Midwest: 2) 1976 Indiana vs 3) 1960 Ohio State

[dcvalpo]

1976 Indiana Hoosiers (32-0)
Over the two seasons that culminated in their 1976 national championship, the Hoosiers, coached by the ornery Bob Knight, went 63-1.

Bob Knight? Ornery? Nahhh.
To win the title in Philly, Indiana, behind a combined 51 points from Scott May and Kent Benson and a great all-around performance by Quinn Buckner, defeated Big Ten rival Michigan, 86-68. To get to the final, Indiana had defeated the 1975 national champion UCLA Bruins.

On the season, Indiana outscored opponents by an average margin of 17.3 ppg. May, Benson and Buckner were All-America selections in both 1975 and 1976, with May being named the NCAA Player of the Year.

"The win also should stuff a basketball down the mouths of the many doubting-Thomases across the country both in the press and on television who downgraded the Hoosiers talent," wrote Dick Mittman in the next day's Indianapolis News. "Sports Illustrated writers rooted against Indiana for two straight days. But in the final 20 minutes last night the Hoosiers became a Mafia in Sneakers."

VS.

1960 Ohio State Buckeyes (25-3)
Jerry Lucas, only a soph, averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds on the season, shooting 63 percent from the field. Fellow starters John Havlicek, Mel Nowell, Joe Roberts and Larry Siegfried each averaged 11-plus points per game. The young Buckeyes lost two games early in the season but won the Big Ten title with a 13-1 record.

By the time the Big Dance rolled around, Ohio State was unstoppable. ""We immediately developed almost total communication on the floor," Havlicek said. "Our basketball intellects meshed perfectly. We never had to call a play."

The Buckeyes rambled through the NCAA tourney with ease, winning every game by at least 15, and blowing out California in the final, 71-51. All of the team's starters eventually played at least two years in the pros.


PLEASE VOTE AND DISCUSS THIS GAME HERE!

[valpofan56]

PLEASE VOTE AND DISCUSS THIS GAME HERE!

What does this have to with Valpo Basketball?

Please post this nonsense in the sports talk board.

[dcvalpo]

You seem really old and cranky.

[valporun]

I agree. This thread belongs here in the off topic/sports talk board,and not in the Valpo Basketball board. If we want to compare teams like this, that's fine on this board, but not in the 'Valpo Basketball' board. Sure, you're talking about the current team against some of these teams of the past, but it's off the topic of Valpo Basketball in terms of the current season or recruiting/coaching concerns. I admit, this could be a fun topic, and it might get that way with some observation about the teams involved in your dream tourney, but it was just placed in the wrong spot.

In terms of the teams you're focusing on here, I don't know enough about them to comment, but after doing some research about the two teams, along with the other teams you have in this tourney, I could make more comment from it.

[DMvalpo18]

my vote went to '76 indiana. bob knight's personality was a part of his teams. and as crazy as he was, i have to think 1960 ohio state would have a hard time matching that kind of intensity.

[rlh]

my vote went to '76 indiana. bob knight's personality was a part of his teams. and as crazy as he was, i have to think 1960 ohio state would have a hard time matching that kind of intensity.

FYI:  Bob Knight was a part of the 1960 Ohio State team too......as a player

[nkvu]

my vote went to '76 indiana. bob knight's personality was a part of his teams. and as crazy as he was, i have to think 1960 ohio state would have a hard time matching that kind of intensity.

FYI:  Bob Knight was a part of the 1960 Ohio State team too......as a player

So he would have intimate knowledge on how Indiana should play them.  Further advantage IU