1983-84 NCAA: Sweet Sixteen vs Indiana (25-6)
The Big Ten champion Hoosiers are stocked with talent. The Big Ten is not. This is not a quality league as we know it; the only team to make the NCAA Championship Game is the 1951-52 Ohio State team, who lost to North Carolina in the title game. Only one other school, Purdue, has reached the Final Four (Purdue has also reached five Elite Eights, more than any other school, but only once did they win their region).
This Hoosiers are not all that different from their counterparts. They keep teams off the boards, mainly, by getting into shootouts. They score effectively (50th), but allow points effectively, too (162nd). They are 213th in oFG%, and 209th in adjusted FG%. They are also 15th in the nation in FG% themselves.
As far as the roster goes, they are talented. Offensively, they revolve around the two-headed monster of SG Leslie Bendebel (17.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg), and SF Kermin Shamblin (16.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg). The rest of the team fills in the gaps. Forward Antonio Brooks (9.6 rpg) mans the post with C Geraud Houzet (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), while Donovan Hewitt (8.4 ppg, 4.6 apg) mans the point ably. They have a talented-enough bench, and a *lot* of experience. They start five seniors, four of whom have started since Day 1. Four players have started at least 110 games. Two others have played in 119.
This is redemption for Indiana, who had lost in the first round a year ago. They have become a perennial postseason team after going two years without, back in 1976-77. But they have not won a region, and have advanced past this stage only one time.
GW is confident it will stay that way.
The game is on Friday (March 23, 1984), so we know of this already:
West
1) BYU 94, 5) Southern Cal 91 (OT)
11) Long Island 55, 2) Texas A&M 44
1) BYU vs 11) Long Island, Saturday, 4pm EST
South
1) Princeton 73, 5) Virginia 56
6) Pennsylvania 66, 7) Colorado State 58
1) Princeton vs 6) Pennsylvania, 7pm EST
Hulett hits a three to start things off. Jack then finds Hulett again. Indiana has two turnovers in their first two possessions. John Mortensen gets Indiana on the board with a three. Jack misses his first three shots. Then he drives into Hector Woodring for a charge. Jack missed three shots and got three offensive boards on the same possession. He is just off his game to start. Indiana ties it up, and Jack finally responds. It's 7-5 with 13:33 left.
Silas Cruz ties it with two freebies. Armbruster hits one of two to give GW the lead back. Jack scores from inside. Maybe he'll find his groove. Armbruster gets into foul trouble. Jack gets Davis' miss and connects on a three-point play. Jack gets fouled again, and makes one of two. He already has an 8-6-2 line, and it's 16-10 with 10:55 left.
Jack drills a three...he's feeling it after starting off so poorly. Columbus Williams answers with a jumper, and Ramon Walters pulls Indiana to within three. Davis heads to the line, and hits one of two. Woods commits his second foul...he and Armbruster both have two. Jack gets a rest with GW ahead 22-16. Davis hits two more free throws...he has three, and Jack comes back with GW up 24-16. Cruz scores. Jack is destroying the offensive glass. He must have six offensive boards. Hulett hits again. Davis gets an and-one, and hits the free throw, and GW leads 29-20 with 4:26 left. Jack has an 13-8-2 line, as he scores to give GW an 11 point lead.
Indiana goes to the press. Jack blocks a dunk by Mortensen. GW has a decided advantage on the boards, 24-14. Mortensen hits a three, and Davis responds off a Jack pass. GW is extending possessions like crazy with their offensive rebounding. They hold a 29-16 advantage on the glass at the half, and a 36-25 advantage in the score. Jack finished with a 13-10-3. Mortensen for Indiana, who shot 31% in the half, but 40% from three (GW shot 18%).
GW starts with the ball, and Jack scores to open it up. Then he blocks a layup. Armbruster got his third foul though. Jack finds Hulett, then finds Sandy. It's 42-26, and Indiana is getting Jacked right out of this game. He drills a three, and Indiana has to call time. Jack has taken the soul out of Indiana in the first five minutes of this half. Wilmer Scott finally gets Indiana on the board with 13:50 left. Sandy responds...Grayson is in for the first time. And he goes to the line, hitting both. 49-30, 12:49 left.
Woodring hits for Indiana...Jack finds Armbruster got a bucket. Danny Gallagher hits a three. Indiana needs to get on a run...we're under ten left. Jack hits, giving him a 20-12-6 line as he comes out, GW up 53-35. GW has a 42-24 advantage on the glass, and only four turnovers. Of course, Ali immediately tosses it into the stands.
