1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1Michigan Wolverines[1][2]
NCAA Tournament1977
Tournament datesMarch 12 – 28, 1977
National ChampionshipThe Omni
Atlanta, Georgia
NCAA ChampionsMarquette Warriors
Helms National ChampionsMarquette Warriors
Other championsSt. Bonaventure (NIT)
Player of the Year
(Naismith, Wooden)		Marques Johnson, UCLA
Player of the Year
(Helms)		Marques Johnson, UCLA

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.[3][4]

Season headlines

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

Main article: 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.[5][6]

'Associated Press'
Ranking Team
1 Michigan (21)
2 Marquette (6)
3 North Carolina (9)
4 UCLA (2)
5 Indiana (7)
6 Kentucky (2)
7 UNLV
8 Maryland
9 Louisville (1)
10 Arizona
11 San Francisco (1)
12 Cincinnati
13 Alabama
14 Notre Dame
15 NC State
16 Tennessee
17 Rutgers
18 DePaul
19 UNC Charlotte
20 Missouri
UPI Coaches
Ranking Team
1 Marquette
2 Michigan
3 North Carolina
4 UCLA
5 Indiana
6 Kentucky
7 UNLV
8 Louisville
9 Arizona
10 Cincinnati
11 Maryland
12 San Francisco
13 Tennessee
14 NC State
15 Missouri
16 Wichita State
17 Georgetown
18 Rutgers
19 Penn
20 Purdue

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.

School Former conference New conference
Boston University Terriers Yankee Conference Division I independent
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Division I independent Pacific Coast Athletic Association
UNC Charlotte 49ers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
Chattanooga Mocs Division II independent Southern Conference
Connecticut Huskies Yankee Conference Division I independent
Creighton Bluejays Division I independent Missouri Valley Conference
Duquesne Dukes Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
Florida State Seminoles Division I independent Metro Conference
George Washington Colonials Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
Georgia State Panthers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
Indiana State Sycamores Division I independent Missouri Valley Conference
Jacksonville Dolphins Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
Maine Black Bears Yankee Conference Division I independent
Marshall Thundering Herd Division I independent Southern Conference
Massachusetts Minutemen Yankee Conference Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
New Hampshire Wildcats Yankee Conference Division I independent
New Orleans Privateers Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
Penn State Nittany Lions Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
Pittsburgh Panthers Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
Portland Pilots Division I independent West Coast Athletic Conference
Rhode Island Rams Yankee Conference Division I independent
Richmond Spiders Southern Conference Division I independent
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
South Alabama Jaguars Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
South Florida Bulls Division I independent Sun Belt Conference
Rhode Island Rams Yankee Conference Division I independent
Vermont Catamounts Yankee Conference Division I independent
West Virginia Mountaineers Division I independent Eastern Collegiate Basketball League
Western Carolina Catamounts Non-Division I independent Southern Conference

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference Regular
season winner[7] 		Conference
player of the year 		Conference
tournament 		Tournament
venue (City) 		Tournament
winner
Atlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Rod Griffin, Wake Forest[8] 1977 ACC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum
(Greensboro, North Carolina)		 North Carolina
Big Eight Conference Kansas State Kim Anderson, Missouri, &
Mike Evans, Kansas State[9]		 1977 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament Kemper Arena
(Kansas City, Missouri)
(Semifinals and Finals)		 Kansas State
Big Sky Conference Idaho State None selected 1977 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament ISU Minidome
(Pocatello, Idaho)		 Idaho State
Big Ten Conference Michigan None Selected No Tournament
East Coast Conference Hofstra & Temple (East)
Lafayette (West)		 Rich Laurel, Hofstra 1977 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament Kirby Sports Center
(Easton, Pennsylvania)		 Hofstra
Eastern 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 Athletic
Conference (ECAC) 		Division I ECAC members
played as independents
during the regular season
(see note) 		Tony Hanson, Connecticut[10] 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 Syracuse
Ivy League Princeton Frank Sowinski, Princeton[11] No Tournament
Metro Conference Louisville Gary Yoder, Cincinnati 1977 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Mid-South Coliseum
(Memphis, Tennessee)		 Cincinnati
Mid-American Conference Central Michigan Matt Hicks, Northern Illinois[12] No Tournament
Missouri Valley Conference New Mexico State & Southern Illinois Roger Phegley, Bradley 1977 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Levitt Arena
(Wichita, Kansas)		 Southern Illinois
Ohio Valley Conference Austin Peay Otis Howard, Austin Peay 1977 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Dunn Center
(Clarksville, Tennessee)
(Semifinals and Finals)		 Middle Tennessee
Pacific-8 Conference UCLA Marques Johnson, UCLA No Tournament
Pacific 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 State
Southeastern Conference Kentucky & Tennessee Ernie Grunfeld, Tennessee, & Bernard King, Tennessee[13] No Tournament
Southern Conference Furman & VMI Ron Carter, VMI[14] 1977 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Roanoke Civic Center
(Roanoke, Virginia)
(Semifinals and Finals)		 VMI[15]
Southland Conference Southwest Louisiana Dan Henderson, Arkansas State[16] No Tournament
Southwest Conference Arkansas Otis Birdsong, Houston 1977 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament The Summit
(Houston, Texas)		 Arkansas
Sun Belt Conference UNC Charlotte Cedric Maxwell, UNC Charlotte[17] 1977 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum
(Charlotte, North Carolina) (Finals)		 UNC Charlotte
West Coast Athletic Conference San Francisco Bill Cartwright, San Francisco No Tournament
Western 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.[18]

