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1978 NIT-Abe Lemons & Texas Take Manhattan

Goo Punch

By Goo Punch
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Goo Punch

Goo Punch 4275

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My dad wrote this piece for Barking Carnival a couple of days ago. Enjoy: 

https://www.barkingcarnival.com/platform/amp/2019/3/29/18287331/1978-nit-abe-lemons-texas-take-manhattan

 

 

I haven’t paid much attention to any NIT game that didn’t have Texas in it, but I must admit I did watch the North Carolina St. – Lipscomb contest. I was pulling for N.C. State since a Wolfpack win might have given us a “Time is a Flat Circle” ending for this year’s tournament.

 
41 years ago, Texas ran past N.C. State 101-93 to win the 1978 NIT Championship. It was a big deal back then, and it was an entertaining run, thanks to an iconic coach and a grab bag group of players who loved playing for him.

Leon Black, as decent a man as you will find, was the coach for Texas in the mid-70’s. He got tired of programs playing fast and loose with the rules. When he turned in Texas A&M for recruiting violations, he was outed (he readily admitted to it) and was vilified as a snitch.

Black decided that he would quit coaching and let Darrell Royal hire someone to take Texas into the next phase of the program as the new Erwin Center was close to completion.

 

Royal hired Abe Lemons, known for winning at smaller programs and for being the most quotable coach in the game. Abe danced to the beat of his own drummer. Lemons was coaching down in Edinburg at Pan-American when Royal called to offer the job. Abe returned the call from a truck stop in Oklahoma.

Lemons first road game as the Texas coach was another example of his style. The Horns were visiting Mississippi State. The host Bulldogs were given a technical foul for a player dunking during warm-ups. Abe hated the rule, so instructed Jim Krivacs – a 90% free throw shooter, to try them with his back to the basket.

Texas lost 91-89.

“Where? In the State?” (Abe when asked if his 2nd team had Top 20 potential)

Texas ended that first season with a 13-13 mark, but Leon Black left Abe 3 players he believed in and Abe added two more to head into the 1977-78 campaign. It was an interesting mix of players. They consisted of a true NBA point guard, a 6-7 center and three guys who looked like they made the wrong turn on their way to a YMCA 3-on-3 tournament.

 

Johnny Moore, Jr. Guard – Moore arrived on campus as a skinny 17-year old from Altoona PA. He was headed to Providence when Black saw him at the Dapper Dan Classic and offered. Moore grew 2 inches and gained 15 pounds his first year on campus as he started every game of his 4-year career. Abe turned him into a point guard (Moore was reluctant at first) and he was a five-tool player. He and T.J. Ford are the two best guards I have ever seen in the burnt orange & white.

Jim Krivacs, Jr. Guard – Krivacs transferred in from Auburn with 3 years of eligibility. An Indiana HS gym rat, Krivacs was in “go mode” stepping across mid-court, and that was just fine with Abe. Krivacs scored 1,673 points at Texas and there is little doubt that if the 3-point line had been in place he would at or near the top of all-time scorers for the program. Krivacs, a Southport Ind. native, in is the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gary Goodner, Sr. Center – 6-7 enforcer, looked like a TE/H-back of today and was just as physical. Abe would post him out well above the circle to screen and pass to other players. Great rebounder.

 

Abe brought in a couple of players from California, who didn’t exactly look the part.

Ron Baxter, Soph. Forward – Ron, listed at 6-5, 205 ( a weight he had last seen about the age of 14) was from Los Angeles (Dorsey HS). Baxter used his frame to punish inside (916 rebound) and averaged double figures in points each of his 4 seasons. He was a helluva lot quicker than his size would predict and was a terror on the press.

Tyrone Branyan, Jr. Forward – A 6-7, 220 transfer from Cali with the name of Tyrone might conjure up an image that did not fit reality. Lemons offered him a schollie sight unseen. He had been recommended by a former college teammate of Royal’s. Abe contacted Branyan’s JC Coach who gave him a glowing report.

Only after offering did Abe send Asst. Coach Barry Dowd out to see him play. Dowd called in and Abe said, “Well?”

 

Dowd responded. “Picture a pasty-faced kid with a roll of baby fat who looks like he has never seen the sun. He can’t run. He can’t jump. He releases his shot at chest level.”

Abe had a few choice words and then Dowd responded, “Now picture him with 24 points, 17 rebounds and the MVP trophy from the championship game.” 

