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• Can someone fill me in as to why we would honor that team? (NT) -- Air Hej '02, Sat March 19, 2005 10:27:37
  • You have your answers below, HJ02. We were also a top-10 team that ran through what would become the Big East. We also won our touney games at St. John's, who sat home that year! Better question is, why NOT honor that team, Charlie Y, and Kenny Charles?!?! (NT) -- RAMpage '95, Sat March 19, 2005 13:30:10
    • meant "HEJ 02" my bad! (NT) -- RAMpage '95, Sat March 19, 2005 13:32:08

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• The '71 team was arguably he best in Fordham history. They played great team ball at the same time the Knicks were winning NBA championships with the same kind of play. The '71 Rams captured the City's enthuisiasm and filled the garden with around 19,000 fans twice at the end of the season with games against Marquette and Notre Dame, before they went to the NCAAs. They captured the media with their gritty play There were several stellar players on the team Yelverton, Charles (NBA), Sullivan and several who were excellent role players. Any Fordham basketball fan today should want to pay respect to the '71 team as an example of Fordham's potential. Digger is another matter, he ran out on Fordham go Kelly greener pastures ignoring the potential, or maybe recognizing his inability to recruit in NYC. Digger never won a major title in his coaching career. (NT) -- LXRF, Sat March 19, 2005 11:24:31
  • Did we win any games in the NCAAs that year? (NT) -- Air Hej '02, Sat March 19, 2005 11:38:03
    • Great 26-3 Fordham Team -- FordhamFan'59, Sat March 19, 2005 12:19:25
    • Great 26-3 Fordham Team -- FordhamFan'59, Sat March 19, 2005 12:20:34

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• Honor the team. Even invite Digger. We'll seem magnanimous if we do (and we'll set to rest a 35 year old resentment). Digger would look small if he turned down the invite. The publicity would be huge and national. Retire Charlie Yelverton and Ken Charles' numbers. Do it right. (NT) -- John, Sat March 19, 2005 14:05:13
  • Maybe ESPN Classic can do their Wednesday night "Old School" game from Rose Hill on the night we honor the team and have Digger there - what's more Old School than RHG?? (NT) -- FU91, Tue March 22, 2005 14:13:07

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• The team beat Southern Conference Champion Furman 105-74 at St. John's - Yelverton had 30. Played in the Eastern Regional at N.C. - Lost to Villanova (which had to forfeit tournament play later after losing in the National Championship game) - Yelverton had 32. Beat #7 ranked South Caroline in the Consolation game 100-90 after being down 13-0. Set the NCAA tournament record for free throw % in a tournament game (22-22). Charles had 22; Burik & Mainor had 23 and Yelvertonhad 25. Bet you wish you had been there ! Any other ??? (NT) -- Hatman '71, Sat March 19, 2005 15:31:59
  • Since Villanova was DQ'd, Fordham became the regional runner-up. I'm confident that Fordham team was our best ever. (NT) -- Ramses, Sat March 19, 2005 23:47:57
  • Since Villanova was DQ'd, Fordham became the regional runner-up. I'm confident that Fordham team was our best ever. (NT) -- Ramses, Sat March 19, 2005 23:48:32

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• Air Hej '02, your question was in jest, right? (NT) -- RAM71, Sat March 19, 2005 16:47:49
  • Why would it be in jest? The guy graduated 02 so he obviously does not remember the team. They were a great team, but to one that does not know the history they look like a team that made the NCAA and only won one game. It is not initially clearly obvious that the team was ranked #7 at one point, that they only lost 3 games and that they finished 3rd in the Eastern Regional. Winning one game back then was much bigger than it is now since only 32 teams went to the tournament. I think they may deserve to be honored, but it does go to show how weak a history we really have. I know we have had some good teams, but the most we have won in one year in either the NIT or NCAA is one game (if you do not count that 71 consolation game). That is really not too much to hang your hat on in my opinion. (NT) -- JóDete93, Sun March 20, 2005 00:10:30
    • JoDete, it was even more impressive than that. Only 25 teams were invited to the 1971 NCAA Tournament. The East Regionals had 7 teams, and every other regional had six teams. In each regional but the East, two teams received byes into the second round, and the first round consisted of two games. In the East, one team received a first-round bye, and three first-round games were played. Thus, the first round eliminated nine teams, paring the field down to 16. After winning the East's consolation game, we finished third in the East out of seven teams. Because the Villanova team was later disqualified, we became the Eastern Regional runner-up. (NT) -- JoltinJoe, Sun March 20, 2005 08:23:25
      • I thought perhaps it was not a 32 team field yet at that point, but was not sure. Knowing that it was 25 teams instead of 32 does not change how impressive it was though. I know this will insult a lot of people and I am not trying to say that this was not a great team, but I think people on this board make way too big a deal over this one year. I would love for Fordham to honor them b/c, although we should always be proud, we cannot continue to hang on to that one year the way so many here do. (NT) -- JóDete93, Sun March 20, 2005 09:39:45