Conference standings

1976–77 ACC men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 5 North Carolina† 9 – 3   .750 28 – 5   .848
No. 9 Wake Forest 8 – 4   .667 22 – 8   .733
Clemson 8 – 4   .667 22 – 6   .786
Maryland 7 – 5   .583 19 – 8   .704
NC State 6 – 6   .500 17 – 11   .607
Virginia 2 – 10   .167 12 – 17   .414
Duke 2 – 10   .167 14 – 13   .519
† 1977 ACC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 16 Kansas State † 11 – 3   .786 23 – 8   .742
Missouri 9 – 5   .643 21 – 8   .724
Oklahoma 9 – 5   .643 18 – 10   .643
Kansas 8 – 6   .571 18 – 10   .643
Nebraska 7 – 7   .500 15 – 14   .517
Colorado 5 – 9   .357 11 – 16   .407
Oklahoma State 4 – 10   .286 10 – 17   .370
Iowa State 3 – 11   .214 7 – 20   .259
† 1977 Big Eight tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[19]
1976–77 Big Sky men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Idaho State † 13 – 1   .929 25 – 5   .833
Weber State 11 – 3   .786 20 – 8   .714
Gonzaga 7 – 7   .500 11 – 16   .407
Montana State 6 – 8   .429 12 – 14   .462
Northern Arizona 5 – 9   .357 12 – 15   .444
Boise State 5 – 9   .357 10 – 16   .385
Montana 5 – 9   .357 7 – 19   .269
Idaho 3 – 11   .214 5 – 21   .192
† Conference tournament winner
1976–77 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 1 Michigan 16 – 2   .889 26 – 4   .867
Purdue 14 – 4   .778 20 – 8   .714
Iowa 12 – 6   .667 20 – 7   .741
Indiana 11 – 7   .611 16 – 11   .593
Michigan State 9 – 9   .500 12 – 15   .444
Illinois 8 – 10   .444 16 – 14   .533
Wisconsin 7 – 11   .389 11 – 16   .407
Northwestern 7 – 11   .389 9 – 18   .333
Ohio State 6 – 12   .333 11 – 16   .407
No. 13 Minnesota* 0 – 18   .000 0 – 27   .000
Rankings from AP Poll
*Minnesota forfeited all games due to NCAA sanctions.
Disputed record (15–3, 24–3)
1976–77 ECC men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
Temple 4 – 1   .800 17 – 11   .607
Hofstra † 4 – 1   .800 23 – 7   .767
La Salle 3 – 2   .600 17 – 12   .586
Saint Joseph's 2 – 3   .400 13 – 13   .500
American 2 – 3   .400 13 – 13   .500
Drexel 0 – 5   .000 11 – 13   .458
West
Lafayette 9 – 1   .900 21 – 6   .778
Delaware 7 – 3   .700 12 – 13   .480
Lehigh 6 – 4   .600 12 – 15   .444
Bucknell 5 – 5   .500 10 – 15   .400
West Chester 2 – 8   .200 11 – 14   .440
Rider 1 – 9   .100 8 – 18   .308
† 1977 ECC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Eastern 8 men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
Rutgers 7 – 1   .875 18 – 10   .643
Villanova 6 – 1   .857 23 – 10   .697
George Washington 5 – 3   .625 14 – 12   .538
UMass 3 – 4   .429 20 – 11   .645
West
West Virginia 5 – 5   .500 18 – 11   .621
Penn State 5 – 5   .500 11 – 15   .423
Duquesne † 3 – 7   .300 15 – 15   .500
Pittsburgh 1 – 9   .100 6 – 21   .222
† 1977 Eastern 8 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Ivy League men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Princeton 13 – 1   .929 21 – 5   .808
