What a Ride!

[Kung Wu]

It's January 30, 2000 and Coach Smithson is at the helm. We're 5-12 and Creighton just whooped our butt. JPerez is averaging 20.2 points per game, TBenton is averaging 12.0, and DWilliams is averaging 9.1. After that it's bad. Really, really bad.

Coach Smithson is stammering on the radio about how it's his fault. Fans are getting restless.

Who here was thinking, "Mark my words: In 6 years we'll be playing in the Sweet Sixteen"?

Okay, probably @forevershockerfan: was thinking along those lines, but how about this ...

Who here was thinking, "Mark my words: In 13 years we'll be playing in the Final Four"?

[WuDrWu]

My daughter was a mere 3 weeks from being born...my wife had to watch the games standing next to security over by the old water fountains before the renovations. Our seats were still on the floor at the time. We looked forward with great fear about a year at the Kansas Coliseum.

That seems in many ways so long ago, and yet it also seems like yesterday.

[ShockTalk]

Who would have thought we would now have 4 new players in the top 10 of Shocker history for NCAA Tournament points scored.

[Shocktoberfest]

Choose your point of reference at any point before MTs second season back through the 90s. Man, save a few cool moments, those years totally sucked. We have come a long way my friends. A long way. And still heading upward!

So, along those lines, what are anyone's favorite moments during Thompson, Crutches and Smithson? Just curious. Cuz I really don't remember many. I do remember being stoked when we had OSU down on the road in a tv game only to blow it in the last couple of minutes. I remember D Williams had a huge dunk off a missed shot. I actually thought we were going to win that game in Stillwater.

[Shocker85]

There were many Jason Perez moments. It would really been something to see him on a team with several other quality players. His skill set and BBIQ were not far from those of Ron Baker, IMO. Mo Evans was fun to watch, too, before he got pouty while here. There were guys you hoped would do well, too. Terrell Benton, Darin Williams, Claudius Johnson, and others. Guys who never reached their promise, i.e. John Smith.

We had percolated down to Section T Row 7 before the remodel as fans came and went. Plenty of ugliness from that vantage point during those seasons. I was younger then and got into a few 'discussions' with a few blue hairs how bad things had gotten. Sweet 16 or Final 4 were not on the radar during those times. BTW, we are no where near Row 7 now - don't have the $$$ to keep up. :)

--'85.

[ShockerPrez]

Jason Perez owning KSU as a freshman in Manhattan was probably my favorite moment.

Marvin Hill had a good game that night too, IIRC.

[Shocktoberfest]

Ok. Not so bleak. Perez had more than a few great moments. I remember his game winning shot against I believe a Valley foe. Dribbled full length from the in bounds and dropped one from the top of the key then ran over to hug his dad. Pretty cool. But we still sucked that year. Ha!

[rrshock]

Perez dunk in his senior year. Came out of no where.

[shocks771]

Perez was the man. I remember a game, I believe it was against SIU when I was in college (1997-2000). Perez hit a half court shot at the buzzer for the win and just kept on running right down the tunnel. All 20 of us in the student section went crazy! I remember showing up right at tip and being able to sit in the first 4-5 rows of the student section. Boy have times changed over the last 15 years!

[BostonWu]

I'll forever remember Jamie Arnold munchin a hotdog down in the front row of the student section.

Also recall some dude getting in a shoving match with Craig Steven in the tunnel.

[Dan]

I loved Jamie Arnold. He provided some color in an otherwise abysmal time. After a dunk he'd turn to the crown with his patented salute.

[ShockTalk]

I loved Jamie Arnold. He provided some color in an otherwise abysmal time. After a dunk he'd turn to the crown with his patented salute.

Didn't Jamie do the super hero cape routine at Shocker Madness?

[jcdshocker]

Didn't Jamie do the super hero cape routine at Shocker Madness?

Yes he wore a cape like superman in the dunk contest.

[jrschh]

I loved Jamie Arnold. He provided some color in an otherwise abysmal time. After a dunk he'd turn to the crown with his patented salute.

He was an a$$! I remember he didn't want to get taking out of the end of a game so he initially bricked a free throw, to keep the guy that was supposed to come in for him off the floor. I remember him walking around campus like he was the man, while most of us thought he was a joke.

[WuShock16]

Perez was the man. I remember a game, I believe it was against SIU when I was in college (1997-2000). Perez hit a half court shot at the buzzer for the win and just kept on running right down the tunnel. All 20 of us in the student section went crazy! I remember showing up right at tip and being able to sit in the first 4-5 rows of the student section. Boy have times changed over the last 15 years!

January 17, 1998. SIU had a chance to ice game with free throws but missed both to set up Jason's walkoff. That was the first ever Shocker basketball game I ever attended. That was also the night of a women's/men's doubleheader. Jackie Stiles made her first appearance in Wichita as an SMS Bear. She scored like 38 points but WSU still won 87-82. What a great night of basketball for a highly-impressionable high school freshman. That night planted the seed for my love for Shocker hoops.