1997-03-19, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer
疯狂三月：“无出其右”—— 圣安东尼奥人追忆锦标赛回忆
本周，在阿拉莫圆顶举行的中西部地区锦标赛上，将诞生许多回忆。
所有参与者都将在周日离开，有些人会不情愿地被送回家，而另一些人则会为四强争夺做好准备。
但是，在比赛中的那些甜酸苦辣的时刻，将在未来几十年的更衣室、会议室、办公室和家中被回忆起来。
内维尔·谢德
UTSA校内休闲活动协调员谢德，曾是 Cinderella 原始队伍德克萨斯西部学院的成员。TWC（现在的德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校）通过在 1966 年的冠军赛中击败由帕特·莱利和路易斯·达姆皮尔领衔的阿道夫·鲁普的肯塔基队，震惊了大学篮球界。
谢德说：“每次想起这件事，我都感觉很好。当我参加锦标赛并且戴着戒指时，人们会说，‘嘿，他拿到了戒指，他赢得了胜利。’没有人能从我这里夺走它。”
“那一次，我们发挥到了极致，我们赢了。人们说，‘等等吧，直到他们遇到这支球队’，然后说，‘等等吧，直到他们遇到那支球队。’我们是一所独立的小学校，一支真正的 Cinderella 队伍。”
谢德笑着说：“学校的缩写是 TWC，他们叫我们德克萨斯女子学院，或微型学院。然后我们遇到了肯塔基州，这是一所习惯参加锦标赛、习惯于赢球的学校。我想，最好的感觉是知道我们击败了由天才球员组成的鲁普的队伍。”
TWC 以 81-80 击败了堪萨斯和 85-79 击败了杜克，然后以 72-65 击败了肯塔基。
“对，我被称为‘影子’。有些人说是因为我像影子一样紧跟对手。有些人说是因为我太瘦，没有影子。”
谢德说：“我更喜欢第一个解释。”
R.C.巴福德
当堪萨斯大学 Jayhawks 在 1988 年击败俄克拉荷马州获得冠军时，巴福德是拉里·布朗在堪萨斯大学的助理教练。
巴福德后来成为布朗在马刺队的助理教练，现在是一名马刺球探。他说：“我记得我们遇到的每支我们认为我们无法击败的球队都在我们遇到他们之前就被击败了。”
“北卡罗来纳州立大学被莫瑞州立大学击败。然后我们计划与拥有查尔斯·史密斯的匹兹堡大学比赛，但他们被范德比尔特大学击败。我们准备与普渡大学比赛，但他们在半决赛中被堪萨斯州立大学击败，而亚利桑那州立大学在四强赛的第一场比赛中被俄克拉荷马州立大学击败。”
巴福德在 1994 年以佛罗里达大学助理教练的身份重返四强。杜克大学在半决赛中以 70-65 的比分将巴福德和佛罗里达送回了家。
巴福德说：“在那场比赛中，我意识到格兰特·希尔有多么出色。他击败了我们。他防守克雷格·布朗，我们认为布朗可以在球场上任何地方投篮……但面对希尔，他做不到。”
希尔让布朗以 3 投 9 中只得到 8 分。
巴福德带着对多内尔·马歇尔的深刻印象离开了比赛。
巴福德说：“我们在八强赛中遇到了康涅狄格州，而多尼错失了两个罚球，而这两个罚球本可以在常规时间内让我们获胜。他在加时赛中有些放弃（佛罗里达以 69-60 获胜），我认为他从那以后一直没有恢复过来。我认为这件事影响了他的整个职业生涯。”
肖恩·艾利奥特
艾利奥特在 1989 年被评为年度最佳大学生球员，并在 1988 年带领亚利桑那州立大学晋级四强。在 1988 年的半决赛中，他在亚利桑那州立大学以 86-78 输给俄克拉荷马州立大学时得到 31 分，而在 1989 年西部地区半决赛中亚利桑那州立大学以 68-67 输给 UNLV 时得到 22 分。
艾利奥特说：“锦标赛是我篮球生涯中最伟大的经历之一。我们在 1988 年有一项使命。我感到很兴奋，因为我们全年都打得很好，而且在我们获得四强席位后，更衣室里的气氛令人难以置信。”
“你知道，我希望你没有问我这个问题。直到今天，球队的人还在谈论这场失利。那一年我们击败了所有人。然后我们有一场糟糕的比赛，就这样了。我仍然认为我们在锦标赛中拥有最好的球队。拉里·布朗告诉我：‘我不想和你们比赛。’”
“每当我想起这件事，我都会感到心痛。那是我们的机会。”
威尔·珀杜
珀杜在范德比尔特大学在 1988 年锦标赛中的疯狂之旅中担任中锋。范德比尔特大学在第二轮加时赛中以 80-74 击败了匹兹堡大学，并在中西部地区半决赛中以 77-64 输给了堪萨斯大学。
珀杜说：“我只有一次经历，那就是我在大四的时候。没有什么能与之相比。NBA 总决赛可以与之相比，但你没有那份天真无邪。”
“我们在内布拉斯加州打了我们的前两场比赛。那令人难以置信。我们想，‘他们知道范德比尔特大学是谁吗？’但后来你意识到大学篮球有多重要。那是一个中立的场地，但人潮涌动。”
“我们击败了匹兹堡大学；那可是（马刺队友查尔斯·史密斯）的球队。他们是更好的种子选手。这是一个大冷门，我们只是沉浸在兴奋之中。我们想，‘这怎么可能？’”
“然后我们输给了堪萨斯州立大学。我想我们找回了一些面子，因为堪萨斯州立大学是最终的冠军。”
查尔斯·史密斯
在匹兹堡大学输给范德比尔特大学的比赛中，史密斯得到 21 分，至今仍记得当时的痛苦。
史密斯说：“是的，威尔和那些家伙。你在大学里有一些你珍视的时刻，还有一些其他时刻。那场比赛将永远铭刻在我的脑海中。”
“我们领先 3 分。我们所要做的就是对运球上场的那个人犯规。他本可以命中两个罚球，我们仍然会赢。我不知道发生了什么事；混乱发生在暂停时。”
“但他们命中三分球，进入加时赛，我们输了。我们一直期待与堪萨斯州立大学比赛，因为我们已经击败了他们。我们已经准备好比赛了。准备摇滚。但比赛就是这样——你时不时地会获得一次休息，或者没有机会。”
“锦标赛是一段美好的时光。NBA 的所有球员都在关注，这是展示你才华的时候。”
大卫·罗宾逊
罗宾逊在他1983-87 年的巡回演出中帮助海军进入了 NCAA 赛场，带领海军连续三次参加锦标赛。
他在他的最后一场大学比赛中得到 50 分——1987 年第一轮输给了密歇根大学。
在罗宾逊得到 22 分、9 个盖帽和 14 个篮板的情况下，海军在 1986 年东部地区半决赛中以 71-70 战胜了克利夫兰州立大学。杜克大学在区域决赛中以 71-50 击败了海军；罗宾逊得到 23 分和 10 个篮板。
