Good GT Basketball before Cremins

[bob4gt]

The official GT webpage has had a few articles about Whack Hyder and Rich Yunkus lately. I am surprised no one commented on them. They show a few good seasons before Cremins came. I started Tech in 64 and saw the Caldwell (6'10") , Craddock (5"10") and the other guys play. (It seemed to me that I never saw Craddock on campus without Caldwell. ) A fun team to watch, although the 62/63 team was better. I was in grad school for the Yunkus years - even more exciting team to watch. I still think Yunkus is the best player to play for Tech. He is still the all-time leading scorer for Tech even though freshmen were not eligible then and there was no 3 point line. Whack was a good ole country boy, but as his record against Rupp shows, he could coach. He also taught PE during my undergrad years.
Would like to hear some others thoughts about this era.

Some links



https://ramblinwreck.com/behind-the-banner-rich-yunkus/

https://ramblinwreck.com/whack-hyder-vs-the-baron/

https://ramblinwreck.com/behind-the-banner-whack-hyder/

 

[iopjacket]

I was in Whack Hyder's PE class. He was a very easy going gentleman. I don't think Adolp Rupp or John Wooden had to teach PE.

 

[MWBATL]

I was in Whack Hyder's PE class. He was a very easy going gentleman. I don't think Adolp Rupp or John Wooden had to teach PE.

ditto.

It was towards the end of Whack's career, but he had an EXTREMELY relaxed attitude about his PE class. I don't think anyone who showed up got less than an "A". But he was a very nice gentleman.

I remember being in the student section when Yunkus and company hosted Artis Gilmore and the Jacksonville Dolphins, who (iirc) either had just been in the NCAA Tournament or were considered a lock for it. They actually had two 7 footers, but Gilmore was their go-to guy. They were 15-1 coming in, and we fought them hard all night long, only to fall late, by an 86-81 score. I remember Ynukus drove them batty, because even with two 7 footers they couldn't block his shots or stop him from scoring.

They went on to the NCAA Finals, losing to UCLA in the Championship Game.

My recollection is also that the game was not a sellout.....(some things never change).

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

ditto.

It was towards the end of Whack's career, but he had an EXTREMELY relaxed attitude about his PE class. I don't think anyone who showed up got less than an "A". But he was a very nice gentleman.

I remember being in the student section when Yunkus and company hosted Artis Gilmore and the Jacksonville Dolphins, who (iirc) either had just been in the NCAA Tournament or were considered a lock for it. They actually had two 7 footers, but Gilmore was their go-to guy. They were 15-1 coming in, and we fought them hard all night long, only to fall late, by an 86-81 score. I remember Ynukus drove them batty, because even with two 7 footers they couldn't block his shots or stop him from scoring.

They went on to the NCAA Finals, losing to UCLA in the Championship Game.

My recollection is also that the game was not a sellout.....(some things never change).

You may be correct but I thought that WAS one of the few sellouts we had.

The other player for JU was Pembrook Burrows. Later a Fla Highway Patrolman - at 7'

I seem to remember the late, great Lou Bello was one of the refs. Very good ref combined with showmanship.

 

[Jazzchaz]

You may be correct but I thought that WAS one of the few sellouts we had.

The other player for JU was Pembrook Burrows. Later a Fla Highway Patrolman - at 7'

ditto.

It was towards the end of Whack's career, but he had an EXTREMELY relaxed attitude about his PE class. I don't think anyone who showed up got less than an "A". But he was a very nice gentleman.

I remember being in the student section when Yunkus and company hosted Artis Gilmore and the Jacksonville Dolphins, who (iirc) either had just been in the NCAA Tournament or were considered a lock for it. They actually had two 7 footers, but Gilmore was their go-to guy. They were 15-1 coming in, and we fought them hard all night long, only to fall late, by an 86-81 score. I remember Ynukus drove them batty, because even with two 7 footers they couldn't block his shots or stop him from scoring.

They went on to the NCAA Finals, losing to UCLA in the Championship Game.

My recollection is also that the game was not a sellout.....(some things never change).

The only home game that's still in my memory from back then was the following year against top 10 Kansas. It was definitely packed but I wouldn't have been thinking about the word 'sellout' in those days.

 

[73CAV]

ditto.

It was towards the end of Whack's career, but he had an EXTREMELY relaxed attitude about his PE class. I don't think anyone who showed up got less than an "A". But he was a very nice gentleman.

I remember being in the student section when Yunkus and company hosted Artis Gilmore and the Jacksonville Dolphins, who (iirc) either had just been in the NCAA Tournament or were considered a lock for it. They actually had two 7 footers, but Gilmore was their go-to guy. They were 15-1 coming in, and we fought them hard all night long, only to fall late, by an 86-81 score. I remember Ynukus drove them batty, because even with two 7 footers they couldn't block his shots or stop him from scoring.

They went on to the NCAA Finals, losing to UCLA in the Championship Game.

My recollection is also that the game was not a sellout.....(some things never change).