Penn 12 – 2   .857 18 – 8   .692
Columbia 8 – 6   .571 16 – 10   .615
Harvard 6 – 8   .429 9 – 16   .360
Cornell 5 – 9   .357 8 – 18   .308
Brown 5 – 9   .357 6 – 20   .231
Yale 4 – 10   .286 6 – 20   .231
Dartmouth 3 – 11   .214 4 – 22   .154
Rankings from AP Poll[20]
1976–77 Metro Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 19 Louisville 6 – 1   .857 21 – 7   .750
Cincinnati † 4 – 2   .667 25 – 5   .833
Georgia Tech 3 – 3   .500 13 – 10   .565
Tulane 3 – 3   .500 10 – 17   .370
Memphis State 3 – 4   .429 20 – 9   .690
Saint Louis 1 – 5   .167 7 – 19   .269
Florida State 0 – 2   .000 16 – 11   .593
† 1977 Metro Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Central Michigan 13 – 3   .813 18 – 10   .643
Miami (Ohio) 13 – 3   .813 20 – 6   .769
Toledo 12 – 4   .750 21 – 6   .778
Northern Illinois 10 – 6   .625 13 – 14   .481
Western Michigan 8 – 8   .500 14 – 13   .519
Ball State 7 – 9   .438 11 – 14   .440
Bowling Green State 5 – 11   .313 9 – 18   .333
Ohio 4 – 12   .250 9 – 17   .346
Eastern Michigan 4 – 12   .250 9 – 18   .333
Kent State 4 – 12   .250 8 – 19   .296
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Southern Illinois † 8 – 4   .667 22 – 7   .759
New Mexico State 8 – 4   .667 17 – 10   .630
Wichita State 7 – 5   .583 18 – 10   .643
West Texas State 7 – 5   .583 17 – 13   .567
Drake 5 – 7   .417 10 – 17   .370
Bradley 4 – 8   .333 9 – 18   .333
Tulsa 3 – 9   .250 6 – 21   .222
Indiana State –   – 25 – 3   .893
Creighton –   – 21 – 7   .750
† 1977 MVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Austin Peay State 13 – 1   .929 24 – 4   .857
Middle Tennessee † 9 – 5   .643 20 – 9   .690
Morehead State 9 – 5   .643 15 – 10   .600
Murray State 9 – 5   .643 17 – 10   .630
East Tennessee State 6 – 8   .429 12 – 14   .462
Western Kentucky 6 – 8   .429 10 – 16   .385
Eastern Kentucky 3 – 11   .214 8 – 16   .333
Tennessee Tech 1 – 13   .071 7 – 19   .269
† 1977 OVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Pacific-8 Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 2 UCLA 11 – 3   .786 24 – 5   .828
Oregon 9 – 5   .643 19 – 10   .655
Washington State 8 – 6   .571 19 – 8   .704
Washington 8 – 6   .571 17 – 10   .630
Oregon State 8 – 6   .571 16 – 13   .552
California 7 – 7   .500 12 – 15   .444
Stanford 3 – 11   .214 11 – 16   .407
USC 2 – 12   .143 6 – 20   .231
As of April 15, 1977[21]
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Long Beach State † 9 – 3   .750 21 – 8   .724
San Diego State 9 – 3   .750 13 – 15   .464
San Jose State 8 – 4   .667 18 – 11   .621
Cal State Fullerton 7 – 5   .583 16 – 10   .615
Pacific 5 – 7   .417 11 – 14   .440
UC Santa Barbara 3 – 9   .250 8 – 18   .308
Fresno State 1 – 11   .083 7 – 20   .259
† 1977 PCAA Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[22]
1976–77 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 3 Kentucky 16 – 2   .889 26 – 4   .867
