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NCAA Basketball: 10 great tournament games we missed out on in history

By Trevor Sinodhinos

JACKSONVILLE, FL - MARCH 20: The NCAA March Madness logo on the floor during the NCAA Basketball First round practice session at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - MARCH 20: The NCAA March Madness logo on the floor during the NCAA Basketball First round practice session at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on March 20, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS – FEBRUARY 06: Former NBA and UNLV basketball player Larry Johnson (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – FEBRUARY 06: Former NBA and UNLV basketball player Larry Johnson (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

UNLV vs Syracuse (1990)

One year earlier the tournament gave us the greatest game we did not know we wanted, you can watch it below. I will not spoil it, but it is worth a watch. Coming off the strength of that classic championship game, fans were clamoring for the 1989-90 season. A lot of that excited surrounded the pre-season No.1 team in the AP Poll.

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels coached by Jerry Tarkanian were one win away from reaching the Final Four the previous year. The 1989-90 season saw them return four starters; center David Butler, guard Anderson Hunt, and two future NBA players Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony. Their prized addition was 6-6 forward and future NBA star Larry Johnson.

UNLV was not America’s sweethearts, they fell out of favor with the polls early in the season falling as far as No.14. Eventually, their 36-5 overall record and 16-2 Big West record while scoring triple digits in 13 games prior to the tournament, landed them as No.2 in the last AP poll.

While UNLV was dominating the West Coast, Jim Boeheim was leading the Syracuse Orangemen (not just the Orange) that was comprised of six future NBA selections, led by sophomore forward Billy Owens and Syracuse legend senior forward Derrick Coleman. Syracuse tallied up a 26-7 overall record and won the Big East with a 12-4 record.

The Big East champions averaged 82.5 points per game, they were the preseason No.3 and after a loss in the Final of the Big East Tournament, they ended the season as No.6. That would ultimately land them on the two-line come the tournament and an eventual loss in the Southeast Regional Semi-Final to Minnesota.

Whether anticipation from the fans for this match-up was because of the geographical divide, or because Billy Owens was the anthesis, and even Coleman was not at the level, of the cocky trash talking Runnin’ Rebels, regardless this was a match-up the people wanted and it swelled throughout the season.

Unfortunately, the Orangemen would underachieve while the Runnin’ Rebels would defeat Duke 103-73 in the Championship game and springboard UNLV to legendary status and perhaps the loss that would fuel the legendary Duke era.

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