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Griz legend: Ken McKenzie

There was a first round game in Pullman against Utah State, but it was in Portland that Eric Hays accidentally got cold-cocked by a ref.

Ken McKenzie had brown hair. It was John Stroeder who was the red head.

One of the unfortunate things about the UCLA game was that nobody kept a copy of game tape. Those were the days before VCR's so I don't think anyone has a tape, unless someone from UCLA has it.
 
I well remember watching the game in my living room, on a little 13-inch black-and-white. It broke my heart that the Griz lost. My strongest memory is of Eric Hays, in a post-game "interview" -- the TV commentator ranted and raved about how wonderfully UM had played, etc. -- and Eric just gave him a withering look, said, "But we lost," and turned around and walked away.
 
williamspo said:
There was a first round game in Pullman against Utah State, but it was in Portland that Eric Hays accidentally got cold-cocked by a ref.

Ken McKenzie had brown hair. It was John Stroeder who was the red head.

One of the unfortunate things about the UCLA game was that nobody kept a copy of game tape. Those were the days before VCR's so I don't think anyone has a tape, unless someone from UCLA has it.
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I stand corrected. I don't remember anything about the Utah State game, exempt going over to Pullman for it. My vague recollection is that the arena was quite new, and that's about it. Obviously UM. I guess the Hays incident stands out because I saw it on TV. If I'd seen it in Pullman, I'd probably been too far away to make out what had happened.
 
i remember one detail of the utah state game. micheal ray threw up a mid-court prayer with a second to go before halftime, and it went in, giving the griz a big emotional life to start the second half.

those were the days before the current format, when an influential a.d. could skew the seedings. utah state had such a guy (ladell something?) and was sure he'd picked the weakest opponent in the field. did he ever get surprised. revenge for wayne estes.
 
So amazing how time fogs the mind. I thought the Griz- ucla game was in Seattle. No matter, WHAT A GAME! Mckenzie's shot from the corner that bounced front left right on the rim "or something like that has a second here on this form. Anybody remember Hays making every shot in the first half until the bunny at the buzzer? And I know that real GRIZ athletes, especially recent and football players probably think this website is a JOKE, would it not be so cool if Eric Hays, Ken McKenzie, and or some others of the "74 Griz BB team would come here and give us the real story.
 
Ken McKenzie loved that baseline shot from the corner and hit it consistently all year long. The shot hit the back of the rim and bounced straight up before rimming off.

As I recall that would have given UM a one point lead with about 10 seconds left. As it was, we had to foul, they made the free throws, and, in the days before the 3-point shot, the game was over.
 
Another McKenzie moment: Idaho State had the 7-foot Steve Hays, who was leading the Sky in rebounding, and there were mutterings that Hays was getting his stats packed by being given credit for "team" rebounds rather than "team." When ISU came up to Missoula, McKenzie took the opportunity personally. He whipped Hays' rear end, practically shut him out on the boards, and had a huge edge -- at least for that night -- in the head-to-head rebounding battle. I have no recollection of the individual scoring -- Hays may have been leading that, too. But what a tough player McKenzie was.

And didn't he have a daughter who considered UM for bkb?
 
I always imagined an all-time griz starting 5. Ken McKenzie 6'9"at center, Larry K. 6'9" at power forward, Derick Pope 6'6" at small forward, MR Richardson 6'5" at point guard and Craig Zanon 6'6" at shooting guard. (Zanon could jump ouit of the gymn and was hard for most guards to defend). That team would have gone far in the Big Show.

Back ups John Stoeder 6'10" at center, Allen Nielson 6'6" at small forward, Lee Johnson 6'10" power forward (first round draft pick later who only played part of one year and cost the Griz most of their games because he was inelgible), Marc Glass 6'3" point guard and Eric Hays 6'3" shooting guard (even though he played small forward).
 
twentythreeOh4 said:
My memory is foggy, but I seem to recall that Eric Hays shot free throws underhanded?
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Never was anything underhanded about coach Hays.

Maybe some confusion with Wilt Hayes.
 
I went to the first round games in Washington and I think it was Western Michigan that lost to UCLA in overtime in the first game of a double header. In regulation W. Michigan had the last shot to win the game but it rimmed out. So we came very close to playing Western Michigan instead of UCLA

As I remember the Griz beat Utah State that night. I didn't see the UCLA game but Hays, McKenzie and Richardson were a great trio.
 
Saudi Griz said:
I went to the first round games in Washington and I think it was Western Michigan that lost to UCLA in overtime in the first game of a double header. In regulation W. Michigan had the last shot to win the game but it rimmed out. So we came very close to playing Western Michigan instead of UCLA

As I remember the Griz beat Utah State that night. I didn't see the UCLA game but Hays, McKenzie and Richardson were a great trio.
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I was there too. UCLA beat Michigan.
 
UCLA did beat Michigan in OT. I could have been double OT.
Michigan had a forward named C.J. Kupek who was draining outside shots. He had the final shot at the end of regulation or the first overtime. The ball hit the front of the rim. Half-inch higher and it would have been lights out for the Bruins.
Three of us watched the second half and the two overtimes sitting courtside right behind the UCLA bench. Coach Wooden was 5-10 feet away. How cool was that!
 
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