1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

Basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1976 247px Michigan WolverinesESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 846 March 12 28, 1977 The Omni Atlanta, Georgia Marquette Warriors Marquette Warriors St. Bonaventure Bonnies Marques Johnson, UCLA Bruins Marques Johnson, UCLA Bruins The 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1976, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 28, 1977, at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. The Marquette Warriors won their first NCAA national championship with a 67–59 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Rule changes The slam dunk, prohibited in NCAA basketball games and warm-ups since the 1967–68 season because of criticism that it rewarded height rather than skill, once again became legal after a nine-season absence.Fitzpatrick, Frank, "When college basketball outlawed the dunk," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 23, 2014 Accessed April 6, 2021https://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/a-brief-history-of-mens-college-basketball/ Burnsed, Brian, "A Brief History of Men's College Basketball," Champion, Fall 2018 Accessed April 6, 2021 April 7, 2021 April 13, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210413013611/https://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/a-brief-history-of-mens-college-basketball/ dead Season headlines The National Invitation Tournament expanded from 12 to 16 teams. In the Pacific 8 Conference, UCLA won its 11th of what would ultimately be 13 consecutive conference titles. Season outlook Pre-season polls 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 836 'Associated Press'RankingTeam1Michigan (21)2Marquette (6)3North Carolina (9)4UCLA (2)5Indiana (7)6Kentucky (2)7UNLV8Maryland9Louisville (1)10Arizona11San Francisco (1)12Cincinnati13Alabama14Notre Dame15NC State16Tennessee17Rutgers18DePaul19UNC Charlotte20Missouri UPI CoachesRankingTeam1Marquette2Michigan3North Carolina4UCLA5Indiana6Kentucky7UNLV8Louisville9Arizona10Cincinnati11Maryland12San Francisco13Tennessee14NC State15Missouri16Wichita State17Georgetown18Rutgers19Penn20Purdue Conference membership changes The Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, with eight members, and the Sun Belt Conference, with six members, both began play this season. The ECBL, popularly known as the "Eastern 8," became the Eastern Athletic Association the following season and eventually became the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Yankee Conference dropped all sports except football at the end of the previous season, and seven of its members left the conference before this season began. Although Chattanooga joined the Southern Conference this season, it still was considered a Division II program. It completed its transition to Division I status after the conclusion of the season. SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Boston University Boston University Terriers Yankee Conference Division I independent Catholic Catholic Cardinals Mason–Dixon (D–II) Division I independent Charlotte UNC Charlotte 49ers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference Connecticut Connecticut Huskies Yankee Conference Division I independent Duquesne Duquesne Dukes Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Florida State Florida State Seminoles Division I independent Metro Conference George Washington George Washington Colonials Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Georgia State Georgia State Panthers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference Jacksonville Jacksonville Dolphins Division I independent Sun Belt Conference James Madison James Madison Dukes Division II independent Division I independent Maine Maine Black Bears Yankee Conference Division I independent Massachusetts Massachusetts Minutemen Yankee Conference Eastern Collegiate Basketball League New Hampshire New Hampshire Wildcats Yankee Conference Division I independent New Orleans New Orleans Privateers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference Northwestern State Northwestern State Demons NAIA Independent Division I independent Old Dominion Old Dominion Monarchs Division II independent Division I independent Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Portland Portland Pilots Division I independent West Coast Athletic Conference Rhode Island Rhode Island Rams Yankee Conference Division I independent Richmond Richmond Spiders Southern Conference Division I independent Robert Morris Robert Morris Colonials No program Division I independent Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Siena Siena Saints Division II independent Division I independent South Alabama South Alabama Jaguars Division I independent Sun Belt Conference South Florida South Florida Bulls Division I independent Sun Belt Conference UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Division I independent Pacific Coast Athletic Association UNC Wilmington UNC Wilmington Seahawks NAIA Independent Division I independent Valparaiso Valparaiso Crusaders Indiana Collegiate Conference (D–II) Division I independent Vermont Vermont Catamounts Yankee Conference Division I