The 1980–81 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Don Monson and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.
| 1980–81 Idaho Vandals men's basketball | |
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| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Record | 25–4 (12–2 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
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| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Kibbie Dome |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho † | 12 | – | 2 | .857 | 25 | – | 4 | .862 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana | 11 | – | 3 | .786 | 19 | – | 9 | .679 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montana State | 11 | – | 3 | .786 | 16 | – | 11 | .593 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 6 | – | 8 | .429 | 12 | – | 14 | .462 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nevada | 5 | – | 9 | .357 | 11 | – | 15 | .423 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 5 | – | 9 | .357 | 8 | – | 19 | .296 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boise State | 4 | – | 10 | .286 | 7 | – | 19 | .269 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 2 | – | 12 | .143 | 8 | – | 17 | .320 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † Big Sky Conference tournament winner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho won its first eleven games (including road wins at Nebraska, Washington State, and Gonzaga), went 23–3 in the regular season, and won the Big Sky Conference regular season championship, their first conference title in 58 years.[1]
The Vandals' 12–2 conference record earned them the host position for the conference tournament (top four teams of the eight), which they won.[2] Seeded seventh in the West region of the 48-team NCAA tournament, they traveled to El Paso, Texas.[3][4] In the first round, Idaho lost by one point in overtime to Pittsburgh;[5][6] they ended at 25–4 (.862), with most of the key players returning.[1][7]
Polls
editIdaho was ranked for the first time in school history in February, for three weeks in the UPI coaches poll. Curiously, they entered its top twenty after a road loss,[8] rose to 16th,[9][10] then exited after completing the regular season with a nine-point road win.[11] The Vandals received votes, but did not appear,[12] in the AP writers poll (top twenty) until January 1982; they were ranked sixth in both polls at end of that regular season,[13] and eighth in both final polls.
Attendance
editPrior to this season, the school attendance record for basketball was 6,449, set five years earlier at the Kibbie Dome's inaugural hoop game in January 1976 against Palouse neighbor Washington State.[14] That was surpassed in 1981 with 6,800 for the conference opener with Weber State on Thursday, January 8.[15][16]
The final two home regular season games both saw new records, as title-contending Montana State and Montana visited: 7,100 on Thursday, February 19,[17][18] which was shattered with 9,000 two days later for Idaho's nineteenth consecutive home court win.[19][20] (Two years later, the record increased to 11,800.)[21]
All-conference
editSophomore guard Brian Kellerman was the Big Sky's player of the year and a first team all-conference selection. Vandals on the second team were sophomore forward Phil Hopson, senior center Ron Maben, and junior point guard Ken Owens, the MVP of the conference tournament.[22][23][24]
Notes
editCenter Jeff Brudie earned a degree in civil engineering, graduated from the UI law school, and is a district judge in Lewiston.
Roster
edit| 1980–81 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- Source:[25]
Schedule and results
edit| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 14* 8:00 pm |
Athletes in Action (Canada) (Exhibition) |
W 65–63 | — |
Memorial Gymnasium (2,500) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Nov 29* 6 pm |
at Nebraska | W 64–53 | 1–0 |
Bob Devaney Center (7,750) Lincoln, Nebraska | |||||||
| Mon, Dec 1* 7:30 pm |
vs. Washington State Battle of the Palouse |
W 65–51 | 2–0 |
Spokane Coliseum (3,186) Spokane, Washington | |||||||
| Fri, Dec 5* 8:00 pm |
Simon Fraser (BC) | W 79–69 | 3–0 |
Kibbie Dome (3,200) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Dec 6* 7:30 pm |
at Gonzaga Rivalry |
W 73–69 | 4–0 |
Kennedy Pavilion (4,242) Spokane, Washington | |||||||
| Mon, Dec 8* 8:00 pm |
U.S. International (CA) | W 78–56 | 5–0 |
Kibbie Dome (3,000) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Thu, Dec 11* 8:00 pm |
San Jose State | W 69–55 | 6–0 |
Kibbie Dome (4,200) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Dec 13* 8:00 pm |
St. Martin's (WA) | W 90–46 | 7–0 |
Kibbie Dome (4,200) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Thu, Dec 18* 8:00 pm |
Wisconsin–Oshkosh | W 113–67 | 8–0 |
Kibbie Dome (3,700) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Dec 20* 8:00 pm |
Northwest Nazarene (ID) | W 94–55 | 9–0 |
Kibbie Dome (2,750) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Dec 27* 7:00 pm |
vs. Oklahoma City All-College tournament |
W 74–61 | 10–0 |
Myriad Center (2,857) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |||||||
| Mon, Dec 29* 7:00 pm |
vs. Long Island All-College Tournament |
W 90–68 | 11–0 |
Myriad Center (4,009) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |||||||
| Tue, Dec 30* 7:00 pm |
vs. Oklahoma State All-College Tournament (final) |
L 83–94 | 11–1 |
Myriad Center (8,012) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |||||||
| Thu, Jan 8 8:00 pm |
Weber State | W 57–46 | 12–1 (1–0) |
