In mid-January of 1985, the Willis Reed Era of Creighton hoops was at its pinnacle. After earning an NIT berth the year before, a veteran team led by Benoit Benjamin and Vernon Moore was building on that momentum and propelling the team back into the NCAA tourney conversation.
Their midseason winning streak coincided with the emergence of Benjamin as an unstoppable force. Born in Monroe, Louisiana, he came to Creighton as a 7’0″, 275 pound center who had played high school basketball with Brad Daugherty and Johnny Dawkins, who committed to North Carolina and Duke, respectively. Recruited by just about everyone in Division 1 — reports at the time of his 1982 commitment state that nearly 300 schools had been in contact with him — Benjamin chose Creighton because of a connection he felt with Reed, a fellow big man from Louisiana.