'65-'66 team was when I first got possessed with college basketball. Gerry Jones, George Peeples, Chris Pervall, Gary Olson and Ben McGilmer ( yes, that Ben McGilmer from the '70 team. ) Ben would take the next 2 years off to get his grades up and returned in '68 - '69.
We went 17-7, 8-6 in the Big X, good for 3rd place. Pervall was a Juco guy but it was Gerry Jones that was my favorite. At 6'4" he could jump out of the gym. He averaged over 10 RBs and 16 PPG over his 3 years. Peeples played center at 6'7". Gary Olson was also a favorite, almost a legendary local from Olds HS ( now consolidated WACO, I think there were less than 25 boys in the entire HS at that time ) Gary led small town Olds to the Iowa Boys BB tourney in 1962 where they came within an eyelash of beating might CR Regis, losing 60 - 62, the closest game Regis would have on their way to the state championship. ( only 1 class of boys basketball in Iowa from 1961 -1966. ) Olson scored 35 in that game and Iowa gave him a scholarship.
This was the first year KWWL in Waterloo began to televise just a few games and Michigan was one of them. They had all American Cazzie Russel who was the best player in college BB, averaging over 30 PPG.
This was the year Iowa started like 8-0 then went down to Texas to play a little school called UTEP and I remember listening to Zabel call the game as we got pounded. Of course UTEP went on to beat Kentucky to win the NC. So the other great memory was that the NCAA Regional was held in Iowa City, so we got to go see Cazzie Russel in person as Michigan played Kentucky. Pat Riley led Rupp's Wildcats past Michigan to go to the Final Four. Of course only the Big X champ got into the NCAA tourney back then...