Branyan shows up and Dowd was true to his word. It took Tyrone all of pre-season and several games to into “game” shape. I was Sports Director at KTBC-TV and had season tickets. My then-child bride was a big basketball fan and while I was on press row, she was getting an earful from a loud fan behind her who thought Tyrone had broken several “truth in advertising” laws. Every time Ty would make a mistake, he would bellow his displeasure.

 

Betsy had enough. When Tyrone finally made a play, she stood up, cheered, turn around, glared at the offending fan and said,

“He’s my brother1” 

“I play my regulars; the only way a guy gets off the floor is if he dies.”

Funny Line. Only Abe wasn’t kidding. That team averaged 84 points a game, and the starting five accounted for 75. They shot 49% from the field and 79% from the line. After an opening loss at Southern Cal, the Horns won 16 out of their next 17 games with the one loss being to #5 Marquette. They split with #2 Arkansas and tied with the Razorbacks for the title with 14-2 marks. Back then the SWC post-season really mattered, since the NCAA only took 32 teams into the tournament.

”It was the toughest seven-man zone we faced all year.”

The SWC was expected to get only two teams into the NCAA’s. Arkansas, a Top 10 team all season, was a lock. Texas needed to at least get to the finals against Arkansas to seal up a bid. They faced Houston in the semis, and it was a bitter contest that believe it or not, had both coaches bitching at the refs about calls. Finally, Abe had enough. As the head ref passed the bench, he gave him the universal choke sign, and he was tossed. Houston won 92-90 and got the automatic berth.

 

Houston was blown out by Notre Dame 100-77 in the first round of the NCAA’s. After Texas won the NIT Lemons joked that maybe he should send the ref from the SWC tournament game a basket of fruit to thank him for not sending Texas to that fate.

“When the other team sees our guys, they’re so busy giggling they can’t play,”

The video of the championship game against N.C. State is posted below. It is worth the look for so many reasons, not the least of which are the commercials. But take a look at the introduction of the starting lineups. The Wolfpack players look the part, and Texas, well, looked like Texas. I saw this repeated time after time that year. Teams would come out for the tip, take a look at Texas and you could see wheels spinning in their minds. “We got this.”

Until the ball went up.

Texas cruised through the first two rounds of the NIT with home wins over Temple and Nebraska by a combined 33 points. Then it was on to New York where the Horns would play Rutgers while Georgetown and North Carolina State met in the other semifinal.

 

”We were living on $15 a day in New York, if you can believe that. Two eggs a la carte were $6.95. Nothing with them. So, I called the waiter over and asked to see the chicken. ‘What for?’ he asks. I told him I wanted to see the chicken that lays $6.95 eggs.” (Abe on the high cost of living in the big city)

Over 18,500 were in Madison Square Garden for the Semis. Clyde Austin hit a 35-foot desperation heave at the buzzer in overtime to moved N.C. State past Georgetown 86-85.

Texas meanwhile manhandled Rutgers 96-76. Krivacs & Baxter combined to hit 14-18 from the field in the first half as the Horns shot 57% for the game.

 

In the championship contest, that duo combined for 59 points as Texas was never really challenged after jumping out to a 14-5 lead.

As you may have noticed I haven’t spent a lot of time on particular games from this season. Didn’t see the point, since the team was so much more interesting.

One final story. The four squads were going through media day/practice in Madison Square Garden. Georgetown’s John Thompson was standing with Abe, watching Texas go through some drills.

 

Thompson (pointing at Baxter): “Who’s the fat kid?”

Lemons: “My best player.”

Thompson: “I assumed it was either that or he is your bastard son.”

“Finish last in your league and they call you an idiot. Finish last in medical school and they call you Doctor.”

Winning is good. You keep score for a reason. But the older I get, scores fade into the background. Plays and players stand out. Memories matter. Relationship matters.

I saw Ron Baxter just last week at the Johnny “Lam” Jones memorial service. I have to say Ron is closer to his playing weight than 90% of those in attendance.

 

We didn’t spend more than 2 or 3 minutes talking but both of us were smiling the whole time. We don’t see each other except in an occasional social situation. But there is an instant connection just because of shared experiences, and isn’t that what sports is all about?