If memory serves, the other seven footer next to Gilmore was Pembroke Burrows, although I am not certain of the spelling. In addition, I was fortunate enough to see Yunkus play in U Hall in the winter of '71, Virginia won in a shoot-out, as I recall. It was basically Rich Yunkus vs. Barry Parkhill and Jim Hobgood. Lots of 20' jump shots. It was a fun game from my perspective.

 

[brandon_cox]

In all my decades of watching GT basketball, the year before Cremins took over (1980-81) was the worst I've ever seen. We were something like 4-23 and got destroyed by powerhouses like Charleston Southern and Baptist College (IIRC we trailed by over 30 in both games). Almost forty years later and I'm still amazed how quickly the SHW turned us around and made us a national power.

 

[cyclejacket]

Roger Kaiser was the best player Whack Hyder had before Yunkus (maybe even including him). Kaiser was a First Team All-American in 1961 and along with Dave Denton led Tech to their first NCAA tournament berth in 1960. That was before I was old enough to follow sports but my father talked about Kaiser all the time. And Whack Hyder was the ultimate gentleman.

I did love to follow the teams in the mid 60's with Caldwell, Tomasovich, the Thorne's, Pres Judy and Phil Wagner. They were usually pretty good but not great and never broke through in an era when fewer teams made the big dance.

 

[MWBATL]

You may be correct but I thought that WAS one of the few sellouts we had.

It is also possible my brain was a bit addled by certain...ah, chemicals...that night so Maybe I don't recall it exactly right!

 

[jacketup]

In all my decades of watching GT basketball, the year before Cremins took over (1980-81) was the worst I've ever seen. We were something like 4-23 and got destroyed by powerhouses like Charleston Southern and Baptist College (IIRC we trailed by over 30 in both games). Almost forty years later and I'm still amazed how quickly the SHW turned us around and made us a national power.

Baptist College became Charleston Southern University.

 

[g0lftime]

I was in Whack Hyder's PE class. He was a very easy going gentleman. I don't think Adolp Rupp or John Wooden had to teach PE.

I also had Coach Hyder for PE. He divided the class into two groups. Those who had played and those who hadn't. I had played a lot in HS, so in that group. I forgot how we were divided into the teams but we played full court with 4 man teams. My team never lost a game the entire quarter. Coach complemented us at the end of the quarter. I am as proud of that A as any I ever made at Tech.

 

[orientalnc]

ditto.

It was towards the end of Whack's career, but he had an EXTREMELY relaxed attitude about his PE class. I don't think anyone who showed up got less than an "A". But he was a very nice gentleman.

I remember being in the student section when Yunkus and company hosted Artis Gilmore and the Jacksonville Dolphins, who (iirc) either had just been in the NCAA Tournament or were considered a lock for it. They actually had two 7 footers, but Gilmore was their go-to guy. They were 15-1 coming in, and we fought them hard all night long, only to fall late, by an 86-81 score. I remember Ynukus drove them batty, because even with two 7 footers they couldn't block his shots or stop him from scoring.

They went on to the NCAA Finals, losing to UCLA in the Championship Game.

My recollection is also that the game was not a sellout.....(some things never change).

If that game was not a sellout a lot of people got in for free. I had to stand behind the back row of seats with my comp pass because there was nowhere else. I think we also had some sellouts at other times. I remember us playing against UVA when Sampson was there in 1981 or 82. We lost that game by 2 or 3 points and they went on to win the NCAA championship (I think). That game was a sellout. I am not sure, but that may have been Cremins 1st year.

 

[brandon_cox]

Baptist College became Charleston Southern University.

You, sir, are completely correct. I was trying to remember games from almost 40 years ago. Georgia Tech "officially" lost to Charleston Southern on February 14, 1981, 74-51. However, we also lost to Baptist College by the same score. I vividly remember the Baptist College game because they totally sucked and still humiliated us. IIRC they were not officially considered Charleston Southern at the time. I didn't realize - or remember -that Charleston Southern was the same team. Thanks for the correction.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/georgia-tech/1981-schedule.html

 

[g0lftime]

Alexander only had about 6000 seats in the Hyder and Morrison years. It would be so quiet at some games you could hear the players calling out plays or warning about blind screens. It was real easy to get into games as a student.

 

[iopjacket]

I also had Coach Hyder for PE. He divided the class into two groups. Those who had played and those who hadn't. I had played a lot in HS, so in that group. I forgot how we were divided into the teams but we played full court with 4 man teams. My team never lost a game the entire quarter. Coach complemented us at the end of the quarter. I am as proud of that A as any I ever made at Tech.[/QUO

I was in the never played group. I enjoy watching basketball, but I am too short and slow to have been any good playing.

 

[orientalnc]

Alexander only had about 6000 seats in the Hyder and Morrison years. It would be so quiet at some games you could hear the players calling out plays or warning about blind screens. It was real easy to get into games as a student.

The original configuration had 6996 seats but lots of standing room, so it had some overflow crowds. In 1985 or 86 it was expanded to over 9000.