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• Get in touch with Frank. He will postpone the 35th anniversary for a couple of years, so he can continue to do NOTHING! (NT) -- Former Ram, Sat March 19, 2005 19:27:59

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• That's an excellent idea, Dogbite, and, a possible money maker, if handled correctly. The powers that be, would have to get the roundball rollin' right now, if this event is to be properly advertised, promoted, and, presented. A detailed commemorative volume, documenting the 1971 team, with all of its many accomplishments, including: loads o' photos, all the box scores, newspaper articles, player profiles, and, stats, what they did after they left Rose Hill, as well as what they're doin' now, might be put together by the Sports Editor of The Ram. The epic tome could then be distributed to the faithful, for a few bucks over cost, and would be destined to become a collector's item. This forum could solicit possible titles for the project. Let's see if Tubby Tom can really do something positive and productive, instead of walkin' around on campus, with his tail between his legs for the next eighteen months. (NT) -- Bronx Boy, Sun March 20, 2005 04:02:15
  • Bronx Boy, enough with the insults to Tom. Completely unsolicited and uncalled for. Grow up! (NT) -- JóDete93, Sun March 20, 2005 09:41:36
    • JD, I'm not attackin' Tom, I'm tryin' to give him a way out, give him some credibility, and ultimately, help him salvage his job. I was soliciting feedback re: the concept of a 1971 commemorative volume. Instead of commenting on the suggestion, you chose to murder the messenger and ignore the message. This is reminiscent of your actions at the RHG durin' the game with Duquesne, when we witnessed a "laying on of hands' by "Father Joe". You and your partner in crime, known around these parts, as "The Rose Hill Strangler", may well constitute a danger to themselves and to others, and you have the temerity to advise me to grow up ? That's like the owl tellin' the sparrow he's got a big head ! Admonitions aside, you and RB share a wealth of information concerning the history of the 1971 team. Help Tom in the gathering of this material, and look into getting it published. That's movin' in a positive direction, and will put coin into the coffers. (NT) -- Bronx Boy, Mon March 21, 2005 17:41:32

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• Back in 1991, prior to a game at the Garden (perhaps against Dayton), a reception arranged jointly by the Athletic Department and the Alumni Office, was held on the 2nd floor of a bar near MSG to commemorate the 20th Anniversary. I'm sure Julio Diaz will remember and could provide some input. I had the privilege of interviewing Charlie Yelverton (albeit in the bathroom, the only quiet spot in the whole place) for a piece on FUV, and never met a classier individual. (NT) -- D-No93, Sun March 20, 2005 14:12:20
  • There was a reception before the '91 Dayton game at MSG. I believe it was at Runyon's. (NT) -- TrentonRam, Sun March 20, 2005 23:09:10

