1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

Basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1975 247px Indiana HoosiersESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 846 March 13 29, 1976 The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Indiana Hoosiers Indiana Hoosiers Kentucky Wildcats Scott May, Indiana Hoosiers Kent Benson, Indiana Hoosiers Scott May, Indiana Hoosiers The 1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1975, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 29, 1976, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Indiana Hoosiers won their third NCAA national championship with a 86–68 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. Season headlines The Metro Conference began play, with six original members. The last basketball season for the Yankee Conference, which dropped all sports except football at the end of the season. Indiana went undefeated (32–0) during the season. In the Pacific 8 Conference, UCLA won its 10th of what would ultimately be 13 consecutive conference titles. The National Invitation Tournament contracted from 16 to 12 teams. Two African-American head coaches met in an NCAA tournament game for the first time, when Fred Snowden’s Arizona Wildcats faced John Thompson’s Georgetown Hoyas in a first-round game on March 13, 1976.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 12 Two teams from the same conference played in the NCAA championship game for the first time, when Big Ten Conference members Indiana and Michigan met on March 29, 1976. Such an occurrence was impossible prior to the 1975 tournament, since only one team per conference could qualify from 1939 through 1974. Bob Knight of Indiana became the first head coach to win the NCAA championship after playing for an NCAA championship team. He had played for the 1960 champion Ohio State team.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 13 Season outlook Pre-season polls 1975–76 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'RankingTeam1Indiana (30)2UCLA (13)3Maryland4Marquette5North Carolina6Kentucky (2)7Notre Dame8Louisville9Tennessee (1)10Cincinnati11Arizona12Alabama13NC State14Kansas State15San Francisco16Michigan17Providence18Arizona State19(tie)Memphis StateAuburn20Syracuse UPI CoachesRankingTeam1Indiana2Marquette3Maryland4North Carolina5UCLA6Tennessee7Louisville8Notre Dame9Arizona10Alabama11Cincinnati12UNLV13Washington14San Francisco15USC16Kentucky17Rutgers18NC State19Michigan20Kansas State Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Ball State Ball State Cardinals Division I independent Mid-American Conference Cal State Los Angeles Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles Division I independent California Collegiate Athletic Association (D–II) Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats Division I independent Metro Conference Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Division I independent Metro Conference Houston Houston Cougars Division I independent Southwest Conference Louisville Louisville Cardinals Missouri Valley Conference Metro Conference Memphis State Memphis State Tigers Division I independent Metro Conference Nevada Las Vegas UNLV Runnin' Rebels West Coast Athletic Conference Division I independent New Orleans New Orleans Privateers Division II independent Division I independent North Texas North Texas State Mean Green Missouri Valley Conference Division I independent Northern Illinois Northern Illinois Huskies Division I independent Mid-American Conference Saint Louis Saint Louis Billikens Division I independent Metro Conference Southern Illinois Southern Illinois Salukis Division I independent Missouri Valley Conference Tulane Tulane Green Wave Division I independent Metro Conference 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 Mitch Kupchak, North Carolina2008–09 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 1976 ACC men's basketball tournament Capital Centre(Landover, Maryland) VirginiaBig Eight Conference Missouri Willie Smith, Missouri2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 No TournamentBig Sky Conference Boise State, Idaho State, & Weber State None selected 1976 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Swenson Gym(Ogden, Utah) Boise StateBig Ten Conference Indiana None Selected No TournamentEast Coast Conference Saint Joseph's (East)Lafayette (West) Todd Tripucka, Lafayette 1976 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament The Palestra(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Hofstra Eastern College AthleticConference (ECAC) Division I ECAC membersplayed as independentsduring the regular season(see note) 1976 ECAC Metro Region tournament Jadwin Gymnasium(Princeton, New Jersey) Rutgers 1976 ECAC New England Region tournament Springfield Civic Center(Springfield, Massachusetts) Connecticut 1976 ECAC Southern Region tournament WVU Coliseum(Morgantown, West Virginia) Georgetown 1976 ECAC Upstate Region tournament Manley Field House(Syracuse, New York) SyracuseIvy League Princeton Armond Hill, 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 Tulane Gary Yoder, Cincinnati 1976 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Freedom Hall(Louisville, Kentucky) CincinnatiMid-American Conference Western Michigan Jeff Tyson, Western Michigan2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Wichita State Mike Glenn, Southern Illinois No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Western Kentucky