罗宾逊说：“我们最重要的比赛是对阵雪城大学和密歇根大学。我在大四的时候在（承运人）圆顶里击败了雪城大学，然后我们输给了密歇根大学。”
“媒体平时不太关注我；我有点像海军学院的天然盾牌。所以当我们在比赛期间外出时，这很有趣。”
“我最激动的事情，浮现在我脑海中的，是我在 1986 年锦标赛中用最后一秒投篮击败了克利夫兰州立大学。但是，不，我从来不认为自己是将球队带入锦标赛的那个人。我是其中一个关键，但这是一场团队努力。我们有才华，我们配合得很好。”
经过比赛的考验
除了来自佐治亚州的的多米尼克·威尔金斯外，马刺当前名单上的每位球员都至少参加过一场 NCAA锦标赛比赛（前四强队伍：）
- 科里·亚历山大：弗吉尼亚大学 1993 年、1995 年
- 格雷格
点击查看原文：March Madness: `Nothing can compare to it' - San Antonians relive tourney memories
March Madness: `Nothing can compare to it’ - San Antonians relive tourney memories
Memories are going to be made during this week’s Midwest Regional games at the Alamodome.
The participants all will be gone by Sunday, some sent home involuntarily, some sent packing to prepare for the battles among the Final Four.
But moments during the games, sweet and sour, will be recalled in locker rooms, boardrooms, offices and homes for decades to come.
Nevil Shed
Shed, coordinator of intramural recreation at UTSA, was a member of one of the original Cinderella teams, Texas Western College. TWC (now UT-El Paso) stunned the world of college basketball by defeating Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky team that featured Pat Riley and Louis Dampier in the 1966 championship game.
Oh gosh, it's a good feeling every time I think of it,'' Shed said. When I go to tourneys and I’m wearing the ring, guys say, `Hey, he’s got one, he won it.’ Nobody can ever take that away from me.
``That one time, we took it to the limit and we won. People were saying, Wait 'til they play this team,' then, Wait ‘til they play this team.’ We were a little independent school, a real Cinderella team.
The school's initials were TWC and they called us the Texas Women's College, or Teeny Weeny College,'' Shed said with a laugh. Then we played Kentucky, a school that was used to going to tourneys, used to winning so much. The best feeling, I guess, was knowing that we had defeated Rupp’s team, a team of that caliber.‘’
TWC squeezed by Kansas (81-80) and Duke (85-79) before shocking Kentucky 72-65.
``Yeah, I was known as `The Shadow.’ Some guys said it was because I stuck to my man like his shadow. Some said it was because I was so skinny I didn’t cast a shadow.
``I prefer the first one,‘’ Shed said.
R.C. Buford
Buford was an assistant coach under Larry Brown at Kansas when the Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma for the title in 1988.
``I remember how every team we figured we couldn’t beat got beat before we played them,‘’ said Buford, later an Spurs assistant under Brown and now a Spurs scout.