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Horn80

Horn80 6123

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I attended UT during Abe’s period, hence my handle Horn80.  Couple of things that I recall from the NIT Championship game is that Texas scored numerous points on very long passes almost the entire length of the court for easy buckets.   It happened enough times that NC State was embrassed.  Also, tha t was a good description of Tyrone Branyan, Jr except he even looked more awkward on the court and can be imagined but he was very good player.  Use to watch him play and just shake my head about how someone like that could be such a good player.  It was truly amazing to watch him.

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Deej

Deej 76796

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I loved Abe and those teams. We had front row season tickets from the time they opened The Drum, and I was a ball boy for a few of those years. My dad used to take the guys on the team fishing and every year, we'd have a fish fry for the team with everything they'd caught. Fond memories of playing basketball in the driveway with a lot of those guys.

Johnny Moore will always be one of my favorite people in life. Great man. He always seemed to be around when I was growing up, even after he'd moved on from UT. Went to SA when they retired his number, and he saw me, came over, shook my hand, and gave me a hug as he left the court.

Thanks for sharing that. Fond memories.

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realgreggym

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A couple of comments. First, Coach Black didn't snitch. When Godine and Williams came in for their official visit, they were told that they were going to be investigated to make sure that wherever they went, it was a clean recruitment. Belcher who was part of the trio came to Texas and he was still investigated. If these kids were stupid enough to take stuff anyway, they got what they deserved. Coach Black was vilified in the media because those idiots didn't know the real story.

 

As far as leaving coaching, I don't know how true that was. It had as much if not more to do with the fact that DKR treated the bball program like crap and nothing more than an inconvenience to his football team. 

RIP Goodner.

Abe's refusal to use his bench much cost us dearly when Wacker got hurt. That was a final 4 team but the only bench player that saw much action was Montgomery who I think transferred from NC State. He could shoot but he wasn't that athletic otherwise. He became the 5th starter and it went down hill from there.  

The reason that Junior was headed to Providence and I believe that was before the Big East was formed was because that was his only real offer. If I remember correctly, his other offer was from the U of Indiana at Pennsylvania and that was because his brother went there. The larger point is that many of these "stars" that kids get mean little. If I am not mistaken, Johnny is still the all time assists per game leader for the Spurs and its a shame that his career was cut short. Don't sweat the stars nonsense.

Most people didn't know that Krivacs was a transfer from Auburn when I think that Sonny Smith was their coach. Also, after the 3 point line was instituted, coaches started adjusting to it. Not Abe. He was actually running a 3 point offense before it actually existed.

Finally, derka, the reason that I jump on you is because I knew your Dad and you had opportunities that very few fans had. You should know how hard these kids work and most fans don't.

You should also recognize that coaches get too much credit and too much blame. There is no problem being critical but you should be smarter than most posters. I hope your Dad is well. 

Thanks for posting. It fun to remember the past.

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El Squared

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Can’t believe how hard I was laughing at all those full court passes that burned NC State throughput the game that they never really adjusted to. Just so unexpected at first. Almost felt sorry for the Wolfpack. Almost.

the NIT wasn’t the joke it is today.

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LTtxfan

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Also on that NIT Squad:  Ovie Dotson was really athletic but out of control.  John Danks provided necessary minutes from the bench, and Mike Murphy was a local Austin hero that unfortunately never lived up to his potential at Texas.

Buddy of mine loved Ron Baxter because he was a football type of player who played basketball.  The year following the NIT season, we witnessed Baxter damn near send a guy to the hospital on a drive to the basket .... Ron's shoulder hit the guy's jaw and it sounded like a baseball bat smacked the poor defenders face......

Johnny Moore during that time period was every bit as quick and talented as TJ Ford.... very underrated.  Had Johnny not contracted an unusual illness called "Desert Fever" during his time in the NBA,  the Spurs might have won a Championship sooner and Johnny's NBA career would have been longer.  The Spurs did retire Johnny's "00" number which still hangs in the rafters today in San Antonio.

Below is an article that includes info on Johnny and his rare and mysterious disease "Desert Fever".  At the time, the only treatment for the disease he had contracted was a drug administered through a hole drilled into his skull.

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-Where-Are-They-Now-Johnny-Moore-7240375.php

 

Edited by LTtxfan
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Armybrat

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1 hour ago, Goo Punch said:

Mike Murphy was my HS coach and our district rivals Round Rock featured John Danks Jr as one of their many baseball studs from that time. 