independent Villanova Villanova Wildcats Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Wagner Wagner Seahawks Division II independent Division I independent West Virginia West Virginia Mountaineers Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League Western Carolina Western Carolina Catamounts NAIA Independent Division I independent Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments ConferenceRegular season winnerhttp://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2009/Standings.pdf 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section 2009 NCAA 2009-02-14Conference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Rod Griffin, Wake Forest2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192652/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/09mbkguide083112.pdf 2016-03-03 , retrieved 2009-02-14 1977 ACC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) North CarolinaBig Eight Conference Kansas State Kim Anderson, Missouri, &Mike Evans, Kansas State2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 1977 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament Kemper Arena(Kansas City, Missouri)(Semifinals and Finals) Kansas StateBig Sky Conference Idaho State None selected 1977 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament ISU Minidome(Pocatello, Idaho) Idaho StateBig Ten Conference Michigan None Selected No TournamentEast Coast Conference Hofstra & Temple (East)Lafayette (West) Rich Laurel, Hofstra 1977 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament Kirby Sports Center(Easton, Pennsylvania) HofstraEastern Collegiate Basketball League (Eastern 8) Rutgers (East)Penn State & West Virginia (West) Norm Nixon, Duquesne 1977 Eastern 8 men's basketball tournament The Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Duquesne Eastern College AthleticConference (ECAC) Division I ECAC membersplayed as independentsduring the regular season(see note) Tony Hanson, ConnecticutCarson, Chris, "UConn Basketball: The Top 50 Players in School History," Bleacher Report, November 8, 2011 Accessed April 3, 2021 1977 ECAC Metro Region tournament Madison Square Garden(New York, New York) St. John's 1977 ECAC New England Region tournament Hartford Civic Center(Hartford, Connecticut) Holy Cross 1977 ECAC Southern Region tournament Campus sites SyracuseIvy League Princeton Frank Sowinski, PrincetonMen's Ivy League Outstanding performers https://web.archive.org/web/20080429080237/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/alltime.asp?intSID=6 2008-04-29 , Ivy League, retrieved 2009-02-01 No TournamentMetro Conference Louisville Gary Yoder, Cincinnati 1977 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Mid-South Coliseum(Memphis, Tennessee) CincinnatiMid-American Conference Central Michigan Matt Hicks, Northern Illinois2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference New Mexico State & Southern Illinois Roger Phegley, Bradley 1977 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Levitt Arena(Wichita, Kansas) Southern IllinoisOhio Valley Conference Austin Peay Otis Howard, Austin Peay 1977 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Dunn Center(Clarksville, Tennessee)(Semifinals and Finals) Middle TennesseePacific-8 Conference UCLA Marques Johnson, UCLANo TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association Long Beach State & San Diego State Lloyd McMillian, Long Beach State 1977 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament Anaheim Convention Center(Anaheim, California) Long Beach StateSoutheastern Conference Kentucky & Tennessee Ernie Grunfeld, Tennessee, & Bernard King, Tennessee2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Furman & VMI Ron Carter, VMI2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110723151437/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 July 23, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1977 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Roanoke Civic Center(Roanoke, Virginia)(Semifinals and Finals) VMI2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110930163611/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 September 30, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southland Conference Southwest Louisiana Dan Henderson, Arkansas State2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Arkansas Otis Birdsong, Houston 1977 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament The Summit(Houston, Texas) ArkansasSun Belt Conference UNC Charlotte Cedric Maxwell, UNC Charlotte2007–08 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Media Guide, Sun Belt Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 1977 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) (Finals) UNC CharlotteWest Coast Athletic Conference San Francisco Bill Cartwright, San Francisco No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference Utah None Selected No Tournament NOTE: From 1975 to 1981, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1977 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did.Varsity Pride: ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments Conference standings Division I independents A total of 78 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, UNLV (29–3) had both the best winning percentage (.906) and the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1977.html Sports Reference 1976-77 Men's Independent Season Summary August 20, 2024https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/njny7/men/1977.html Sports Reference 1976-77 Men's New Jersey-New York 7 Conference Season Summary August 20, 2024 Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerNew Jersey-New York 7 Conference 1976 men Columbia Lions Columbia & 1976 men Seton Hall Pirates Seton Hall None selected Columbia and Seton Hall both finished with 3–2 records in head-to-head competition among members of the New Jersey-New York 7 Conference. ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Penn & Temple Keven McDonald, Penn Penn and Temple both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. Statistical leaders Points per game Rebounds per game Assists per game True Shooting Percentage Player School PPG Player School RPG Player School FG% Player School TS% Freeman Williams Portland State 38.8 Glenn Mosley Seton Hall 16.3 Jeff Jonas Utah 10.7 Cedric Maxwell Charlotte .682 Anthony Roberts Oral Roberts 34.0 John Irving Hofstra 16.3 Kenny Higgs LSU 8.9 Dave Montgomery VMI .680 Larry BirdIndiana State 32.8 Robert Elmore Wichita State 15.8 Johnny Darden Tennessee 8.2 Joe Senser West Chester .670 Otis Birdsong Houston 30.3 Bob Stephens Drexel 14.8 Nick Pappageorge Saint Mary's 7.9 Frank Sowinski Princeton .669 Rich Laurel Hofstra 30.3 Mark Landsberger Arizona State 14.4 Oscar Williams Utah State 7.7 Sidney Moncrief Arkansas .667 1976-77 Men's College Basketball Leaders https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/men/1977-leaders.html 2025-07-31 College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com en Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament 1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game Final Four National semifinals National finals Third place E North Carolina 84 W UNLV 83 ME UNC Charlotte 49 MW Marquette 51 E North Carolina 59 MW Marquette 67 W UNLV 106 ME UNC Charlotte 94 National Invitation tournament 1977 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals & finals no Semifinals Finals Third place   Alabama 76   Houston 82   Villanova 82   St. Bonaventure 86   Houston 91   St. Bonaventure 94   Alabama 89   Villanova 102 Awards Consensus All-American teams 1977 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Kent Benson C Senior Indiana Otis Birdsong G Senior Houston Phil Ford G Junior North Carolina Rickey Green G Senior Michigan Marques Johnson F Senior UCLA Bernard King F Junior Tennessee + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Greg Ballard F Senior Oregon Bill Cartwright C Sophomore San Francisco Rod Griffin G Junior Wake Forest Ernie Grunfeld F Senior Tennessee Phil Hubbard F Senior Michigan Butch Lee G Junior Marquette Mychal Thompson F/C Junior Minnesota Major player of the year awards Wooden Award: Marques Johnson, UCLA Naismith Award: Marques Johnson, UCLA Helms Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA UPI Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA NABC Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Marques Johnson, UCLA Adolph Rupp Trophy: Marques Johnson, UCLA Sporting News Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA Major coach of the year awards Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bob Gaillard, San Francisco Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Eddie Sutton, Arkansas NABC Coach of the Year: Dean Smith, North Carolina UPI Coach of the Year: Bob Gaillard, San Francisco Sporting News Coach of the Year: Lee Rose, UNC Charlotte Other major awards Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Jeff Jonas, Utah Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Keven McDonald, Penn NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Rich Laurel, Hofstra Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAustin PeayLake KellyEd Thompson Ball StateJim HolsteinSteve YoderBaylorCarroll DawsonJim HallerBoston CollegeBob ZuffelatoTom DavisButlerGeorge TheofanisJoe SexsonCanisiusJohnny McCarthyNick MacarchukConnecticutDee RoweDom PernoDenverAl HardenBill WeimarDetroitDick VitaleSmokey GainesDrexelRay HaeslerEddie BurkeEast CarolinaDave PattonLarry GillmanFresno StateEd GregoryBoyd GrantGeorgia SouthernLarry ChapmanJ. B. ScearceGeorgia StateJack WatersRoger CouchHardin–SimmonsPreston ViceJim ShulerHarvardSatch SandersFrank McLaughlin Houston BaptistBob McKinleyGene IbaIdaho StateJim KillingsworthLynn Archibald Killingworth left to coach Oklahoma State.LafayetteTom DavisRoy ChipmanDavis left to coach Boston College.Louisiana TechEmmett HendricksJ. D. BarnettMarquetteAl McGuireHank RaymondsMarshallBob DanielsStu AberdeenMcNeese StateE. W. FoyGlenn DuhonMississippi StateKermit Davis Sr.Ron GreeneNew OrleansRon GreeneButch van Breda Kolff Greene left to coach Mississippi State.Oklahoma StateGuy R. StrongJim KillingsworthOral RobertsJerry HaleLake Kelly PennChuck DalyBob Weinhauer RiceBob PolkMike SchulerSaint LouisRandy AlbrechtRon ColemanSaint Peter'sDick McDonaldBob KellyTCUJohnny SwaimTim SomervilleTennesseeRay MearsCliff WettigUCLAGene BartowGary CunninghamWestern CarolinaFred ConleySteve Cottrell References 2