The 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers compiled arguably the greatest season in college basketball history.
Led by coach Bob Knight and National Player of the Year Scott May, the top-ranked Hoosiers opened the season with a 20-point win over No. 2 UCLA. Indiana then won its next 26 games by an average margin of more than 17 points.
Entering the NCAA tournament with a perfect 27-0 record, including 18-0 in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers were the heavy favorite to capture their third national title in program history.
Indiana went 5-0 in the tournament, including another win against the Bruins in the Final Four and an 18-point victory over Big Ten foe Michigan in the championship game.
The 1975-76 Hoosiers (32-0) remain the last undefeated national champion in Division I men’s basketball. Only six other teams in the history of the sport have won an NCAA tournament championship with a perfect record. Here’s a look at those teams:
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Indiana Hoosiers, 32-0, 1975-76; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Kent Benson
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UCLA Bruins, 30-0, 1972-73; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Bill Walton
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UCLA Bruins, 30-0, 1971-72; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Bill Walton
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UCLA Bruins, 30-0, 1966-67; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Lew Alcindor (later changed name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
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UCLA Bruins, 30-0, 1963-64; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Walt Hazzard
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North Carolina Tar Heels, 32-0, 1956-57; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas, national runner-up)
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San Francisco Dons, 29-0, 1955-56; NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Hal Lear (Temple, national semifinalist)
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