1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

1977–78 season of University of Kentucky men's basketball team March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats 150 Southeast Conference SEC 1 1 30–2 16–2 Joe B. Hall 6th Dick Parsons Leonard Hamilton Joe Dean, Jr. Jack Givens Rick Robey Rupp Arena NCAA tournament National ChampionsNCAA Division I regular season championsSEC regular season champions National Championship Game W Won 94–88 vs. Duke The 1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team were coached by Joe B. Hall. The team finished the season with a 30–2 record and SEC Championship and won the 1978 NCAA Championship over Duke, 94–88. Noting the all-or-nothing pressure exhibited on the team by Kentucky fans, Hall remarked before the title game that "This season was without celebration for us.""A Season Without Celebration: Hall." Schenectady Gazette. 1978 Mar 27. Retrieved 2015-May-24. thumb|160px|left|Rick Robey, James Lee and Jack Givens celebrate winning the title. Season summary Those who witnessed it call Jack Givens' 41 point game against Duke in the 1978 NCAA championship game one of the finest performances in the game's history. Givens made 18-of-27 shots in leading Kentucky to its fifth national championship and first in 20 years. This team also had a pair of bruising frontcourt players in Mike Phillips and Rick Robey and a great point guard in Kyle Macy. The Wildcats went on exhibition tour of Japan in June following the season's end. Schedule November 26 yes 2 SMU 110–86 1–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 5 yes 1 Indiana Indiana–Kentucky rivalry 78–64 2–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 10 yes 1 yes 19 Kansas 73–66 3–0 Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS December 12 yes 1 South Carolina 84–65 4–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 16 yes 1 Portland State UK Invitation Tournament 114–88 5–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 17 yes 1 St. John's UK Invitation Tournament 102–72 6–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 23 yes 1 Iona 104–65 7–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY December 31 yes NBC 1 4 Notre Dame 73–68Kentucky Rally Tops Notre Dame, 73-68 https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/01/archives/kentucky-rally-tops-notre-dame-7368-kentucky-rallies-to-top-notre.html The New York Times January 1, 1978 November 15, 2020 8–0 Freedom Hall Louisville, KY January 2 1 Vanderbilt 72–59 9–0 1–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY January 7 1 yes Florida 86–67 10–0 2–0 O'Connell Center Gainesville, FL January 9 1 yes Auburn 101–77 11–0 3–0 Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum Auburn, AL January 14 1 LSU 96–76 12–0 4–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY January 16 1 Ole Miss 76–56 13–0 5–0 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY January 21 1 yes Mississippi State 75–65 14–0 6–0 Humphrey Coliseum Starkville, MS January 23 1 yes Alabama 62–78 14–1 6–1 Coleman Coliseum Tuscaloosa, AL January 30 1 Georgia 90–73 15–1 7–1 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 4 1 Florida 88–61 16–1 8–1 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 6 1 Auburn 104–81 17–1 9–1 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 11 1 yes LSU 94–95 OT 17–2 9–2 LSU Assembly Center Baton Rouge, LA February 13 1 yes Ole Miss 64–52 18–2 10–2 Tad Smith Coliseum Oxford, MS February 15 3 Tennessee 90–77 19–2 11–2 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 18 3 Mississippi State 58–56 20–2 12–2 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 20 3 Alabama 97–84 21–2 13–2 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY February 25 2 yes Tennessee 68–57 22–2 14–2 Stokely Athletic Center Knoxville, TN February 27 2 yes Georgia 78–67 23–2 15–2 Georgia Coliseum Athens, GA March 4 yes NBC 1 UNLV 92–70 24–2 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY March 6 1 yes Vanderbilt 78–68 25–2 16–2 Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, TN March 11 yes NBC ME 2Q 1 yes ME 4L 13 Florida State NCAA tournament 85–76 26–2 Stokely Athletic Center 12,700 Knoxville, TN March 16 yes NCAA Productions ME 2Q 1 yes ME 3Q 19 Miami (OH) NCAA Tournament 91–69 27–2 University of Dayton Arena Dayton, OH March 18 yes NBC ME 2Q 1 yes ME 1Q 4 Michigan State NCAA Tournament 52–49 28–2 University of Dayton Arena Dayton, OH March 25 yes NBC ME 2Q 1 yes W 2L 5 Arkansas NCAA Tournament 64–59 29–2 Checkerdome St. Louis, MO March 27 yes NBC ME 2Q 1 yes E 1Q 7 Duke NCAA Championship 94–88 30–2 Checkerdome St. Louis, MO AP poll Eastern Time ME Mideast 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball media guide https://web.archive.org/web/20141021060507/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/kty/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/prospectus/prospectus.pdf 2014-10-21 . Retrieved 2015-May-24. Statistics Jack Givens (6'4", Sr, F) 18.1 ppg Rick Robey (6'10", Sr, F) 14.4 ppg Kyle Macy (6'3", So, G) 12.5 ppg James Lee (6'5", Sr, F) 11.3 ppg Mike Phillips (6'10", Sr, C) 10.2 ppg Truman Claytor (6'1", Jr, G) 6.9 ppg Awards and honors Jack Givens, NCAA Men's MOP Awardhttp://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/history/outstandingplayer Final Four Most Outstanding Players cbs.sportsline.com 31 March 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080907123518/http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/history/outstandingplayer 7 September 2008 Team players drafted into the NBA Round Pick Player NBA club 1 3Rick Robey Indiana Pacers 1 16Jack Givens Atlanta Hawks 2 39James Lee Seattle SuperSonicshttp://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?lg=N&yr=1978 1978 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com 2010-03-28 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20100318002242/http://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1978&lg=N 2010-03-18 References Kentucky Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats Category:Long stubs with short prose