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1981–82 Idaho Vandals men's basketball
Big Sky champions
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
Conference	Big Sky Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 8
AP	No. 8
Record	27–3 (13–1 Big Sky)
Head coach	Don Monson (4th season)
Assistant coaches	Barry Collier Rod Snook
Home arena	Kibbie Dome
Seasons← 1980–811982–83 →

The 1981–82 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The defending champions of the Big Sky Conference, Vandals were led by fourth-year head coach Don Monson and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

The 1982 basketball team was the most successful in the school's history, and has yet to be surpassed. Building upon the success of the previous season (25–4), the Vandals won their first sixteen games and went 24–2 in the regular season. They defeated Gonzaga and all four Pac-10 teams from the Northwest. Idaho won the eight-team Far West Classic in Portland in late December 1981, winning all three games by at least 19 points (over Iowa State, Oregon State, and Oregon).

The Vandals' only setbacks during the regular season were consecutive two-point road losses in late January. The first was to rival Montana on a raucous Saturday night in Missoula on a tip-in at the buzzer. The second was to Notre Dame in South Bend two days later, ending a three-games-in-four-nights road trip, which included multiple weather-related travel delays and re-routes, and a 4:30 am arrival in South Bend on game day. Although the Vandals hit 14 of their first 15 shots to jump to 28–10 lead over the Irish, Notre Dame regrouped at home to win by two in overtime. Idaho was awarded just four free throws in the 45 minutes of play and missed them all. Notre Dame was led by future NBA guard John Paxson in 1982. The Vandals then won eight straight games to conclude the regular season, and won the four-team conference tournament, which they hosted for the second straight year as regular season champions.

Their 26–2 record after the Big Sky tournament (& ten straight victories) earned the Vandals a #8 national ranking and a #3 seed in the West region of the 48-team NCAA tournament, which included a first round bye.

NCAA tournament

Idaho's first game (in the second round) was nearly a home game, played just eight miles (13 km) west at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on a Sunday afternoon. The opponent was 16th-ranked Iowa of the Big Ten, the region's sixth seed, then coached by Lute Olson. A Final Four team two years earlier, Iowa won their first-round game handily, but Idaho won this close game by two points, 69–67 in overtime, and advanced to the Sweet 16.

Four days later at the West regional in Provo, Utah, they met the nation's fourth-ranked team, Oregon State, the #2 seed in the West region. Idaho had defeated the Beavers by 22 points in December at the Far West Classic in Portland, but this time the result was far different, as the Beavers won 60–42. OSU was defeated two days later by the region's #1 seed Georgetown, led by freshman center Patrick Ewing. (Georgetown advanced to the national final, where they lost by a point to North Carolina.)

Aftermath

The Vandals ended the 1982 season at 27–3 (.900), and were ranked as high as sixth in the nation (AP and UPI polls) at the end of the regular season at 24–2. They entered the top twenty at #18 in early January and two weeks later were up to eighth, but the two losses dropped them back to fifteenth. Eight straight wins elevated them to sixth prior to the Big Sky tournament, and were eighth in both final polls entering the NCAA tournament.

The 1982 starters Ken Owens (6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)) and Brian Kellerman (6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)) in the backcourt, with forwards Phil Hopson and Gordie Herbert and center Kelvin Smith, all at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). Just before their two losses in January, the team was featured in a two-page article in Sports Illustrated. (team photo) The alley-oop was a frequently used play against man-to-man defenses, and sophomore Pete Prigge (6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)) was the sixth man.

Monson was named the Kodak Coach of the Year in Division I in 1982 (photo) and rumors were rampant that he would jump to a higher league, maybe to struggling Arizona in the Pac-10. That position was eventually filled by Lute Olson (a year later), and Monson chose to stay for a fifth season at Idaho. With a salary of about $40,000 in 1982 and a one-year contract, an "appreciation fund" was set up by local fans to entice him to stay in Moscow. The 1982 team was inducted into the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame, as was Monson, Kellerman, and Owens.

All-conference

All five starters were recognized by the conference. Senior point guard Owens was the Big Sky's player of the year and a repeat MVP in the conference tournament. He was joined in the backcourt of the all-conference team by junior guard Kellerman, the previous season's player of the year. Vandals on the second team were the forwards, senior Herbert and junior Hopson; junior center Smith was honorable mention.

