Now that we are headed to MSG, someone wrote an article about our 1978^ that won the NIT. Will give you a good feel for how much fun Abe Lemons was as Texas coach
1978 NIT-Abe Lemons & Texas Take Manhattan
".... 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.”