No. 15 Tennessee 16 – 2   .889 22 – 6   .786
No. 11 Alabama 14 – 4   .778 25 – 6   .806
Florida 10 – 8   .556 17 – 9   .654
LSU 8 – 10   .444 15 – 12   .556
Mississippi State 6 – 12   .333 14 – 13   .519
Auburn 6 – 12   .333 13 – 13   .500
Vanderbilt 6 – 12   .333 10 – 16   .385
Ole Miss 5 – 13   .278 11 – 16   .407
Georgia 3 – 15   .167 9 – 18   .333
Rankings from AP Poll[23]
1976–77 Southern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 20 VMI † 8 – 2   .800 26 – 4   .867
Furman 8 – 2   .800 18 – 10   .643
Appalachian State 8 – 4   .667 17 – 12   .586
William & Mary 7 – 4   .636 16 – 14   .533
East Carolina 3 – 9   .250 10 – 18   .357
Davidson 2 – 8   .200 5 – 22   .185
The Citadel 2 – 9   .182 8 – 19   .296
Chattanooga 0 – 0   – 27 – 5   .844
Western Carolina 0 – 0   – 8 – 16   .333
Marshall 0 – 0   – 8 – 19   .296
† Southern Conference Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Southland Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Southwestern Louisiana 8 – 2   .800 21 – 8   .724
McNeese State 7 – 3   .700 20 – 7   .741
Lamar 6 – 4   .600 12 – 17   .414
Arkansas State 4 – 6   .400 14 – 13   .519
Louisiana Tech 4 – 6   .400 13 – 13   .500
Texas-Arlington 1 – 9   .100 3 – 24   .111
Rankings from AP Poll[24]
1976–77 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 18 Arkansas† 16 – 0   1.000 26 – 2   .929
Houston 13 – 3   .813 29 – 8   .784
Texas Tech 12 – 4   .750 20 – 9   .690
Texas 8 – 8   .500 13 – 13   .500
Texas A&M 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500
SMU 7 – 9   .438 8 – 19   .296
Baylor 5 – 11   .313 11 – 17   .393
Rice 3 – 13   .188 9 – 18   .333
TCU 0 – 16   .000 3 – 23   .115
† 1977 SWC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 17 UNC Charlotte † 5 – 1   .833 28 – 5   .848
New Orleans 4 – 2   .667 18 – 10   .643
South Alabama 3 – 3   .500 17 – 10   .630
Jacksonville 2 – 4   .333 10 – 19   .345
South Florida 2 – 4   .333 9 – 18   .333
Georgia State 2 – 4   .333 10 – 18   .357
† 1977 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
1976–77 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 8 San Francisco 14 – 0   1.000 29 – 2   .935
Santa Clara 9 – 5   .643 17 – 10   .630
Nevada 7 – 7   .500 15 – 12   .556
Seattle 7 – 7   .500 13 – 14   .481
Portland 6 – 8   .429 11 – 15   .423
Pepperdine 5 – 9   .357 13 – 13   .500
Loyola Marymount 4 – 10   .286 11 – 15   .423
Saint Mary's 4 – 10   .286 11 – 16   .407
Rankings from AP Poll[25]
1976–77 WAC men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 14 Utah 11 – 3   .786 22 – 7   .759
Arizona 11 – 4   .733 21 – 6   .778
New Mexico 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633
Wyoming 8 – 6   .571 17 – 10   .630
Colorado State 6 – 8   .429 13 – 12   .520
Arizona State 6 – 9   .400 15 – 13   .536
BYU 4 – 10   .286 12 – 15   .444
UTEP 3 – 11   .214 11 – 15   .423
Rankings from AP Poll

