Some argue that March 14, 1981, and not the Magic-Bird final two years earlier, is the day that really launched March Madness (see link below). I don’t disagree. And it was my privilege to be in the Erwin Center for this one, with a largely useless camera hanging around my neck on the baseline. I got some shots, but not THE shot. My friend James Smith took the one you see here. He was sitting about three feet from me.
I remember that game like it was yesterday. My wife & I were watching on TV. Both of us sick because we’d out-played UL, but they took the one-point lead with only 5 seconds to go. We knew it was over & we had lost. Then that shot…
I remember we both jumped out of our seats & began jumping & hollering. It has to be one of the greatest moments in Razorback history in any sport.
I understand EOE plans to build a new on-campus arena soon and tear down the Erwin Center, which will become the site of a building in their new medical center. Too bad from our standpoint. A lot of good Razorback history in that building. We are 6-0 in NCAA tournament games there (and all six were nailbiters). U.S. from Halfcourt. Strollin’ with Nolan. Syracuse’s extra time out.
Every time that US Reed shot is mentioned it warms my heart! What a game!
The Syracuse extra time out still burns. The hogs may able to make some more history this year!
I was sitting in the Managers office at Weingarten’s in Pine Bluff. When he hit the shot I started screaming. US Reeds high school coach (Jerry Rook) was a friend of mine. At noon Jerry gathered a number of local businessmen would go to the PB gym and play basketball. We called it noon ball. After noon ball one day me and Jerry tried to make the US Reed shot repeatedly. Jerry insisted he taught him that shot.
US is one of my all time favoriite Hog basketball players.
That shot lead to me seeing my first ever NCAA game. Docestes was in college in Fayetteville and, if I remember it right, his mom told him he could head to New Orleans if he took his little brother and a friend. I was that friend. Good Times