ISU To Honor 1986 Sweet Sixteen Squad, Orr's Early Postseason Teams On Jan. 10

AMES, Iowa - This season marks the 40^th anniversary of the 1986 Iowa State Men's Basketball NCAA Sweet 16 squad. This amazing team, along with Coach Johnny Orr's first two postseason tournament teams (1984 NIT; 1985 NCAA), were influential in the success of the Cyclone men's basketball program we enjoy today.

Sellout crowds became the norm and "Hilton Magic" was born, as the Cyclones were the toast of the town and virtually unbeatable at home thanks to these outstanding players and coaches.

On Jan. 10 vs. Oklahoma State, the ISU Letterwinners Club and Cyclone Basketball will pay tribute to the 1984, 1985 and 1986 Cyclones in a special halftime recognition ceremony.

The 1985-86 Iowa State basketball season could be considered one of the most pivotal in Cyclone history. Orr, who was in his sixth season at ISU, centered his team around three seniors and a core of up-and-coming underclassmen.

Jeff Hornacek, Ron Virgil and David Moss were the seniors.

The co-captain and walk-on from LaGrange, Ill., Hornacek had minimal scholarship offers coming out of high school. His intense drive and determination earned him a scholarship and made him one of the greatest players in Cyclone history. Hornacek, though a decent scorer with a 13.7 ppg average as a senior, was more commonly known for his craftiness with the ball. For years he dazzled fans with his no-look, pin-point passing and his ability to breakdown defenses. He ended his career as the Big Eight and ISU's all-time assist leader.

The Cyclones' success in 1985-86 was aided by the resurgence of a pair of sophomores, Jeff Grayer and Gary Thompkins. Grayer, who averaged 12.2 points as a rookie, emerged as one of the Big Eight's best in 1986, earning First-Team All-Big Eight accolades with a 20.7 ppg scoring average. He led ISU in scoring and rebounding, providing the Cyclones with instant offense and stellar defense.

Prior to the start of Big Eight action, the Cyclones tallied a 9-4 record with wins over Big Ten foes Iowa and Michigan State.

The Big Eight was coming into its own as a basketball league. For years, the Big Eight was branded as a "football conference" by the national pundits and its basketball was considered second rate.

Not anymore. Kansas and Oklahoma were ranked in the nation's top-10 for most of the season and a league-record five schools, including Iowa State, qualified for 1986 NCAA Tournament play.

With the Big Eight now established nationally, the Cyclones recorded their best conference finish in over eight years, going 9-5 and sitting alone in second place behind Kansas (13-1). ISU was Kansas' only league blemish, knocking off the fourth-ranked Jayhawks 77-74 in front of a jam-packed Hilton Coliseum crowd.

Behind its success on the court and exciting brand of basketball under Coach Orr, Hilton Coliseum became the place to be in the winter. Iowa State crushed its record for home attendance, playing before an average of 14,024 fans in Hilton Coliseum. With the increased ardent fan support, it was no surprise the Cyclones went undefeated at home (13-0) for the first time in school history.

Earning the second seed in the Big Eight Tournament, ISU faced Colorado in the first round, demolishing the Buffs, 78-60. ISU kept on rolling, knocking off Nebraska 75-58 to earn its second-straight Big Eight Championship game appearance. A capacity Kemper Arena crowd converged to witness the grudge match between Kansas and Iowa State, the Big Eight's two best teams.

The Cyclones fought back from a 14-point second-half deficit and had a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, but a controversial traveling call on Sam Hill ended the Cyclones' title hopes in a 73-71 setback.

ISU had no time to worry about the loss, as the Orr-led cagers prepared for their second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, garnering the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region in Minneapolis. The Cyclones' first-round opponent was a formidable Miami of Ohio squad that featured future NBA star Ron Harper. The All-American Harper averaged 26.3 points for the Redskins.

The matchup, played in front of over 24,000 rowdy Metrodome fans, was a see-saw battle that needed an extra period to decide the outcome. With the score knotted at 79 with two seconds remaining in the extra session, Hornacek came across a screen, received an in-bound pass from Thompkins and swished a 25-foot jumper as time expired. The shot gave ISU an 81-79 win, its first NCAA Tournament victory in 42 years, and a date against Big Ten champion and fifth-ranked Michigan.

The spirited Cyclone bunch put forth what Orr called "his greatest victory ever as a coach," defeating his former club 72-69 to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. ISU bolted to a 40-31 halftime advantage, as Grayer and Virgil proved too strong for the Wolverines, pouring in 16 and 14 points, respectively.

The Cyclones returned to Kemper Arena in Kansas City to face North Carolina State in the NCAA Regional. Despite 21 points each from Grayer and Hill, the Wolfpack ended ISU's magical season with a 70-66 victory.

Grayer and Hornacek were first-team All-Big Eight performers in 1986. Both went on to successful NBA careers. Many others followed, as the torch was passed to future Cyclone success on the hardwood.

Cyclone basketball is still reaping the benefits of these pioneering teams.