'Golden Age of basketball' could've been Magic vs. Ray

You're hearing a lot this weekend about it being the 30th anniversary of the Bird vs. Magic game.

In a way, the matchup was to college basketball what Joe Namath's Super Bowl victory was to professional football.

You know, an Earth-altering moment.

What you aren't hearing much - other than in footnote form - is that DePaul almost changed the course of history.

If the Blue Demons had, the NCAA basketball tournament's Final Four would still be played in gyms instead of domes. College basketball coaches still would have normal head sizes. The NBA still would rank behind pinochle among professional sports.

Heck - who knows? - a Demons' victory would have been so momentous that the Soviet Union might not have fallen. The Internet might not have been invented. The Cubs might not have won another World Series.

Oops, scratch that last one.

But seriously, Bird vs. Magic was really big on March 26, 1979 - but all it would have taken to not happen was one more three-point play by DePaul two days earlier.

OK, so that's a little dramatic. Maybe nothing would have been canceled had DePaul beaten Indiana State.

But the sport's surge ­- college basketball's glory years and pro basketball's modern era - likely would have at least been postponed until Michael Jordan arrived.

Instead, DePaul missed the opportunity to beat Indiana State in a national semifinal, enabling Larry Bird to be showcased in the title game.

Against - drum roll! - Michigan State's Magic Johnson.

Bird vs. Magic has been part of basketball lore ever since, last name against nickname, no first names required.

The Michigan State-Indiana State game is referred to in hallowed terms - "the day March Madness began" and "the most famous college match ever."

The game attracted what to this day is college basketball's highest TV rating. Google it and you'll find "Bird vs. Magic launched Golden Age."

Funny, though. It wasn't even a very good game. Michigan State held Bird to 19 points and won by 11.

Much more exciting, if not eventful, was Indiana State's two-pointer over DePaul. Recently the game was referred to in the Indianapolis Star as "a brutally competitive 76-74 semifinal victory."

Many believed that Magic vs. Ray - that's DePaul coach Ray Meyer - would have presented a considerably bigger challenge for Michigan State than Indiana State did.

DePaul did lack two elements, the first being depth. Meyer played his starters all 40 minutes against Indiana State.

The other was health. Forward Curtis Watkins had a bum knee he hurt in the regional final victory over UCLA seven days earlier.

After a week of uncertainty surrounding his status, Watkins scored 16 points. However, he wasn't mobile enough to effectively defend Bird, who battered DePaul for 35 points on 16-of-19 shooting.

When Mark Aguirre missed a long jumper in the waning seconds, Indiana State advanced to play MSU.

Otherwise, without Bird vs. Magic, Dick Vitale might have had to sell used cars to make a living. John Calipari might make minimum wage to coach Kentucky. ESPN might fill time slots with carrier pigeon races.

Yes, the Golden Age of basketball began with Bird vs. Magic, but only because DePaul was a three-point play short of beating Indiana State.

mimrem@dailyherald.com