1979 DePaul Basketball: The March Of Their Lives

DePaul University has had a long history playing basketball and most of it has been away from the national spotlight. The most notable exception to that came in the late 1970s and early 1980s under the coaching of Ray Meyer, and the high point was the 1979 DePaul basketball edition that got Coach Meyer to the Final Four.

A CAREER IN THE SHADOWS

Meyer had devoted his life to DePaul basketball, taking over as head coach in 1943. He was a consistent winner, but respect was hard to come by, especially in an era when postseason invitations were significantly more restrictive than is the case today. He was often overshadowed in the Midwest by colorful figures like Marquette’s recently retired head coach Al McGuire, or Notre Dame’s Digger Phelps.

In 1978, the Blue Demons started to break through and reached the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament. Although even here, a loss to the Fighting Irish still left them overshadowed.

And it didn’t translate into respect coming into this 1979 college basketball season. With the loss of big Dave Corzine in the middle and a key forward in Joe Ponsetto, DePaul was unranked in the preseason polls. But it turned out, there was more talent on hand than outside observers anticipated.

A VETERAN CORE & A FRESHMAN PHENOM

Curtis Watkins and Gary Garland were senior leaders at guard. They both averaged 17ppg and combined to crash the boards for 14 rebounds a night. Speedy Clyde Bradshaw rounded out a fast backcourt as a double-digit scorer, quick defender and good passer.

But the biggest reason DePaul kept moving forward was the arrival of Mark Aguirre. A 6’6” freshman forward, Aguirre would quickly become one of the game’s brightest stars and an eventual #1 overall pick in the NBA draft. He could score in the open floor, he could post up down low, and he averaged 24 points/8 rebounds per game for Meyer as a freshman.

A SHAKY START

But for a good two months, there was no reason to think this ’79 edition of Blue Demon basketball was going to be special. They opened the season at second-ranked UCLA on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. While Aguirre made an immediate splash and scored 29 points, and DePaul led by as much as 11 in the first half, their lack of depth came home to roost. The second half completely got away in what ended as a 108-85 blowout loss.

After feasting on three cupcakes, the Blue Demons  then dropped a 95-92 decision to mediocre Wichita State. DePaul took advantage of an extended soft schedule to win nine straight, but that also included uninspiring escapes against Northwestern in overtime by one point against Bradley.

On January 20, DePaul paid a visit to a respectable Dayton team. The Blue Demons lost, 68-64. After a bounce back win against an Illinois State team of similar caliber, DePaul went to play Western Michigan. Facing a woeful opponent, the Blue Demons lost 82-80. The season was at a low point. DePaul was 13-4, had no notable wins and some bad losses. In an era when only 40 teams made the NCAA Tournament, Meyer’s team was far from a sure thing to even make it to March.

BUILDING MOMENTUM

Another soft six-game stretch awaited. DePaul took advantage by winning all six and getting themselves to #20 in the polls. But they were still some close games against less-than-stellar competition. The next real tests were head—a parlay against Marquette and Notre Dame on the final two weekends of the regular season, both at home. The Warriors and Irish were both Final Four hopefuls.

CATHOLIC CLASHES

DePaul and Marquette played a thrilling Saturday night affair in old Alumni Hall on February 24. All five Blue Demon starters played the full 40 minutes. Aguirre and Garland scored 18 points apiece. Watkins scored 19 and also held Warrior star forward Bernard Toone in check. But even so, DePaul trailed 60-59 with 0:32 and Marquette had possession.

The fast Blue Demon defense came through and forced a five-second violation before the Warriors could inbound the ball. On their own possession, DePaul ran the clock down. Bradshaw missed a jumper. But Garland got the rebound and hit the putback at the buzzer. DePaul had a thrilling 61-60 win.

Six days later, on the first Friday in March, Notre Dame came in. Watkins and Garland had big nights, combining to score 38 points. DePaul built up a double-digit lead and then held off the last Irish surge to close a 76-72 win.

The newspapers the following day screamed “Upset!”, and even suggested that DePaul beating Notre Dame at home amounted to a “stunner.” But it was clear the Blue Demons were coming on. Even though they ended the regular season two days later dropping a wild 101-99 game to Loyola-Illinois, DePaul had shown they could measure up against top competition. Now it was time for the NCAA Tournament.

MARCHING WEST

1979 marked a new era for March Madness—the first time the bracket would be formally seeded. DePaul’s surge to a 21-5 record got them all the way to the 2-line. In a 10-team regional bracket, that meant they were seeded directly into the Round of 32. The Blue Demons, along with 3-seed Marquette were both sent to the West Regional, placing them on an immediate collision course for a possible Sweet 16 matchup.

BATTLING USC

DePaul went back to where this season’s journey had begun in Los Angeles. Their Round of 32 game would be against USC. And UCLA, the 1-seed in the West, loomed on the opposite side of the bracket.

The Trojans were led by a talented sophomore forward, Cliff Robinson, who would become a first-round pick in the NBA draft. Robinson averaged 19 points/12 rebounds. Purvis Miller was a potent threat at the other forward spot, averaging 13/7. The backcourt of Don Cartino and Steve Smith was small, neither one over 6’2”, but they each scored in double figures. Moreover, DePaul had to play them in a road-neutral environment. Not exactly a break for being the 2-seed.

And it was a battle. Both teams shot in the high 50s, percentage-wise, from the floor. DePaul’s lead was just 44-41 at the half, and it was still a three-point game, 71-68, with just under six minutes to play.

Every Blue Demon starter would play all 40 minutes, so a season-ending fatigue breakdown was on the table. But not today. DePaul ripped off a nine unanswered points. Watkins, with 16 of his 27 points, in the second half, did the bulk of the damage. So did Garland, who scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds and came up with ten steals. Aguirre was solid all the way through, posting a 25 points/7 rebounds/6 assists line.

