Karl Tilleman is a Canadian basketball legend, and former Olympian. In the following article, we take a look back at the game of basketball in the mid-1980s. It’s hard to believe that almost four decades have passed since 1984 – that year marked a pivotal moment in the history of the game. In the following article, we take a journey through time, exploring the explosive, record making moments of Karl Tilleman, his teammates, and 1984 basketball.

Eli Pasquale and Karl Tilleman met for the first time on February 15, 1980, before a packed house at the University of Calgary’s Red Gym. Both Pasquale (who sadly passed away in 2019) and Tilleman were fiercely competitive, highly recruited, Canadian high school basketball players.

Karl Tilleman was a rookie, and without a three-point line, poured in 40 points against Eli and his teammates on the juggernaut Victoria Vikings team.

It was the first of an almost countless number of 40-point games Karl Tilleman would have in his career at the University of Calgary under Gary Howard’s remarkable coaching.

But on February 15th, Pasquale led the Vikings to a one-point victory over Calgary 94-93 in their first game against each other. No team came any closer to beating Victoria that entire year. Victoria went 20-0 in conference and won the Canadian University Basketball crown.

Coach Sheilds

Victoria, led by Pasquale and the legendary coach, Ken Shields, had an amazing team in 1979-80 and throughout the 80s.

Shields is unquestionably one of the best Canadian basketball coaches in history, and Pasquale was one of the best Canadians to ever play the game. Under the steady leadership of Shields and Pasquale (for five of them), Victoria won seven straight Canadian University Men’s Basketball Championships (1980-86).

The Team

Along with Pasquale, Victoria’s superstar forward, Gerald Kazanowski, would not only make Canada’s Men’s National team, but would start for Canada. Beyond his abilities, Gerald had a sixth sense on the Court that made him a force-of nature-like talent.

Victoria’s high-flying star forward, Kelly Dukeshire, also played often for Canada’s National Team, and he could dunk with anyone. Those who played against Dukeshire swore that at 6’ 6’’ he could have won the NBA dunk contest.

Dukeshire was a member of the 1983 Canadian Men’s Basketball Team that beat extremely talented teams from the United States and Yugoslavia to win gold at the University Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Superstar center Greg Wiltjer later joined the Vikings (1982—84), and Wiltjer would also start for Canada’s Men’s National team. That’s right, Victoria had four players, and three starters, on the Canadian National Team. Victoria was one of the best university basketball teams in the world during the early 1980s with Ken Shields at the helm. https://www.examlabs.com

Competing on the World Stage

But the most amazing fact about this little band of Canadian West University players is how well they played on the world stage. During their tenure on Canada’s National Team in the early 80s, Canada developed into one of the most consistently dominant basketball teams in the world with Jack Donohue, an internationally heralded, Basketball Hall of Fame coach leading the team.

It’s reported that the impact Donohue had on basketball in Canada goes beyond words. Since its 1936 Olympic Silver medal, Canada has qualified for men’s Olympic basketball only 9 times; Donohue coached almost half (4) of those Olympic teams.

In fact, in the 87 years since Canada’s 1936 Olympic Silver medal, the Canadian Men’s basketball team has competed in only two games where an Olympic medal was on the line.

Jack Donohue coached both of those teams. Unfortunately, in the 1976 Montreal Olympics bronze medal game, the Soviet Union decisively beat the Canadians by nearly 30 points (100-72). Most of the time, that game was never in doubt. Which leaves 1984.

The 1984 Olympics

Only once since 1936 did Canada have a legitimate shot at winning an Olympic medal in Men’s basketball. In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Bronze Medal game Canada played Yugoslavia, and that was an entirely different story than in 1976.

Canada and Yugoslavia played neck and neck throughout the entire game, which was tied 18 times and had 12 lead changes. Yugoslavia barely hung on to beat Canada, who had pulled to within one point with less than a minute to go in the game.

The contribution of the Canadian men’s university players in the 1984 Olympics was even more astonishing. Pasquale was stellar in every facet of the Bronze-medal game; he led Canada in points (16), and assists (5), and he grabbed 6 rebounds for good measure. Karl Tilleman came off the bench for Canada firing long-range bullets and bringing Canada back when it got behind.

Karl Tilleman was the second leading scorer for Canada with 13 points, shooting 60% from the field while playing only 20 minutes. Wiltjer (also playing for Victoria at the time) also had a phenomenal game with 12 points and 8 rebounds, as did Victoria’s Gerald Kazanowski, who had 8 points and 6 rebounds, and played superb defense the entire game (as he always did).

Every member of Canada’s 1984 Men’s Olympic team was a superstar in college, and everyone contributed and sacrificed, which allowed the team to grow into a powerful and dominant team under Donohue’s masterful leadership. Every player was critical to the team. But focusing for a moment on the Canadians who played university basketball in Canada, there has never been anything like the 1984 Olympics.

Eli Pasquale and Karl Tilleman were on the court again, but this time not as competitors in Calgary’s Red Gym. In 1984, they were playing together in the Los Angeles Forum chasing an Olympic Medal. Not bad for Canadian University basketball.

4 Years Later

They didn’t stop there. Under Donahue’s leadership, the Canadian men again qualified to compete in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where Canada finished a very respectable 6th place.

With Pasquale leading the team and almost always making the prefect assist, Tilleman set several Olympic scoring records in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, including the most three-point shots made in an Olympic game (10), and most three pointers in a half (8). Neither of Tilleman’s records has ever been broken.