Helena Frye
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team has a rich history of success, including several undefeated seasons and national championships. The 1975-76 season stands out as the last time the Hoosiers went undefeated and won the national championship, making them the most recent undefeated national champions in college basketball history. Led by legendary coach Bob Knight, the Hoosiers dominated the court and finished the season with an impressive undefeated 32-0 record. This remarkable achievement has not been repeated by any college basketball team in the years since, solidifying the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers as a true powerhouse in the sport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1975-76 |
| Season | Regular and Postseason |
| Coach | Bob Knight |
| Record | 32-0 |
| National Championship Winner | Yes |
| No.1 Seed | Yes |
| NBA Draft Picks | Kent Benson, Wayne Radford, Bob Bender |
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What You'll Learn
Indiana Hoosiers' 1975-76 season
The 1975-76 season of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team was a historic one, as they went undefeated in both the regular season and postseason play, a feat that has not been repeated by any NCAA men's basketball team since. Led by legendary coach Bob Knight, the Hoosiers dominated the Big Ten conference, winning all 18 conference matchups and extending their winning streak to 37 consecutive Big Ten games over two seasons.
The 1975-76 Hoosiers built on the success of the previous season, where they had also gone undefeated in the regular season but suffered an early exit from the NCAA tournament, losing to Kentucky. With key players like Scott May, Steve Green, Kent Benson, and Quinn Buckner returning, the Hoosiers started the season ranked No. 1 and maintained their dominance throughout.
Senior forward Scott May led the team with 23.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, earning National and Big Ten Player of the Year honours. Center Kent Benson was also a pivotal player, averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, and went on to receive the NCAA's Most Outstanding Player award. The team's success was not just on the offensive end, as they boasted a strong defence, allowing only 64.8 points per game while scoring 82.1 points themselves.
The Hoosiers entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 team and faced a challenging schedule, including matchups against Marquette, UCLA, and Michigan. They navigated through the tournament with continued success, winning the Mideast Regional and defeating UCLA in the National Semifinal. In the National Final, the Hoosiers faced Michigan and emerged victorious with a final score of 86-68, claiming the national championship and capping off their undefeated season.
The 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers left an enduring legacy, with four members of the team drafted into the NBA, including three first-round picks. The team's accomplishment of going undefeated remains a reference point in college basketball history, and their impact on the sport continues to be felt even decades later.
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Bob Knight's fifth year as coach
Knight's success in his fifth year as coach was not a fluke. In the previous season, the Hoosiers had made it to the NCAA tournament, losing to Kentucky. In the 1974-75 season, they swept the entire Big Ten by an average of 22.8 points per game. However, in an 83-82 win against Purdue, the Hoosiers lost consensus All-American forward Scott May to a broken left arm. With May's injury limiting him to just 7 minutes of play, the No. 1 Hoosiers lost to Kentucky in the Mideast Regional.
The 1975-76 season started with a comprehensive win over reigning national champion UCLA. The Hoosiers went on to dominate the Big Ten, winning all 18 conference matchups. They proceeded to the NCAA tournament ranked as the No. 1 team but faced a challenging schedule, including Marquette, UCLA, and Michigan. Despite the tough competition, Knight's team emerged victorious, claiming the national championship and cementing their undefeated season.
Knight's achievements in his fifth year as coach extended beyond the court. He was known for his strict adherence to the NCAA's rules, as depicted in the book "A Season on the Brink" by author John Feinstein. Knight's impact on college basketball was recognized with numerous awards and honors. He received the Associated Press Coach of the Year award three times (1975, 1976, and 1989) and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year eight times between 1973 and 1993. Knight was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and received the Naismith Award for Men's Outstanding Contribution to Basketball in 2007.
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The team's 32-0 record
The 1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team had an undefeated 32–0 record, making them the last team in America to achieve this feat. Led by head coach Bob Knight, the Hoosiers won the NCAA Men's Division I Tournament, claiming the school's third national championship.
The team, which included three All-Americans, dominated the Big Ten Conference, winning all 18 conference matchups. They started the season with a win over reigning national champion UCLA and went on to beat top-ranked teams such as Alabama, Marquette, and Michigan en route to their national championship triumph.
The Hoosiers' undefeated season was not a fluke, as they had made an impressive run the previous year, losing only to Kentucky in the tournament. The 1975–76 team returned with a strong starting lineup, including Scott May, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson, and Kent Benson, who all went on to play in the NBA.
The team's success extended beyond the court, as they also had the distinction of having all five regular starting players earn their NBA pensions. The Hoosiers' perfect season remains a reference point in college basketball history, with no team, college or otherwise, able to repeat the feat in the following years.
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Four players drafted into the NBA in 1976
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team went undefeated in the 1975-76 season, winning the national championship. The team was coached by Bob Knight, who was in his fifth year in charge, and included three All-Americans. The Hoosiers had an impressive run in the previous season, which ended in an NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky. They started the 1975-76 season with a win over reigning national champion UCLA and went on to dominate the Big Ten, winning all 18 conference matchups.
Four members of Knight's team were drafted into the NBA in 1976, with three of them picked in the first round. The players drafted were:
- Senior forward Scott May, who led Indiana with 23.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, earning National and Big Ten Player of the Year honors. May was drafted second overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1976 NBA Draft.
- Center Kent Benson, who averaged 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds and received the NCAA's Most Outstanding Player award. Benson stayed at Indiana for another season before being drafted with the first overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Tom Abernathy, who played for the Indiana Hoosiers' 1976 national championship team before being drafted into the NBA in 1976.
- Quinn Buckner, who played for the Indiana Hoosiers and went on to have a coaching career in the NBA.
The Hoosiers' 1975-76 undefeated season remains a reference point in college basketball history, with no other Indiana or college team repeating the feat since.
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Indiana's last national championship in 1987
Indiana's last national championship win was in 1987, marking the fifth national title for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team. The Hoosiers, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title with a 74-73 victory over Syracuse in the final game. This win also gave Knight his third national title as coach.
The 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion. The tournament began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Indiana's victory over Syracuse was decided in the final seconds, with Keith Smart hitting a jump shot to secure the win.
The Hoosiers have a rich history in men's basketball, with five National Championships (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, and 1987). The 1976 team, also coached by Bob Knight, remains the last undefeated NCAA men's basketball champion. The Hoosiers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 41 times and have a combined record of 68-36. They have also won 22 Big Ten Conference Championships, the second-most in conference history.
The 1987 championship game was a thrilling conclusion to a successful season for the Hoosiers, who had also won the Big Ten that year and were a No. 1 seed in the tournament. They defeated Duke and LSU in the regionals and then beat UNLV 97-93 in the national semifinals. This game-winning shot by Keith Smart remains a memorable moment in IU basketball history, and the 1987 title game is often included in lists of the best Final Four games.
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Frequently asked questions
The Indiana Hoosiers went undefeated in the 1975-76 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers team that went undefeated was coached by Bob Knight.
The undefeated Indiana team included three All-Americans: Scott May, Kent Benson, and Wayne Radford.
The undefeated Indiana team had a record of 32-0, winning the national championship to cap off their undefeated season.
No, the 1975-76 Hoosiers team remains the last NCAA men's basketball team to go undefeated in both regular season and postseason play.