``North Carolina State got beat by Murray State. Then we would have been scheduled to play Pittsburgh with Charles Smith, but they got beat by Vanderbilt. We were ready to play Purdue and they were upset by Kansas State in the semifinal, and Arizona got beat by Oklahoma in the first game of the Final Four.
Buford found his way back to the Final Four in 1994, when he was an assistant coach at Florida. Duke sent Buford and Florida home with a 70-65 decision in the semifinals.
During that game, I realized how great Grant Hill was,'' Buford said. He defeated us. He defended Craig Brown, who we thought could get a shot anywhere on the floor . . . but he couldn’t against Hill.‘’
Hill held Brown to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Buford left the tournament with strong impressions of Donyell Marshall.
We played Connecticut in the final eight, and Donny missed two free throw that could have won the game in regulation,'' Buford said. He kind of gave up in OT (Florida won 69-60), and I don’t think he’s recovered since. I think it affected his whole career.‘’
Sean Elliott
Elliott was named college player of the year in 1989 and guided Arizona to a Final Four appearance in 1988. He had 31 points in Arizona’s 86-78 loss to Oklahoma in the '88 semifinals, and scored 22 points when Arizona lost 68-67 to UNLV in the 1989 West Regional semifinals.
The tournament was one of the greatest experiences of my basketball career,'' Elliott said. We were on a mission in 1988. I was excited because we had played well all year and the atmosphere in the locker room after we earned the place in the Final Four was incredible.
``You know, I wish you hadn’t asked me about this. To this day, the guys talk about the loss. We beat everybody that year. Then we had one bad game and that was it. I still think we had the best team in the tournament. Larry Brown told me: `I didn’t want to play you guys.’
``Everytime I think about it, it hurts. That was our chance.‘’
Will Perdue
Perdue was in the pivot during Vanderbilt’s wild ride through the 1988 tournament. Vanderbilt upset Pittsburgh 80-74 in overtime in the second round and was defeated by Kansas 77-64 in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
I only dealt with it one time, during my senior year,'' Perdue says. Nothing can compare to it. The NBA Finals compares to it, but you don’t have that innocence involved.
``We played our first two games in Nebraska. It was unbelievable. We thought, `Do they even know who Vanderbilt is?’ But then you realize how big college basketball is. That was a neutral site, but it was packed.
``We beat Pittsburgh; that was (Spurs teammate Charles Smith’s) team. They were the better seed. That was a big upset and we just got caught up in all the excitement. We thought, `How is this possible?’
``Then we lost to Kansas. I guess we saved a little face, because Kansas was the eventual champion.‘’
Charles Smith
Smith had 21 points in Pitt’s loss to Vanderbilt and still recalls the anguish of the time.
``Yeah, Will and those guys. You have moments you cherish in college, and then those other moments. That game will always stick in my mind.
``We were up by three points. All we had to do was foul the guy bringing the ball up the floor. He could have hit two free throws and we still would have won. I don’t know what happened; there was mayhem in the huddle.
``But they hit the three-pointer to put it into overtime and we lost. And we were looking forward to playing Kansas because we had beaten them. We were ready to roll. To rock. But that’s how those tournaments go - you get a break here and there or you don’t.
``The tournament is a great time. All the guys in the NBA are watching and it’s a time to showcase your talent.‘’
David Robinson
Robinson helped put Navy on the NCAA map during his 1983-87 tour, leading the Midshipmen to three straight tournament appearances.
He scored 50 points in his final college game, a first-round loss to Michigan in 1987.
Navy beat Cleveland State 71-70 in the 1986 East Regional semifinal behind Robinson’s 22 points, nine blocks and 14 rebounds. Duke stopped Navy 71-50 in the regional final; Robinson had 23 points and 10 rebounds.
``Our biggest games were against Syracuse and Michigan. We beat Syracuse in the (Carrier) Dome during my senior year and then we lost to Michigan,‘’ Robinson said.
``The media attention usual wasn’t that great on me; I kind of had the natural shield of the Naval Academy. So it was kind of fun when we went out during the tournaments.
``My biggest thrill, the one that comes to mind, was my shot in the final seconds that beat Cleveland State during the 1986 tourney. But, no, I never felt at all that I was the one bringing the team to the tournaments. I was a key part, but it was a team effort. We had talent and we played well together.‘’
- - -
Tournament tested
Every player on the current Spurs roster -except Dominique Wilkins of Georgia -played in at least one NCAA Tournament game (x-Final Four team):
- Cory Alexander: Virginia '93, '95
- Greg Anderson: Houston '84-x, '87
- Vinny Del Negro: North Carolina State '85, '86, '87, '88
- Sean Elliott: Arizona '86, '87, '88-x, '89
- Jamie Feick: Michigan State '94, '95
- Carl Herrera: Houston '90
- Avery Johnson: Southern '87, '88
- Vernon Maxwell: Florida '87, '88
- Will Perdue: Vanderbilt '88
- Chuck Person: Auburn '84, '85, '86
- David Robinson: Navy '85, '86, '87
- Charles Smith: Pittsburgh '85, '87, '88
- Monty Williams: Notre Dame '90
By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News