ATHENS — Members of Georgia’s 1983 men’s basketball team gathered over the weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their trip to the Final Four.
But the gathering actually had the appearance of a big family reunion, and the patriarch – coach Hugh Durham – was as lively and entertaining as ever.
Still the coach with the most wins in Georgia basketball history, the 85-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer recalled specifics of the team’s journey 40 years ago in vivid detail.
-Team chemistry: “We had a bunch of really good players who played well together. Really looked out for each other.”
-Traveling issues: “We were snowed in and couldn’t get out of Athens (before the East Regional semifinal in Syracuse, N.Y.). So we had to get on a bus and go to Macon, and then we flew up there.”
-Facing St. John’s and North Carolina: “Terry Fair had a big game against St. John’s (27 points, nine rebounds). ... Got into foul trouble against North Carolina and didn’t play as much as he wanted, but never complained.”
-More Carolina: “James (Banks) had a great shooting game. I know he finished 7-of-10, but I think he hit his first four or five in a row.”
Or as Banks would put it, “Coach, your memory’s better than mine.”
The 1983 team featured a collection of talented players who worked well together and peaked at the right time heading into the postseason. Seniors Fair, Lamar Heard and Derrick Floyd provided senior leadership and all-around solid play, juniors Banks and Vern Fleming were the team’s top two scorers and sophomores Gerald Crosby and Richard Corhen were talented rotational players who stepped up when needed.
“You know the expectations began when we all came in,” said Floyd, a member of the heralded 1979 signing class that included Dominique Wilkins, Fair and Heard. “We kept building and building every year. In ‘83, we were up and down (throughout the season), but got on a roll before (the) SEC (tournament) and took off from there.”
Georgia won its final regular-season game against Tennessee, overwhelmed Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama to win the SEC tournament and defeated Virginia Commonwealth, St. John’s and North Carolina to reach the Final Four. The Bulldogs lost to N.C. State 67-60 in the national semifinal, and the Wolfpack followed with an upset win over Houston in the championship game.
Forty years later, the players are no longer focusing on what could have been – they’re embracing the here and now and relishing friendships built on the court.
“I’ve been like a kid counting down to Christmas the last couple of weeks,” said Banks, a four-year starter who still lives and coaches in the Athens area. “We were a really close team, a bunch of guys that stuck together like family.”
“It’s always good to get a chance to see the guys you played with,” said Fleming, a 1984 Olympian and 12-year NBA veteran.
Said Durham, “Didn’t hear one guy talk about stats or playing time. ... It was more about relationships, playing hard for one another.”
Remembering Fair, Heard, Hitchcock
Fair and Heard, co-captains in 1983, along with reserve Troy Hitchcock, were remembered by their teammates during reunion weekend.
“He was a guy that definitely kept everyone loose,” Fleming said of Fair, who died in 2020. Added Banks, “Today’s going to be a tough day, he’ll definitely be missed.”
“Lamar was a guy that did everything for us,” Durham said of Heard, who died in 2017. Added Fleming, “Lamar could do it all, helped make the game a little easier for everybody.
Troy Hitchcock, a 7-2 center who played in 26 games in the 1983 and 1984 seasons, died in 1992.
Women’s Final Four team recognized
Several members of the 1983 Georgia women’s Final Four team were recognized during Saturday’s game at Stegeman Coliseum and were honored during Sunday’s women’s game against Florida. The SEC champions defeated North Carolina in their tournament opener followed by wins over Indiana and Tennessee to clinch the Final Four berth.
Georgia lost to eventual champion Southern California in the national semifinals.
About the Author
