Cyclones' 1944 Final Four Appearance

[ISU85]

Iowa State made it to the Final Four one time, in 1944, when the tournament was greatly affected by WWII. Each member of that team attended ISU for officer training and was on active duty. The team won the Big 6 with a 9-1 conference record and had a 14-4 overall record.

Eight teams were invited to the tournament that year. ISU went to the West Regional in Kansas City. They beat Pepperdine 44-39 to make it into the Final Four, and then lost to Utah 40-31, also in Kansas City. Utah went on to Madison Square Garden and beat Dartmouth to win the championship.

An article from the Ames Trib a few years ago has more info:

http://amestrib.com/sections/sports...ketball-soldiers-led-isu-final-four-1944.html

Interesting note: the article says ISU would have forfeited the championship game. Since the players were on active duty, the school didn't expect they could get permission to go to New York City to play the championship game.

 

[pulse]

So we let Utah win, it was the patriotic thing to do.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I remember that like it was yesterday.

 

[ISU85]

So we let Utah win, it was the patriotic thing to do.

And it started our tradition of losing to the eventual national champion.

 

[FocusTown]

always lose to the champion

 

[MeanDean]

So we let Utah win, it was the patriotic thing to do.

Freaking commie Gonzagas beat Utah this year, AMIRITE?

 

[Farnsworth]

“When I got out on the Iowa State court at 85 (in a 2008 alumni game), it was really uplifting,â€￾ said Ray, who scored a basket in the game. “It felt like I was back out there in 1944 again.â€￾

Is there any video from the 2008 alumni game?

Or for that matter video from the 40's.

 

[ruxCYtable]

The NIT was the biggest tournament back then. The NCAA really wasn't a big deal at all. It was the tourney for also-rans.

 

[pulse]

Freaking commie Gonzagas beat Utah this year, AMIRITE?

Gonzaga is German for Bonzai.

 

[ISU85]

The NIT was the biggest tournament back then. The NCAA really wasn't a big deal at all. It was the tourney for also-rans.

True ... Utah was invited to the NIT that year too, but lost in the first round to Kentucky.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_National_Invitation_Tournament

 

[83Clone]

There was really no "Final 4" until many years later. But it's what we have

 

[CYCLNST8]

[video=youtube;Lzsgc4BNZXM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzsgc4BNZXM[/video]

If you squint your eyes just right, it looks like Georges Niang raining hook shots...

 

[DiehardClone]

If you squint your eyes just right, it looks like Georges Niang raining hook shots...

After watching that video ... if we had a time machine and could put Georges into those games, he would be immediately worshiped as their Basketball Overlord. They might consider him to be an alien sent here from Planet Baller. Heck, Stu would be a first team All American in that era.

 

[bos]

[video=youtube;Lzsgc4BNZXM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzsgc4BNZXM[/video]

If you squint your eyes just right, it looks like Georges Niang raining hook shots...

The form on that first shot.....wow.

 

[ISU85]

[video=youtube;Lzsgc4BNZXM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzsgc4BNZXM[/video]

If you squint your eyes just right, it looks like Georges Niang raining hook shots...

Those are some short shorts ... might want to put a NSFW tag on here ...

 

[Farnsworth]

After watching that video ... if we had a time machine and could put Georges into those games, he would be immediately worshiped as their Basketball Overlord. They might consider him to be an alien sent here from Planet Baller. Heck, Stu would be a first team All American in that era.

He's already a first team all american............ in our hearts.

 

[stateofmind]

I coached a 0-win 6th grade bb team in Ankeny this year and we would've beat Army or Navy.

 

[DeftOne]

It's amazing how basketball has changed over the years. Even something as fundamental as dribbling looks drastically different compared to that footage. If someone from today went back in time and played, they'd no doubt be called for a carry just about every time they touched the ball.

 

[JP4CY]

Pepperdine needed to be destroyed.












And **** Utah

 

[amishclone]

After watching that video ... if we had a time machine and could put Georges into those games, he would be immediately worshiped as their Basketball Overlord. They might consider him to be an alien sent here from Planet Baller. Heck, Stu would be a first team All American in that era.

Unrelated, but Georges wouldn't be allowed to play because he's not white....