I Became a Shocker Fan....

[Aargh]

I still own the Sylvania transistor radio I took out on the porch (I lived on a farm about 50 miles from Wichita) andlistened to WSU, KU, and KSU basketball games. I remember when Ralph Miller recruited Dave Stallworth.

[Shocker1976]

I grew up on a farm in Cowley county and became a Shocker Fan due to KFH radio; too many kids and not enough money to attend any games at Henry Levitt Arena.

Earliest and fondest memories are of pretending to be Gene Wiley shooting baskets at a homemade backboard and rim nailed to the chicken house and listening to Gus Grebe proclaiming the Shockers had just "Put another one in the ole deep freeze!". A great time for Shocker basketball and easy to become a fan of the team.

[Shocker1976]

First exposure to Shocker hoops was when my folks watched the 1st WSU Final Four game on TV in 65' with Dave the Rave. I was very young and tried to stay awake...but was unable to. That set the stage for an avid interest in my Alma Mater's BB team for years to come

If Dave the Rave and Nate Bowman had played in that Final Four, WU might have won the National Championship - just saying!

[WuDrWu]

Grew up in KCK. Used to listen to KU on occasion on the radio. Attended WSU when my brother came down to bowl in a tournament. He attended KU and bowled on their team. I told my Mom I am going to WSU when I was in my very early teens. I came to WSU to study music (ended up with Accounting and Communications)in 1974. Remember attending WSU BB games and marching band at Fb games. Loved Cal Bruten, Cheese, Robert Gray and Bob Elmore. During the 70’s I watched Larry Bird play our Shocks.When AC. Cliff, Aubrey, X came along was able to watch some of the greatest BB played at WSU. I was friends with Zarko and celebrated with him and a few others after beating the Russians. I still have my battle of New Orleans Tee.
Got to watch Shocker Baseball at its best and WSU Football thru good and bad times.
One thing many of us used to play a pick up game at HL Arena several times with Dave the Rave and others. Dave just love to play and didnt care that we werent in his league.

Also had AC and Cliff in an economics class. Rem AC being a good student.

You came to WSU in '74 and you took classes with AC and friends with Zarko? #ProfessionalStudent

[WuDrWu]

As a young kid I remember listening to Gus on the radio. I remember Mom and Dad going to the football games and leaving me at home with the babysitter....still haven't forgiven them for that. I grew up near and was friends with Harry Miller's son. Let's just say that coaches are paid a shade more these days, relative to society, as compared to the late 70s. I would also say Gary wasn't quite as popular as Kellen, for a variety of reasons.

If I looked really hard, I might still be able to find a "Smile and say Cheese" picture given away on his senior night, but I know my friend still has one, and it's in pristine condition. Attended an NBA exhibition in Norman where Cheese played for Golden State, I think. He was called for traveling trying to fake a behind the back pass on a 2-1 fast break (worst call ever!).

Tons of games as a child in the mid to late 70s, then obsessed as a high school and college kid during the 80s. Had my first taste of being close to the program when a friend was a graduate assistant under Eddie and I learned what these guys were like up close and personal. Became disenchanted under Cohen (not because he lost) and was sad Thompson couldn't win. Suffered with Randy and his demons. I was surprisingly upbeat for Mark given my complete hatred for the flagship. The last 15 years have been a blur and better, as a fan, than I could have ever hoped.

[molly jabali]

If we are posting good memories, then the sign out in front that said(I believe) "We got a Brand new Carr!!" was an omen of good things to come!

[jocoshock]

Elder Smithson era.
Was checking out WSU for its engineering program and started reading about two highly touted 6'9" post players they had just signed. A little more investigation revealed they had already been assigned a nickname - The Bookends.
The interest was piqued so I set up a visit to check out the school. Came out that Summer and holy **** was it ever hot! Was there for 3 days and I don't think it ever dropped below 100 and the wind never stopped.

I was hooked and the rest is history.

That is all.