GW has nine blocks. Jack has the majority of them, I believe. Mortensen hits a three...it's 53-38 with 3:48 left. Cruz hits. Here comes Indiana. Nope, Jack finds Davis, and Davis forces a five-second violation. Sandy hits a jumper, and it's back to 17. Ronald Mosier hits...1:32 left. Jack gets a tie-up, which gives the ball back to GW. He finds Porter for the hoop, and comes out to a standing ovation. Danny Gallagher hits a three to finalize the scoring. GW 59. Indiana 45. This wasn't even a contest. Jack imposed his will on the Hoosiers, and they became small.
Jack finished with 20-15-8, along with six blocks. He had eight offensive rebounds, as part of GW's 21 boards off the glass. They only shot 3-19 from three, and Jack had two of those. Regardless, they move on to their second Elite Eight in three years.
Code:
George Washington 59, Indiana 45
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George Washington (32-1, 0-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Bruce Woods C 23 1-2 0-1 3 7 0 2 2
Brian Armbruster PF 34 2-5 1-2 3 8 2 3 5
Jack Dawkins PF 36 8-17 2-3 8 15 8 1 20
Dwight Davis SG 30 3-9 4-5 1 4 2 0 10
Richie Hulett PG 32 5-13 0-0 3 5 0 2 11
John Sandy SF 29 3-12 0-0 2 5 3 3 6
Hector Patterson PG 8 0-2 0-0 1 2 0 0 0
Porter Ali SF 6 1-2 1-2 0 1 0 0 3
Glenn Grayson PF 1 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2
Turnovers: 7 (J.Dawkins 1, R.Hulett 1, J.Sandy 3,
H.Patterson 1, P.Ali 1)
Blocked Shots: 9 (B.Woods 1, B.Armbruster 1, J.Dawkins
6, D.Davis 1)
Steals: 2 (J.Dawkins 1, R.Hulett 1)
3P FGs: 3-19 (J.Dawkins 2-5, D.Davis 0-2, R.Hulett 1-5,
J.Sandy 0-5, H.Patterson 0-1, P.Ali 0-1)
Indiana (25-7, 15-3):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Silas Cruz C 23 3-5 2-2 3 6 0 2 8
Wilmer Scott PF 26 1-8 3-4 1 5 0 0 5
Hector Woodring SF 29 2-9 0-0 3 6 2 0 4
John Mortensen SG 32 3-12 2-2 0 4 1 3 11
Ramon Walters PG 30 1-4 2-2 1 3 2 2 4
Columbus Williams C 20 1-2 0-2 1 1 0 1 2
Ronald Mosier PF 10 2-3 1-2 1 2 1 3 5
Daniel Gallaher PG 20 2-5 0-0 1 2 0 3 6
Chris Kennon SG 7 0-1 0-0 0 2 1 0 0
Carl Wardlaw SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Turnovers: 11 (S.Cruz 1, H.Woodring 1, J.Mortensen 4,
R.Walters 3, D.Gallaher 2)
Blocked Shots: 5 (S.Cruz 1, H.Woodring 1, J.Mortensen
1, C.Williams 2)
Steals: 2 (J.Mortensen 1, D.Gallaher 1)
3P FGs: 5-15 (H.Woodring 0-3, J.Mortensen 3-8,
R.Walters 0-1, D.Gallaher 2-3)
Player of Game: PF Jack Dawkins (GW)
It is rather amazing to see Jack control a game through defense and getting people involved in the offense. He has carried the team on his shoulders through scoring, though during this stretch, it has been more getting people involved, and shutting down teams on defense. This is a brilliant defensive team, mainly due to him. A big nod, though, has to be given to John Sandy and his increased role. He is a lockdown defender, and his insertion as a sixth starter allows for a more flexible defense. It is very difficult to match up against.
Whereas before, I thought, this team will go as far as Jack takes them, I now think it will go as far as their defense carries them. That makes them a major championship contender.
Sweet Sixteen Scores, March 24
Midwest
1) Rice 78, 5) Nebraska 74
7) Cornell 77, 3) UTEP 61
1) Rice vs 7) Cornell, Sunday, 2pm EST
East
5) George Washington 59, 8) Indiana 45
6) California 89, 2) Baylor 74
5) George Washington vs 6) California, 4:30pm EST