Johnny Britt, Western Kentucky, & Tom Sisneros, Middle Tennessee 1976 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament E.A. Diddle Arena(Bowling Green, Kentucky)(Semifinals and Finals) Western KentuckyPacific-8 Conference UCLA Ron Lee, OregonNo TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association Long Beach State & Cal State Fullerton Steve Copp, San Diego State, & Greg Bunch, Cal State Fullerton 1976 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium(Stockton, California) San Diego StateSoutheastern Conference Alabama Bernard King, Tennessee2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference VMI Rodney McKeever,The Citadel2008–09 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 1976 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Greenville Memorial Auditorium(Greenville, South Carolina)(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 Louisiana Tech Mike McConathy, Louisiana Tech2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Texas A&M Ira Terrell, SMUhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/30140059 SWC honors told The Port Arthur News March 7, 1976 December 27, 2022 26 Newspapers.com 1976 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament Moody Coliseum(Dallas, Texas) Texas TechWest Coast Athletic Conference Pepperdine Marcos Leite, Pepperdine No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference Arizona None Selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts 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 1976 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1976 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 77 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, Rutgers (31–2) had both the best winning percentage (.939) and the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1976.html Sports Reference 1975-76 Men's Independent Season Summary August 20, 2024 Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Saint Joseph's & Villanova Charlie Wise, La Salle Saint Joseph's and Villanova both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game Final Four National semifinals National finals Third place E Rutgers 70 MW Michigan 86 ME Indiana 65 W UCLA 51 MW Michigan 68 ME Indiana 86 E Rutgers 92 W UCLA 106 National Invitation tournament 1976 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals & finals no Semifinals Finals   UNC Charlotte 80   NC State 79   Kentucky 79   Providence 78   UNC Charlotte 67   Kentucky 71   NC State 74   Providence 69 Awards Consensus All-American teams 1976 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Kent Benson C Junior Indiana Adrian Dantley F Junior Notre Dame John Lucas G Senior Maryland Scott May F Senior Indiana Richard Washington F/C Junior UCLA + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Phil Ford G Sophomore North Carolina Bernard King F Sophomore Tennessee Mitch Kupchak F/C Senior North Carolina Phil Sellers G Senior Rutgers Earl Tatum G/F Senior Marquette Major player of the year awards Naismith Award: Scott May, Indiana Helms Player of the Year: Kent Benson, Indiana, & Scott May, Indiana Associated Press Player of the Year: Scott May, Indiana UPI Player of the Year: Scott May, Indiana NABC Player of the Year: Scott May, Indiana Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Adrian Dantley, Notre Dame Adolph Rupp Trophy: Scott May, Indiana Sporting News Player of the Year: Scott May, Indiana Major coach of the year awards Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bob Knight, Indiana Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Johnny Orr, Michigan NABC Coach of the Year: Johnny Orr, Michigan UPI Coach of the Year: Tom Young, Rutgers Sporting News Coach of the Year: Tom Young, Rutgers Other major awards Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Frank Alagia, St. John's Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Charlie Wise, La Salle NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Phil Sellers, Rutgers Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonArkansas StateJohn RoseMarvin AdamsBowling Green StatePat HaleyJohn WeinertColgateBill VespMike GriffinColoradoSox WalsethBill BlairDavidsonRobert BricklesDave PritchettDelawareDonald HarnumRonald RaineyEast Tennessee StateLeroy FisherSonny SmithEastern KentuckyBob MulcahyEd ByhreEastern MichiganAllan FreundRay ScottFordhamHal WisselDae StewartHawaiiBruce O'NeilRick PitinoLarry LittleIowa StateKen TrickeyLynn NanceLamarJack MartinBilly TubbsMichigan StateGus GanakasJud Heathcote MontanaJud HeathcoteJim Brandenburg Heathcote left to coach Michigan State.NavyDave SmalleyBob HamiltonNevadaJim PadgettJim CareyNiagaraFrank LaydenDan RaskinNorthern IllinoisEmory LuckJohn McDougalOhio StateFred TaylorEldon MillerOle MissCob JarvisBob WeltlichPan AmericanAbe LemonsBill WhiteSouthern MissJeep ClarkM. K. TurkSyracuseRoy DanforthJim BoeheimRoy Danforth departed for the head coaching position at Tulane. Boeheim, Danforth's lead assistant, held the position for 47 seasons.Tennessee TechConnie InmanCliff MalpassTexasLeon BlackAbe Lemons Texas–Pan AmericanAbe LemonsBill White TulaneCharles MoirRoy Danforth Danforth succeeded Charles Moir, who left the Green Wave for Virginia Tech.Texas–ArlingtonBarry DowdBob "Snake" LeGrandVanderbiltRoy SkinnerWayne DobbsVCUChuck NoeDana KirkVirginia TechDon DeVoeCharles MoirVMIBill BlairCharlie Schmaus Blair left to coach Colorado.Western MichiganEldon MillerDick Shilts WyomingMoe RadovichDon DeVoe References 2