Looking back at the list the “years in the dessert” was closer to 25. I just seemed like 50 to an avid Cougar basketball fan. When Tom was here there were rats the size of house cats roaming in the Hof
Maybe admirable but accurate.
That part I heard but then I got another story from someone who was there when guy or someone from UH made it to north Louisiana in the recruiting process - wasn’t welcomed with open arms by the school who was supposed to get him 
Thank goodness Elvin made the right choice.
1 Like
he would’ve been a pro from anywhere -
Yeah, but he was our pro.
2 Likes
I was one of the 250,000 people in the Astrodome that night. My seat was in the Loge Level (Purple seating area - I believe the press also was in the Loge level). I was 1 or 2 rows below the walkway. The Level above was so low down that I could not see the scoreboard so I continued to ask someone a row below me what the score was. I’m sure that dude was as worn out as I was following that game.
The Game of the Century between Houston and UCLA took place on January 20, 1968, and ended with Houston defeating UCLA 71-69. This game was significant as it ended UCLA’s 47-game winning streak and showcased the talents of players like Elvin Hayes for Houston and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) for UCLA.
Key Box Score Highlights:
- Final Score: Houston 71, UCLA 69
- Attendance: 52,693 at the Astrodome
- Top Scorer for Houston: Elvin Hayes with 39 points
- Top Scorer for UCLA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 26 points
This match is often remembered for its intensity and the high stakes involved, marking a pivotal moment in college basketball history
1 Like
Joel Williams (son of Dave) told me about this book. He was going to give it to me, but he could not locate it. Said he most likely loaned it to someone else and it never was returned. One can learn a lot about the era and the state of race relations during that time. I began watching UH in '61 or '62 over at Delmar Stadium. I was inspired by the pep band and during '63, friends of mine from the Waltrip Band crashed the door at Delmar with our instruments. They finally allowed us to enter and we had a great time the rest of that season and the next. As I understand it, we were the first HISD pep band for basketball. I remember Joe Hamood, Larry Lentz and Gary Grider. Then next year, basketbal in the South changed.
1 Like
Very aware of the significance of that game. My Dad and I were there (I was 13 years old). My point was there was a follow-up game that took place Jan. 18th 1969 in Pauley Pavilion. Lew Alcindor’s senior year at UCLA and Ollie Taylor’s first year at UH.
[quote=“Idanceblroom, post:47, topic:70395”]
was one of the 250,000 people in the Astrodome that night.
[/quote]
I (really) was there as a 10 year old with my friend Jay, seated in the yellow section. Good memories!
1 Like
GenTwo, I Iaughed at the 250K reference. Probably more than that claimed they were there 55K were actually there. The thing I remember most was 55,000 Houstonians chanting…E…E…E. It was loud!!! There was one problem IMHO. The way they positioned the court was stupid.
Correction…Lew did not have 26 points. He had a bad night shooting the ball. It was the first time he wore the goggles. I believe he had a scratched cornea in the game before. My referenced 55K was a little high but it was the largest crowd to ever witness a basketball game college or pro. Guy V was a true visionary. He had to convince Wooden to play the game. That game changed college basketball forever. It showed the networks they could make a lot of money on college basketball.
Best game by an individual I have ever seen…“Big E”…and even with Lew’s eye injury, it took every great play by “E” to win that game.
I lost my ticket stub and my program from that game but never lost my love for Cougar basketball after that.
1 Like
You left out the most important reason why this game was so significant. It was the first nationally televised regular season game in NCAA history. Back in those days even the national semis were regionalized. The TV is, I think, why this is known as The Game of the Century
Harvey Pate scouted E in person and actively recruited after watching play.
Elvin loved Houston and also liked the idea of joining Chaney as the first two black cagers at UH.
Elvin did have a sister at Wisconsin but they only showed minimal attention.
Pate, who was a great recruiter for Guy and UH, reeled him in and the rest is history.
It was on the TVS Television Network, created by Eddie Einhorn, who is probably best known for being one of the owners of the Chicago White Sox.
I did not attend the game but watched it on TVS. A very young Dick Enberg, who happened to do PxP for the UCLA Bruins, did the PxP for that game.