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• It's understandable that current students and younger alums would say "Enough Already!" to us old grads reminiscing about the '70-71 team. Yet, you truly had to be there to understand the excitement which that '70-71 basketball team generated. They had nowhere near the height, muscle, or talent that many of our opponents had; they started off ranked something like 125 in the pre-season polls; but they ultimately played their way into the top ten through sheer guts and hustle. In two successive weeks in '71, they brought 19,500 fans to MSG--first to see us beat Notre Dame and then to see us lose an overtime heart-breaker to second-ranked Marquette. Charley Yelverton captured the City's imagination, holding ND's Adrian Dantley in check in the first game, and alternately covering Marquette's Dean Meminger, and Jim Chones in the second one (as I recall, Charley repeatedly rejected shots by Chones who was a good 10 inches taller). More.... (NT) -- Ram'69, Sun March 20, 2005 14:59:49
  • ....Believe it or not, the noise level in MSG for those games rivalled that in the RHG. Some people on this board ask whether we can capture St. John's supposed position as "NYC's college team." Back in '71, nobody was even talking about St. John's. What they were talking about was how an upstart team of true student-athletes was playing basketball as exciting as the Knicks'--and that during a time when the Knicks were playing championship-caliber basketball. Who cares if St. John's ducks us? It's just one more indication of that program's degraded status. The future belongs to Fordham, if we have the good sense to keep building on what we've achieved so far. Yes, we should honor that '70-71 Fordham team for what it accomplished, and (if we have any class at all) we'll do so next season. But this shouldn't just be an exercise in nostalgia. That team's success should be a model and a challenge to us today--reminding us not just where we've been, but where we can go from here. (NT) -- Ram'69, Sun March 20, 2005 15:45:23
    • A great post. You're right - it makes no difference that St. John's is ducking us. We need to chart our own course & stick with it until we have a program that competes at the highest level year in and year out. The problem we had in not being able to sustain the '71 success was there was no program infrastructure to build on. It was like a house of cards - Ed Conlin recruited the players on a shoestring budget using guile, hard work & charm. Digger came in & made the team into a machine that could beat just about anybody in the country, & NY adopted us as it's "home town team". All of NY was talking about the Rams, from cabdrivers to CEO's. Then Digger left, a bad hire decision was made, the budget remained at the shoestring level, & we had arguably the toughest schedule in the country. It just fell apart. This time we need to make sure the foundation's built & sustained. Fordham can be much better than St. John's - we just need the right leadership & institutional support. (NT) -- Rambacker, Sun March 20, 2005 22:17:48
      • Ram'69 and Rambacker--Excellent posts which show the relevance of Fordham's past to our present and future. Like Digger, Whit knows how to turn a team around, and how to inspire young people. BUT (and this is the million dollar question) will Whit follow Digger's bad example and leave us for a "bigger" program as soon as we've built up a head of steam? Some people (see posts above) seem to think that it is only a matter of time until he leaves Rose Hill for NC State or some such place. (NT) -- Nervous Nelly, Mon March 21, 2005 15:26:16
        • New York is the biggest stage for success on our planet. If Fordham makes it worthwhile for DW to stay, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of institutional support, there will be no reason for him to leave. And if he still does, if we do those things, the job will be very attractive for another outstanding coach to step in and continue to build on our success. It's all about if Fordham as an institution wants to make it happen. Let's hope Fr. McShane understands that. (NT) -- Rambacker, Mon March 21, 2005 22:30:00
        • I don't know DW's inclinations, but I think it's wrong to assume that he's inevitably going to walk out on us. From a distance, it would seem that Fordham is in fact a pretty good fit for him. Located in the basketball and media capital of the world, Fordham is a respected academic university where his no-nonsense approach is appreciated. He doesn't have to cater to "stars" with an attitude, or ride herd on potential felons--as he might have to at some big basketball schools. If DW keeps getting support from the Fordham community; if we pay him what he's worth; and if we provide him the resources he needs, maybe he'll see Fordham not as a stepping-stone, but as a place to have a long and satisfying career. (NT) -- Ram'69, Tue March 22, 2005 18:04:57
          • Well said. I think that could be a realistic scenario, but we need to start planning for a convocations center fairly soon if it's to happen. As much as I love the old gym, I doubt if he will stick around to play in the RHG for the long term. We need to deal with this reality. He is a big time coach - if we want to compete on the national stage, we need to do this right. (NT) -- Rambacker, Tue March 22, 2005 18:24:44
            • Right on target. With all the freshmen, DW likes the intimacy of the RHG. Eventually, though, he (and most of us) will want an arena more appropriate to a program on the rise. We should start soon on the planning (albeit long-term) for a new on-campus arena. (NT) -- Ram'69, Tue March 22, 2005 22:26:54
          • The RHG was an issue when Digger Phelps left Fordham back in '71. After being planned as a major intercollegiate arena, the Lombardi Center was downgraded to what it is today. Digger probably would have left for ND anyway, but the refusal to build a better facility certainly reinforced his decision to leave. Here we are 24 years later, and the RHG is still an issue. I love the place, and I'll admit it is an exciting venue to see a game. But if we intend to be taken seriously on the national level, we must build an arena that is appropriate to that level of competition. Wouldn't it be ironic if the administration's reluctance to build a new gym again contributes to a good coach's leaving us. Will we ever learn? (NT) -- JCC, Wed March 23, 2005 14:01:19
            • Woops! Make that: "34 YEARS LATER!" (NT) -- JCC, Wed March 23, 2005 14:17:08
              • It is amazing that it's still an issue today after all this time. History seems to repeat itself at Fordham when it comes to athletics. Let's hope the McShane era is different. (NT) -- Rambacker, Wed March 23, 2005 16:00:04