1976–77 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 December 2020 Basketball 1976–77 Illinois State Redbirds Illinois State Redbirds Wordmark.png 175 Horton Field House Gene Smithson 2nd Ron Ferguson Bill Flanagan Jeff Jones Roger Powell Independent 22–7 Connecticut Classic champion NIT Quarterfinal The 1976–77 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented Illinois State University during the 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds, led by second year head coach Gene Smithson, played their home games at Horton Field House and competed as an independent (not a member of a conference). They finished the season 22–7. The Redbirds received an invitation to the 1977 National Invitation Tournament. It was their first postseason appearance as an NCAA Division I member. They defeated Creighton University in the regional round and lost to the University of Houston in the quarterfinal round. Roster Illinois State Redbirds y 1976 John Crossen 6 6 220 Sr F 24 St. Clair Shores, MI Jeff Widdel 6 6 209 Sr F 52 Rock Island, IL Jeff Wilkins basketball 7 0 225 Sr C 00 Chicago, IL y Billy Lewis 6 6 195 Jr F 10 Chicago, IL Rick Ferina 6 3 180 So G 31 Niles, IL Derrick Mayes 6 1 170 So G 21 Elgin, IL Joe Galvin 7 0 200 Fr C 32 Bloomington, IL Ron Jones 6 4 165 Fr G 13 Venice, IL Larry Lowe 6 8 190 Fr F 35 Glenwood, IL Robert McCoy 6 5 195 Fr F 42 Chicago Heights, IL Randy Smithson 6 3 170 Fr y G 44 Normal, IL Del Yarbrough 6 7 225 Fr F 45 North Chicago, IL Gene Smithson (North Central (IL)) Ron Ferguson (Illinois) Bill Flanagan (Monmouth (IL)) Jeff Jones (Illinois State) Roger Powell (Illinois State) December 15, 2020 Redbird basketball 76–77 https://videttearchive.ilstu.edu/?a=d&d=vid19761119-02 The Daily Vidette Schedule yes yes |- !colspan=9 style=Illinois State Redbirds|Regular Season November 26, 1976 7:00 pm New Orleans Classic[Semifinal] yes yes Northeast Louisiana Health & Physical Education Center New Orleans, LA 2,850 87–78   Lewis 12 Lewis 26 1–0 November 27, 1976 New Orleans Classic[Final] yes yes New Orleans Health & Physical Education Center New Orleans, LA 3,162 73–91   Wilkins 12 Wilkins,Mayes 17 1–1 November 30, 1976 7:30 pm yes Lewis Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,000 79–60   Lewis 15 Lewis 16 2–1 December 4, 1976 6:00 pm yes yes Central Michigan Daniel P. Rose Center Mount Pleasant, MI 6,075 81–76   Lewis 11 Wilkins 28 3–1 December 6, 1976 7:30 pm yes Northern Illinois Horton Field House Normal, IL 4,700 78–76   Wilkins 10 Wilkins 29 4–1 December 11, 1976 7:30 pm yes San Jose State Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,500 101–82   Wilkins 13 Wilkins 18 5–1 December 18, 1976 7:15 pm yes yes Akron Memorial Hall Akron, OH 832 91–85   Wilkins 14 Wilkins 27 6–1 December 20, 1976 6:30 pm yes yes Kent State Memorial Gymnasium Kent, OH 1,200 73–69   Wilkins 12 Wilkins 26 7–1 December 23, 1976 7:30 pm yes Drake Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,200 67–80   Wilkins 14 Wilkins 23 7–2 December 28, 1976 Connecticut Classic[Semifinal] yes yes Seattle Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT 6,630 83–72   Wilkins 14 Lewis 28 8–2 December 29, 1976 Connecticut Classic[Final] yes yes Connecticut Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT 9,367 88–77       9–2 January 3, 1977 7:30 pm yes Bradley Horton Field House Normal, IL 6,200 89–66       10–2 WEEK January 5, 1977 7:30 pm yes Pacific Horton Field House Normal, IL 3,200 74–56       11–2 January 10, 1977 7:30 pm yes Northern Iowa Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,700 74–61       12–2 January 12, 1977 10:05 pm yes yes San Jose State Independence High School Gymnasium San Jose CA 2,350 75–79       12–3 January 15, 1977 7:30 pm yes yes Oral Roberts John Mabee Center Tulsa, OK 9,646 75–84       12–4 January 19, 1977 7:30 pm yes Saint Louis Horton Field House Normal, IL 4,200 77–84 2OT       12–5 January 22, 1977 7:30 pm yes yes Western Illinois Western Hall Macomb, IL 4,220 89–80       13–5 January 25, 1977 7:30 pm yes Indiana State Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,300 70–64       14–5 January 27, 1977 7:30 pm yes Northern Colorado Horton Field House Normal, IL 3,500 108–61       15–5 January 31, 1977 6:30 pm yes yes Indiana State Hulman Civic University Center Terre Haute, IN 10,102 84–100       15–6 February 3, 1977 7:30 pm yes Nevada–Las Vegas 4 Horton Field House Normal, IL 8,000 88–84       16–6 February 5, 1977 6:30 pm yes yes Marshall Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse Huntington, WV 2,638 103–91       17–6 February 12, 1977 7:30 pm yes Southern Illinois–Edwardsville Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,300 85–58       18–6 February 16, 1977 7:30 pm yes yes Northern Illinois Chick Evans Field House DeKalb, IL 6,076 70–66       19–6 February 19, 1977 7:30 pm yes South Alabama Horton Field House Normal, IL 5,700 107–82       20–6 February 26, 1977 7:30 pm yes Butler Horton Field House Normal, IL 8,000 83–75     Wilkins 41 21–6 |- !colspan=9 style=Illinois State Redbirds|National Invitation {NIT} Tournament March 8, 1977 7:30 pm Regional yes yes Creighton Omaha Civic Auditorium Omaha, NE 6,336 65–58 Lewis 4 Wilkins 12 Wilkins 21 22–6 March 14, 1977 8:00 pm Quarterfinal yes yes Houston Madison Square Garden (IV) New York, NY 9,581 90–91 OT Jones 13 Wilkins 9 Wilkins 28 22–7 AP Poll Central Standard Time December 16, 2020 1976-77 Illinois State Redbirds Schedule and Results https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/illinois-state/1977-schedule.html Sports Reference December 17, 2020 1976-77 Men's Basketball Schedule https://goredbirds.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1976-77 Illinois State Redbirds References Category:Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball seasons Illinois State Illinois State