The Blue Demons won 89-78. A Catholic showdown in Mormon country was set. DePaul and Marquette would meet in the Sweet 16 in Provo.

MIDWEST RIVALRY IN THE MOUNTAINS

The game started in a less than ideal way for the Blue Demons, as they gave up the first eight points and trailed by as many nine before starting to settle down. When DePaul did get the game settled, Aguirre was locked in a battle with Marquette counterpart Bernard Toone. By halftime, Aguirre had 14 points and Toone had 16. But the Blue Demons had moved into a 31-28 lead.

DePaul again struggled to open a half. In fact, they looked sluggish offensively for at least the first ten minutes of the second half. They trailed 48-40 and the season was looking bleak.

It was Garland who delivered, repeatedly loading up and hitting long jumpers that would be three-point shots in today’s game. A quick spurt pulled DePaul into a 48-48 tie as the clock neared six minutes to play. They nudged ahead by a point, 53-52 with just over two minutes left.

The Blue Demons’ smaller, but quicker lineup, was having success finding the soft areas in the Warrior zone. Watkins scored on an easy layup in the halfcourt set that put his team ahead 55-54. When Bradshaw’s aggressive defense helped force a stop, DePaul had the ball and a one-point lead with 0:57 left. In an era with no shot clock, possession at this point of the game, was everything.

A chaotic possession that could have easily resulted in a turnover ensued, but instead, Watkins ended up at the line. He hit both free throws. That set the stage for a final minute where DePaul repeatedly bagged their foul shouts to close the game out.

It was free throws that were the difference—DePaul went 16/20 from the line compared to 8/9 for Marquette in a game that ended 62-56. Aguirre finished 19, Watkins also went for 19 and added seven rebounds, while Garland posted a 15/8 line that included hitting the game’s biggest shots.

For the second straight year, the Blue Demons were playing in the Elite Eight. A rematch with UCLA was waiting.

TOPPLING THE GIANT

UCLA was led by a David Greenwood, their electric forward. The Bruins had another NBA-bound forward in Kiki Vandeweghe and a steady backcourt with Roy Hamilton and Brad Holland.

A torrid pace early saw a lot of back-and-forth, and it was tied 18-18. The Blue Demons started to turn up the heat defensively, and that quick defensive backcourt began forcing turnovers. Even when the Bruins could run an offense, they went cold. DePaul was surging, built a double-digit lead and by the halftime arrived, the Blue Demons were soaring with a 51-34 lead.

Meyer was fully prepared for a Bruin pushback, and he let his players know as much. “We can lose it (the lead) gradually, he told them. “But every time we get the ball, knock off one minute.”

With no shot clock the strategy was understandable, but it did seem like something of a defensive posture for a coach whose team had just dominated the first half and was every bit as talented as this edition of UCLA. Although to be fair, in the world of 1979, with the John Wooden Dynasty just four years in the rearview mirror, the Bruin shadow was a lot longer than it is today.

UCLA brought their own defensive heat, but DePaul took the punches and remained standing. Their lead remained comfortable, at 74-60 with ten minutes to play, even as the pace was torrid and the Blue Demon starters would play virtually the entire game—only Watkins, who still played 38 minutes, wasn’t in for the full 40.

Greenwood was consistently finding room at the bottom of the DePaul zone for alley-oop passes. UCLA cut the lead to 84-79. Amidst an electrifying atmosphere in Provo, the clearly exhausted Blue Demon starters kept digging deep and kept finding ways to make just enough plays to hold off the onslaught. They were also hitting their free throws.

UCLA closed to 93-91 with under a minute to go. In a decisive moment, the Bruins applied intense pressure and instead of fouling, went for the steal. DePaul took care of the ball and finally broke the pressure. A Garland layup with eight seconds left sealed the 95-91 win.

Garland finished with 24 points/8 rebounds/8 assists. Combined with his stellar shooting against Marquette, it got him recognition as the West Region’s Most Outstanding Player. Watkins had 24 points/8 rebounds of his own. Aguirre scored 20. It was enough to hold off Greenwood’s 37 points/10 rebounds effort.

In a year when college basketball was focused on the great story of Magic Johnson’s Michigan State and Larry Bird’s Indiana State on a collision course to play in the national championship game, DePaul had a story of their own. Ray Meyer was going to the Final Four, and the Blue Demons would get a crack at the Sycamores next week in Salt Lake City.

THE FORGOTTEN CLASSIC

DePaul and Indiana State played a sizzling basketball game at the Final Four, something that often gets overlooked in the historical retelling of the 1979 NCAA Tournament, with its focus on the Magic-Bird storyline. But the Blue Demons five starters again put on a workhorse display and played all 40 minutes. The game was back and forth the entire way. DePaul shot 55 percent from the floor, and a balanced attack was led by Aguirre and Garland each getting 19.

What the Blue Demons didn’t do well was rebound—beaten on the boards by a decisive 32-19 margin. They didn’t force enough rebounds, as Indiana State shot 62 percent. But the biggest thing is that DePaul didn’t have Larry Bird—the man whose legend was already beginning scored 35 points, nearly half of his team’s total. The Blue Demons dropped a 73-71 heartbreaker.

THE BEGINNING & THE END

For DePaul, this 1979 run was both a beginning and an end. They were firmly on the national stage now, and they stayed that way for several more years. Over the next five seasons, the last five of Meyer’s career, the Blue Demons were a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament four times. But this was the end of deep runs into March. In future years, they would become synonymous with heartbreak and have not made it back to the Final Four since that special run of ’79.