconds to go, and one of two would nail it shut. We all figured God said enough and stepped in. Moron missed em both. We run down the floor and Mayberry lifts up several feet behind the 3 pt line while still moving forward, and boom, nails the game tying 3 as the buzzer goes off. Overtime. The hog pen went from deathly quiet to out and out wild. Texas, still in shock, got whipped in OT.
Maybe my favorite part, Nolan, I guess watching from the dressing room, comes back out before the start of OT. It was awesome. In the post game interview, when asked why he walked off the court in the waning seconds, grinned sheepishly and said, I had to go to the bathroom. I don't think I have ever loved a Hog coach in my life as much as loved Nolan at that moment. Great, great times.
I was living in Conway back then and one of my party buddies had taken a room in the back of his garage and converted it to what was affectionately known as the hog pen. Every televised game in football and basketball was watched there by a group of from 6-12 guys. It was always a party atmosphere. Sometimes a fun party and sometimes a pity party but always a party. He had a 25" TV(big as you could get at the time) and even installed bleachers.
Now, Nolan had gone from near fired to odds on favorite to be governor if he wanted. What turned the program for him was a recruiting class of Day, Mayberry, Miller, and juco Lenzie Howell. And we were stinking good and great fun to watch. Never understood how it always happened, but it seemed everytime we got really good at basketball, SWC rival and perpetual nemesis Texas tried to get good too. Of course, with it being Texas and it being the SWC, they always seemed to bring their own personal crew of refs wherever they played. This particular Texas team had a very hatable trio of guards named Travis Mays, Lance Blanks, and a third whose name escapes me. WE HATED THOSE GUYS, including their seedy little coach Tom Penders, who to our great delight, Nolan dubbed as Sweet Tom.
Anyway, they were ranked and we were ranked and it was a really big game. We got our game faces on and prepared for battle. As always was with Texas, the media could not kiss up to them enough even though we were clearly the better team. To add to the drama, the network doing the game had brought in Cheryl Miller to do color commentary. A woman's voice doing play by play already seemed wrong, but Cheryl was particularly grating.
The worst of it, she seemed to openly root for the horns and was especially smitten with Travis Mays. I have to admit, we had a great time hearing her female voice proclaiming that she really loved the way Travis could take it hard to the hole and finish with the best of them when he got there. She followed with how he could really stuff it with authority when given a big enough opening. And then there was the way he plugged the hole on defense. Those are the ones I remember, but it looked like somebody within the network with a great senses of humor set her up by scripting it for her. A couple of beers and a few tokes into the game, and we were literally rolling on the floor every time she spoke of Travis, which was often. Anyway, back to the game.
We were clearly the better team, but everytime it looked like we were going to run off and leave them their striped shirted buddies bailed them out. It stayed that way the whole game and got beyond ridiculous. In the waning moments, when it looked like the refs had pulled it off, Nolan just got up and walked off the court in disgust. Just left. Texas had a 3 point lead and I believe, Cheryl's fantasy man at the line shooting a pair. 80+ percent FT shooter just seconds to go, and one of two would nail it shut. We all figured God said enough and stepped in. Moron missed em both. We run down the floor and Mayberry lifts up several feet behind the 3 pt line while still moving forward, and boom, nails the game tying 3 as the buzzer goes off. Overtime. The hog pen went from deathly quiet to out and out wild. Texas, still in shock, got whipped in OT.
Maybe my favorite part, Nolan, I guess watching from the dressing room, comes back out before the start of OT. It was awesome. In the post game interview, when asked why he walked off the court in the waning seconds, grinned sheepishly and said, I had to go to the bathroom. I don't think I have ever loved a Hog coach in my life as much as loved Nolan at that moment. Great, great times.
