UCLA released their 2007-2008 basketball schedule and I was disappointed to learn that UH was not on it.There has been a major push from UH and some UCLA alums to have the schools play each other on the 40th anniversary of the game that changed college basketball forever either at the Dome or Reliant Stadium, which will be the site of the 2011 Final Four.
Before January 20, 1968 you didn't have college basketball games, be they regular or postseason, televised nationally or played in domed stadiums. The NCAA Tournament in those days only invited 24 teams not 65. And we don't have a dynasty in our era that even comes close to the John Wooden-era UCLA Bruins.
At the time they played my alma mater in the Astrodome they were 18-0, the defending national champions, just beginning a streak of seven straight national championships, were ranked number one in the nation, were on a 47 game winning streak and had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) occupying the middle of a devastating team that included Lynn Shackelford and Mike Warren (of Hill Street Blues fame.)
My Coogs weren't kitty litter either. They were 13-0 and ranked number two in the nation. We countered the UCLA juggernaut with legendary coach Guy V. Lewis, future NBA Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes, Don Chaney and 1968 Olympian Ken Spain at center. The Coogs also had a 48 game home winning streak of their own to protect in addition to wanting to avenge the 1967 NCAA tournament semifinal beatdown they took at UCLA's hands.
In front of a then record basketball crowd of 52,693 and a nationally televised audience Elvin Hayes scored 39 points to help the Cougars upset mighty UCLA 71-69. That win cemented the University of Houston's status as a basketball powerhouse and elevated Guy Lewis stature as well. It's still a mystery to me why Guy V. Lewis, a man with 592 career wins, who coached in 5 Final Fours (with two of them being title games in 1983-1984) and who integrated college basketball in Texas and the South as well ISN'T in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.
What many Cougar alums were hoping was to see a replay of that game at the Dome on the 40th anniversary of what's come to be known as 'The Game of the Century'. We wanted it to happen while many of the key participants such as coach Wooden, coach Lewis and many of the players were still alive to be a part of it. Tom Penders and the folks at UH are willing and eager to play the game. The resistance is allegedly coming from UCLA's coach Ben Howland.It's sad because this would definitely be a great way to mark a historical milestone in men's college basketball. Without this game, you don't have national TV contracts, March Madness, domed-sized crowds at NCAA tournament games, et cetera. It's an irritant to UH alums that UCLA is playing Texas as part of the Big 12-Pac 10 Challenge, and UT doesn't come close to having the basketball history and tradition that we have. Texas just happen to be on a cycle where they've built up a good program right now (with Houston area talent) and UH is coming out of the post-legendary coach funk that UCLA experienced after John Wooden retired.
UH has signed some great recruits, has starters coming back from the team that fell to Memphis in the C-USA tournament championship game and has a three year starter in Lamar Smith coming back. Maybe Ben Howland is 'scurred' of another Cougar upset of UCLA ;)
Here's hoping that Coach Howland changes his mind and adds that game to his UCLA Bruin schedule.