Roster

1981–82 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 4 Mike Maben 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Milwaukee Tech HS Milwaukee, WI G 12 Brian Kellerman 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Richland HS Richland, WA G 14 Ken Owens 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Treasure Valley (OR) New York, NY F 20 Gordon Herbert 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Sr N.Idaho, Penticton HS Penticton, BC F 24 Pete Prigge 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Fort Vancouver HS Vancouver, WA F 30 Zane Frazier  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So Fairfax HS Los Angeles, CA F 31 Antwine Murchison 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr St. Mary's HS Stockton, CA G 32 Ben Ross 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jr Coeur d'Alene HS Coeur d'Alene, ID C 33 Kevin Haatvedt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr W.H. Taft HS Woodland Hills, CA G 34 Matt Haskins 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Fr Richland HS Richland, WA C 40 Kelvin Smith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Taft (CA), Pasco HS Pasco, WA G 42 Freeman Watkins 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 187 lb (85 kg) So Eisenhower HS Utica, MI F 44 Phil Hopson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Jefferson HS Portland, OR	Head coach Don Monson (Idaho) Assistant coach(es) Barry Collier (Butler) Rod Snook (Whittier) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

Schedule and results

References

1. Emerson, Paul (October 16, 1981). "Vandal cage hopes depend on filling center spot". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 4B.
2. ^ "Basketball: A Solid Gold Season". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1982. p. 218.
3. "The Week (Jan. 18-24)". Sports Illustrated: 40. February 1, 1982. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010.
4. Kenyon, Quayne (March 4, 1982). "What if: without Big Sky travel schedule, Vandals might be 26-0". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. p. 1B.
5. ^ Devlin, Vince (January 25, 1982). "Idaho at Notre Dame: look who's favored". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. 17.
6. "Vandals die in 2nd half". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. January 26, 1982. p. 1C.
7. Devlin, Vince (January 26, 1982). "Vandals stuck on 16 after OT loss to Irish". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. 17.
8. Killen, John (March 7, 1982). "Vandals dream of another playoff". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 3C.
9. Missildine, Harry (March 15, 1982). "Idaho: Next stop, Provo". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 15.
10. Smith, Marlin (March 2, 2004). "The Monson Era". Idaho Scout.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2005. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
11. ^ "Vandals No. 6". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). wire services. March 2, 1982. p. 13.
12. "Unbeaten Vandals continue to climb in both wire service polls". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 20, 1982. p. 1C.
13. Barton, Gene (January 20, 1982). "Idaho basketball: Now its something to crow about". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). p. D1.
14. "Idaho roster". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 11, 1982. p. 26.
15. Killen, John (March 14, 1982). "Idaho may have trouble telling who's who". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 3C.
16. McCallum, Jack (January 25, 1982). "A case of Vandalism in Big Sky country". Sports Illustrated: 20–21.
17. Killen, John (January 23, 1982). "Lob it or leave it". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
18. Van Sickel, Charlie (March 3, 1982). "The other Vandal". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. 42.
19. "In Division I, Monson's No. 1". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). March 28, 1982. p. 2B.
20. "Monson's 'overwhelmed' as coaches' No. 1 coach". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). March 29, 1982. p. 15.
21. "Monson will talk jobs after NCAA playoffs". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). UPI. March 10, 1982. p. 35.
22. "Don't shed a tear for Idaho". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 16, 1982. p. 15.
23. "Idaho may give Monson a reason to stay with Vandals". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. March 25, 1982. p. 6G.
24. "Idaho fans raise funds". Milwaukee Sentinel. March 24, 1982. p. 4, part 2.
25. "Don Monson Appreciation Fund". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). advertisement. March 20, 1982. p. 18.
26. "Vandals honored". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). March 10, 1982. p. 34.
27. "Owens: Vandal guard named MVP". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 10, 1982. p. 1C.

External links

• Sports Reference – Idaho Vandals: 1981–82 basketball season
• Gem of the Mountains: 1982 University of Idaho yearbook – 1981–82 basketball season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1982 editions

• Idaho Vandals men's basketball seasons
• 1981–82 Big Sky Conference men's basketball season
• 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament participants
• 1982 in sports in Idaho
• 1981 in sports in Idaho