Kibbie Dome (6,800) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Jan 10 8:00 pm |
Idaho State | W 75–60 | 13–1 (2–0) |
Kibbie Dome (5,200) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Thu, Jan 15 8:00 pm |
at Nevada-Reno | W 63–59 | 14–1 (3–0) |
Centennial Coliseum (3,997) Reno, Nevada | |||||||
| Sat, Jan 17 6:30 pm |
at Boise State | W 57–45 | 15–1 (4–0) |
Bronco Gymnasium (3,682) Boise, Idaho | |||||||
| Fri, Jan 23 7:00 pm |
at Montana | W 47–44 | 16–1 (5–0) |
Dahlberg Arena (9,323) Missoula, Montana | |||||||
| Sat, Jan 24 7:00 pm |
at Montana State | L 59–68 | 16–2 (5–1) |
Brick Breeden Fieldhouse (6,467) Bozeman, Montana | |||||||
| Thu, Jan 29 8:00 pm |
Nevada-Reno | W 81–76 | 17–2 (6–1) |
Kibbie Dome (6,000) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Jan 31 8:00 pm |
Northern Arizona | W 72–61 | 18–2 (7–1) |
Kibbie Dome (6,400) Moscow, Idaho | |||||||
| Fri, Feb 6 7:00 pm |
at Idaho State | W 59–58 | 19–2 (8–1) |
ISU Minidome (7,500) Pocatello, Idaho | |||||||
| Sat, Feb 7 6:30 pm |
at Weber State | L 49–53 | 19–3 (8–2) |
Dee Events Center (6,374) Ogden, Utah | |||||||
| Sat, Feb 14 8:00 pm |
No. 20 | Boise State | W 70–64 | 20–3 (9–2) |
Kibbie Dome (5,900) Moscow, Idaho | ||||||
| Thu, Feb 19 8:00 pm |
No. 16 | Montana State | W 73–55 | 21–3 (10–2) |
Kibbie Dome (7,100) Moscow, Idaho | ||||||
| Sat, Feb 21 8:00 pm |
No. 16 | Montana | W 87–78 | 22–3 (11–2) |
Kibbie Dome (9,000) Moscow, Idaho | ||||||
| Thu, Feb 26 6:30 pm |
No. 17 | at Northern Arizona | W 74–65 | 23–3 (12–2) |
Walkup Skydome (3,465) Flagstaff, Arizona | ||||||
| Big Sky tournament | |||||||||||
| Fri, Mar 6 7:00 pm |
(1) | (4) Idaho State Semifinal |
W 69–45 | 24–3 |
Kibbie Dome (8,250) Moscow, Idaho | ||||||
| Sat, Mar 7 7:30 pm |
(1) | (2) Montana Final |
W 70–54 | 25–3 |
Kibbie Dome (8,300) Moscow, Idaho | ||||||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| Fri, Mar 13* 6:00 pm |
(7W) | vs. (10W) Pittsburgh First round |
L 69–70 OT | 25–4 |
Special Events Center (7,109) El Paso, Texas | ||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from UPI coaches poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific Time. | |||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Basketball: Vandals open season with 11 wins". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1981. p. 80.
- ^ Sahlberg, Bert (March 10, 1981). "Vandals win it all over stubborn Grizzlies". Idaho Argonaut. Moscow. (University of Idaho). p. 9.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (March 9, 1981). "NCAA: Idaho draws Pitt". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 15.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (March 13, 1981). "Idaho vs. Pitt: a guessing game". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 35.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (March 14, 1981). "Vandals victimized in overtime". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 17.
- ^ "'Prayer shot' ends Vandal NCAA dreams". Idaho Argonaut. Moscow. (University of Idaho). March 24, 1981. p. 6.
- ^ Emerson, Paul (October 16, 1981). "Vandal cage hopes depend on filling center spot". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 4B.
- ^ "Idaho is ranked in coaches' poll". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. February 10, 1981. p. 17.
- ^ "Idaho ranked No. 16". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). February 17, 1981. p. 13.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (February 18, 1981). "Adaptability is the word for the five-phase Vandals". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
- ^ "OSU nearly unanimous". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon)). UPI. March 3, 1981. p. 14.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (March 3, 1981). "Ticket-seeking friends feel pinch of Monson's success". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 17.
- ^ "Vandals No. 6". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. wire services. March 2, 1982. p. 13.
- ^ Emerson, Paul (January 22, 1976). "Crowd of 6,449 sees Cougar romp in dome". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (January 9, 1981). "Vandals pass first Sky test". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 25.
- ^ Emerson, Paul (January 9, 1981). "Good enough". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (February 20, 1981). "Idaho 'Vandalizes' Bobcats". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 23.
- ^ Emerson, Paul (February 20, 1981). "Vandals riding sky high after ripping Bobcats". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
- ^ Emerson, Paul (February 22, 1981). "Vandals keep winning". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 3C.
- ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (February 23, 1981). "Victorious Vandals still need final win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
- ^ Killen, John (February 13, 1983). "SNAP! Montana breaks it all to stop Idaho". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
- ^ "Guards head league's list". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 12, 1981. p. 22.
- ^ "Briefs: Kellerman honored". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 12, 1981. p. 52.
- ^ "Harper is all-Big Sky". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 12, 1981. p. D6.
- ^ "Vandals return nine vets". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 25, 1980. p. 12.
External links
edit- Sports Reference – Idaho Vandals: 1980–81 basketball season
- Gem of the Mountains: 1981 University of Idaho yearbook – 1980–81 basketball season
- Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1981 editions
- Team photo – 1980–81 Idaho Vandals