If that was the summer of 1980 then it was hot. Countless days over 100. Something like 12 straight days over 105...

[Shock Therapy]

If that was the summer of 1980 then it was hot. Countless days over 100. Something like 12 straight days over 105...

I was five years old at the time and even I can remember how awful that summer was.

[kcshocker11]

You came to WSU in '74 and you took classes with AC and friends with Zarko? #ProfessionalStudent

yes, was a disc jockey at night, couldnt sleep desided to take some business classes in the morning in the early eighties and got my accounting degree. Been going to school all my life part time. Got my MBA in finance and took every computer class you could take at Penn Valley(programming, networking, graphic etc) Also have taught college adjunct at Metro Comm college, Rockhurst, Donnelly, St Marys, Park. Met Zark at the 18th street English Pub( used to play pool with him all the time), which at the time was owned by Paul Weigant and Tom hamilton. Oh by the way WSU Hall fame Tennis player Sandy Sadler was a friend too.https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.d...ATCLID=1418892

So wheres yours Doc?

[ShockRef]

If that was the summer of 1980 then it was hot. Countless days over 100. Something like 12 straight days over 105...

That would be the right timing. I graduated HS in `78, went to a JuCo for a year + so summer of '80 would be about right.

It was a long time ago and I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday, but I will never forget that heat. I can also remember the economy model rental car A/C couldn't handle the heat either. I left thinking Wichitan's were some of the toughest people in the country.

I also left thinking they were some of the nicest too.

That is all.

[ShockerFan87]

My first time watching a Shocker game was in 2006, during the Sweet 16. My band director was an alumni, and turned the classroom TV on to the game during one of our classes and we spent the hour watching the Shockers beat Tennessee. I had already decided to come to WSU for college the next year, so it was cool to see my future school doing big things in the tournament.

First live game was the following season, where we started off great, then it all went downhill. First round loss to MSU in STL that year. Turgeon leaving. Marshall coming in. I wasn't around for the 90's, but when people say "You only like them because they're good right now", I can point out my first couple years of Shocker fandom.

[WuShock16]

If that was the summer of 1980 then it was hot. Countless days over 100. Something like 12 straight days over 105...

My parents always talked about the summer of 1980 and how hot it was.

[Triticum aestivum L.]

Won't name names, but anyone remember the geri curl big man that drove around campus in his Cheech-and-Chong-esque white Mercedes?

Don't remember that one, but I passed Cliff Levingston in the parking lot shortly after he declared for the draft showing off a sweet new Cadillac to his boys and a bunch of coeds. He was in one of my classes, I don't think he finished up the semester - ha!

[ShockerPhi]

My mom is an alumnae from WSU and we lived up north just a mile away from the Coliseum. In 2003 when the Shockers played their games there my mom had the wonderful idea of going to a few games since they were so close. No one in my family was really big basketball fans at the time, but we thought what the heck. So we saw a few games there and started going to a few games a year when they moved back into the new Koch Arena. By the 05-06 season, we wanted to get season tickets but couldn't (We ended up getting some the following year). But we made it to about 9 games that year and that is when we all really grew into Shocker fans. By the time we were all waiting at the airport for the team to come back from the Sweet 16, I was absolutely hooked and you couldnt get me to shut up about Shocker Basketball. I didn't think it would get much better than that until I was sitting in the student section in Atlanta for the Final Four. Now, I'm on my last semester of my college career trying to make the best out of free basketball.

[ShockerEngineer]

My parents always talked about the summer of 1980 and how hot it was.

Haha.. My dad also talks about it. Said the high didn't get below 100 for something like two weeks.

I'll add one more story of how I've always been connected to Shocker basketball, in a way.. Anyone remember the 1987 Missouri Valley Tournament Championship, where the Shox beat Tulsa in OT? Well, I was born just after that. My dad and the doctor who delivered me were watching the game in the delivery room. :) They were watching Letterman later on, and my mom finally made them turn the TV off, because stupid pet tricks was distracting her.