1981–82 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team

Idaho's first game (in the second round) was nearly a home game, played just eight miles (13 km) west at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on a Sunday afternoon. The opponent was 16th-ranked Iowa of the Big Ten, the region's sixth seed, then coached by Lute Olson. A Final Four team two years earlier, Iowa won their first-round game handily, but Idaho won this close game by two points, 69–67 in overtime, and advanced to the Sweet 16.[9] [10]

Four days later at the West regional in Provo, Utah, they met the nation's fourth-ranked team, Oregon State, the #2 seed in the West region. Idaho had defeated the Beavers by 22 points in December at the Far West Classic in Portland, but this time the result was far different, as the Beavers won 60–42. OSU was defeated two days later by the region's #1 seed Georgetown, led by freshman center Patrick Ewing. (Georgetown advanced to the national final, where they lost by a point to North Carolina.)

The Vandals ended the 1982 season at 27–3 (.900), and were ranked as high as sixth in the nation (AP and UPI polls) at the end of the regular season at 24–2.[11] They entered the top twenty at #18 in early January and two weeks later were up to eighth,[12][13] but the two losses dropped them back to fifteenth. Eight straight wins elevated them to sixth prior to the Big Sky tournament,[11] and were eighth in both final polls entering the NCAA tournament.

The 1982 starters Ken Owens (6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)) and Brian Kellerman (6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)) in the backcourt, with forwards Phil Hopson and Gordie Herbert and center Kelvin Smith, all at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).[14][15] Just before their two losses in January, the team was featured in a two-page article in Sports Illustrated.[16] (team photo) The alley-oop was a frequently used play against man-to-man defenses,[17] and sophomore Pete Prigge (6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)) was the sixth man.[18]

Monson was named the Kodak Coach of the Year in Division I in 1982 (photo)[19][20] and rumors were rampant that he would jump to a higher league,[21] maybe to struggling Arizona in the Pac-10.[22] That position was eventually filled by Lute Olson (a year later), and Monson chose to stay for a fifth season at Idaho. With a salary of about $40,000 in 1982 and a one-year contract,[23] an "appreciation fund" was set up by local fans to entice him to stay in Moscow.[24][25] The 1982 team was inducted into the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame, as was Monson, Kellerman, and Owens.

All five starters were recognized by the conference. Senior point guard Owens was the Big Sky's player of the year and a repeat MVP in the conference tournament. He was joined in the backcourt of the all-conference team by junior guard Kellerman, the previous season's player of the year. Vandals on the second team were the forwards, senior Herbert and junior Hopson; junior center Smith was honorable mention.[26][27]

• Sports Reference – Idaho Vandals: 1981–82 basketball season
• Gem of the Mountains: 1982 University of Idaho yearbook – 1981–82 basketball season
• Idaho Argonaut – student newspaper – 1982 editions