Mike Murphy was one of my students at Porter Jr. High (1969-1970) he was about 6’2” or 6’3” then. Nice kid.

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Goo Punch

Goo Punch 4275

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One day during practice Coach Murphy was getting upset with some players for not making shots while we were scrimmaging, so he subbed out one of our best players for himself, and proceeded to nail four consecutive shots from about 27 feet. He literally just stood on the one spot, demanded the ball, and swished four consecutive shots from a mile away, then just glared at us and walked off the court. 

Edited by Goo Punch
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Valmy77

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2 hours ago, realgreggym said:

A couple of comments. First, Coach Black didn't snitch. When Godine and Williams came in for their official visit, they were told that they were going to be investigated to make sure that wherever they went, it was a clean recruitment. Belcher who was part of the trio came to Texas and he was still investigated. If these kids were stupid enough to take stuff anyway, they got what they deserved. Coach Black was vilified in the media because those idiots didn't know the real story.

Wait so somebody was breaking the rules and the whistle blower got destroyed in the media? You see it is garbage like this that killed the SWC.

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realgreggym

realgreggym 835

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4 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Wait so somebody was breaking the rules and the whistle blower got destroyed in the media? You see it is garbage like this that killed the SWC.

No. These 3 kids knew that they were being investigated to make sure that their recruitment was clean.  That's a problem for you?  Thats not what killed the SWC. It was television because of the demographics of the conference and then the pigs left.  SMU was a gazillion times worse.

BTW, the media disliked Coach Black because he was honest and wouldn't play games. 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49188

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52 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Mike Murphy was one of my students at Porter Jr. High (1969-1970) he was about 6’2” or 6’3” then. Nice kid.

Armybrat:

You probably know these 3 guys who played basketball with Mike:  Burt Burrows, Art Miles,  Steve Weber??

 

 

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realgreggym

realgreggym 835

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1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

As a recovering journalist, this last comment makes no sense.

Braff, the media didn't like him and they did everything they could to hurt the program. For example using this example, the late .Anita Martini did an interview with Godine when he was in a hospital with a bad sore throat. She did so because she wanted to make Coach Black look bad by investigating this poor innocent black child. The next day, I called her show and made her look foolish. Last time that I have called a radio show. The point is that for some reason, much of the media didn't like him. And he was honest to a fault.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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orangecat92

orangecat92 306

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Good piece.  Abe’s personality overshadowed his b-ball genius, the matchup zone.  Imo, the most underrated part of his coaching talent was recruiting.  LaSalle Thompson and Wacker on the same team, at Texas?  Maybe at a basketball school, but not here.  Without the Waco disaster, who knows how far that team would have gone?

 

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Deej

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1 hour ago, markstanco said:

How was the nit a big thing back then? Does that take away from all those UCLA titles? I know the nit was at a time bigger than the ncaa tourney but not sure of the timeline on it.

Serious question.

Only 32 teams in the NCAA tourney, at the time. A lot of quality teams leftover for the NIT. 

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Underdog

Underdog 28647

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57 minutes ago, Deej said:

Only 32 teams in the NCAA tourney, at the time. A lot of quality teams leftover for the NIT. 

Marquette accepted an NIT bid because AM didn’t like where the NCAA was placing them in the tournament, so he turned that bid down.   That ‘78 season may have been the first NIT to have campus games.  When UK won it in ‘76, all games were at the Garden(watched UK play Niagara in the opener). 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49188

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More Abe quotes:  

  • "Damn referees, I'll miss them less than anybody."  🤘 
  • "Doctors bury their mistakes, but mine are still on scholarship."
  • "Coaches who shoot par in the summer are the guys I want on my schedule in the winter."
  • "There are really only two plays: Romeo and Juliet, and put the darn ball in the basket."
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NowThis

NowThis 931

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Texas Longhorns (Southwest Conference) (1976–1982)
1976–77 Texas 13–13 8–8 T–4th  
1977–78 Texas 26–5 14–2 T–1st NIT Champion
1978–79 Texas 21–8 13–3 T–1st NCAA Division I Second Round
1979–80 Texas 19–11 10–6 3rd NIT Second Round
1980–81 Texas 15–15 7–9 T–6th  
1981–82 Texas 16–11 6–10 T–7th  
Texas: 110–63 (.636) 58–38 (.604)

 

not a bad record considering football got all the attention

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