Iowa History Daily: On January 3, 1970, the Iowa Fieldhouse rocked as the Hawkeyes beat no. 17 Purdue 94-88 in front of a packed house. Coach Ralph Miller’s Hawkeyes went on to go 14-0 in the Big 10 to claim the school’s most recent outright conference title.
The season started out rocky for the Hawks as the team went 3-4 out of the gate. However, the high-powered Hawkeye offense proved ready for the Big 10. Led by a nucleus of players known as the "Six Pack" – John Johnson, Chad Calabria, Fred Brown, Glenn "Stick" Vidnovic, Dick Jensen, and Ben McGilmer – the team averaged 98.7 points per game including a conference-record 102.9 points per game in Big Ten games.
The Big 10 opener against Purdue saw high-scoring Boilermaker Rick Mount set an Iowa Field House record with 53-points. Johnson and Brown combined to offset the Purdue performer, teaming up to put in 54 points of their own. The Hawks shot a scorching 57% from the field, and Coach Ralph Miller captured his 300th career victory.
Johnson, Brown, Calabria, and Vidonvic combined to score in double-figures 55 of 56 times against Big 10 opponents. Johnson led the team with 31.8 points per game, while the team hit the century mark for points in nine of the fourteen conference games. Although the team fell to eventual Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore and Jacksonville State, the team gave Iowans across the state a season to remember. #IowaOTD #IowaHistory Daily #IowaHistoryCalendar
Comments