Division I independents

A total of 74 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, UNLV (29–3) had both the best winning percentage (.906) and the most wins.[26][27]

1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 4 UNLV –   – 29 – 3   .906
No. 6 Syracuse –   – 26 – 4   .867
No. 12 Detroit –   – 25 – 4   .862
Old Dominion –   – 25 – 4   .862
Providence –   – 24 – 5   .828
Holy Cross –   – 23 – 6   .793
St. Bonaventure –   – 23 – 6   .793
No. 7 Marquette –   – 25 – 7   .781
North Texas State –   – 21 – 6   .778
Illinois State –   – 22 – 7   .759
No. 10 Notre Dame –   – 22 – 7   .759
Oral Roberts –   – 21 – 7   .750
Army –   – 20 – 8   .714
St. John's –   – 22 – 9   .710
Milwaukee –   – 19 – 8   .704
Georgetown –   – 19 – 9   .679
Virginia Tech –   – 19 – 10   .655
James Madison –   – 17 – 9   .654
Northwestern State –   – 17 – 9   .654
Texas–Pan American –   – 17 – 9   .654
Connecticut –   – 17 – 10   .630
Seton Hall –   – 18 – 11   .621
UNC Wilmington –   – 16 – 10   .615
Portland State –   – 16 – 10   .615
Iona –   – 15 – 10   .600
Dayton –   – 16 – 11   .593
Fairfield –   – 16 – 11   .593
Georgia Southern –   – 16 – 11   .593
Richmond –   – 15 – 11   .577
Saint Francis (PA) –   – 15 – 11   .577
DePaul –   – 15 – 12   .556
Northeast Louisiana –   – 15 – 12   .556
Stetson –   – 15 – 12   .556
Utah State –   – 15 – 12   .556
Colgate –   – 13 – 11   .542
Navy –   – 13 – 11   .542
Oklahoma City –   – 14 – 12   .538
South Carolina –   – 14 – 12   .538
Valparaiso –   – 13 – 12   .520
Catholic –   – 13 – 13   .500
Fairleigh Dickinson –   – 13 – 13   .500
Loyola (IL) –   – 13 – 13   .500
Maine –   – 13 – 13   .500
Niagara –   – 13 – 13   .500
Rhode Island –   – 13 – 13   .500
Saint Peter's –   – 13 – 13   .500
VCU –   – 13 – 13   .500
Butler –   – 13 – 14   .481
Manhattan –   – 13 – 14   .481
New Hampshire –   – 12 – 14   .462
Northeastern –   – 12 – 14   .462
St. Francis (NY) –   – 12 – 14   .462
Air Force –   – 12 – 15   .444
Denver –   – 12 – 15   .444
Southern Mississippi –   – 11 – 16   .407
Siena –   – 9 – 15   .375
Cleveland State –   – 10 – 17   .370
Xavier –   – 10 – 17   .370
Centenary (LA) –   – 11 – 19   .367
Long Island –   – 9 – 16   .360
Hawaii –   – 9 – 18   .333
Vermont –   – 8 – 17   .320
Boston College –   – 8 – 18   .308
Baptist –   – 8 – 19   .296
Boston University –   – 7 – 19   .269
Robert Morris –   – 7 – 19   .269
Samford –   – 7 – 19   .269
Mercer –   – 6 – 19   .240
Hardin–Simmons –   – 6 – 21   .222
Houston Baptist –   – 6 – 23   .207
Buffalo –   – 5 – 21   .192
Fordham –   – 5 – 21   .192
Wagner –   – 3 – 21   .125
Canisius –   – 3 – 22   .120
Rankings from AP Poll

Informal championships

Conference Regular
season winner 		Most Valuable Player
New Jersey-New York 7 Conference Columbia & 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.

Conference Regular
season winner 		Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia 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

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main articles: 1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and 1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game

Final Four

National semifinals National finals
      
E North Carolina 84
W UNLV 83
E North Carolina 59
MW Marquette 67
ME UNC Charlotte 49
MW Marquette 51 Third place
W UNLV 106
ME UNC Charlotte 94

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1977 National Invitation Tournament

Semifinals & finals

Semifinals Finals
    
Alabama 76
Houston 82
Houston 91
St. Bonaventure 94
Villanova 82
St. Bonaventure 86 Third place
Alabama 89
Villanova 102

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 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

Major coach of the year awards

Other major awards

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team Former
Coach 		Interim
Coach 		New
Coach 		Reason
Austin Peay Lake Kelly Ed Thompson
Hardin–Simmons Preston Vice Jim Shuler
Marquette Al McGuire Hank Raymonds
Marshall Bob Daniels Stu Aberdeen
Oral Roberts Jerry Hale Lake Kelly
Penn Chuck Daly Bob Weinhauer
Tennessee Ray Mears Cliff Wettig Don DeVoe

References

  1. ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 846. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  2. ^ "1978 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank, "When college basketball outlawed the dunk," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 23, 2014 Accessed April 6, 2021
  4. ^ "Burnsed, Brian, "A Brief History of Men's College Basketball," Champion, Fall 2018 Accessed April 6, 2021". Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  5. ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 836. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
  6. ^ "1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  8. ^ 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2009-02-14
  9. ^ 2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04
  10. ^ Carson, Chris, "UConn Basketball: The Top 50 Players in School History," Bleacher Report, November 8, 2011 Accessed April 3, 2021
  11. ^ Men's Ivy League Outstanding performers Archived 2008-04-29 at the Wayback Machine, Ivy League, retrieved 2009-02-01
  12. ^ 2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14
  13. ^ 2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06
  14. ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
  15. ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
  16. ^ 2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07
  17. ^ 2007–08 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Media Guide, Sun Belt Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07
  18. ^ Varsity Pride: ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
  19. ^ sports-reference.com 1976-77 Big Eight Conference Season Summary
  20. ^ sports-reference.com 1976-77 Ivy Group Season Summary
  21. ^ "2017-18 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. p. 72. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  22. ^ "1976-77 Pacific Coast Athletic Association Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  23. ^ sports-reference.com 1976-77 Southeastern Conference Season Summary
  24. ^ "1976-77 Men's Southland Conference Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  25. ^ 1976-77 Men's West Coast Athletic Conference Season Summary Sports Reference Accessed August 20, 2024
  26. ^ "1976-77 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  27. ^ "1976-77 Men's New Jersey-New York 7 Conference Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
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