Indiana Hoosiers Win NCAA Championship

On March 30, 1981, Indiana beats North Carolina 63-50 for the NCAA tournament championship.

Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title in the final game over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Isiah Thomas of Indiana was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

A young Bobby Knight riding on the shoulders of his 1981 NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers team.

This was the last year the NCAA tournament in which the national third-place game would be played. The final third place game pitted up Virginia and LSU. Virginia would win in their first Final Four appearance.

The Indiana Hoosiers have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981 and 1987. The Hoosiers have also finished NCAA Tournament runner-up once, in 2002. Indiana has reached the Final Four a total of eight times including once from every decade starting in the 70s through the 2000s. The Hoosiers have made the Elite Eight a total of 11 times, including back-to-back appearances in 1975-1976 and 1992-1993. Indiana has been to the Sweet 16 a total of 21 times, including four consecutive appearances from 1991-1994, and now back-to-back appearances from 2012 and 2013. The Hoosiers have been invited to 37 NCAA Tournaments, including 18-straight appearances from 1986-2003.

The Indiana Hoosiers have appeared in 95 NCAA Tournament games, good enough for seventh all-time behind only Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville. Their record of 64-31 is the ninth best winning percentage, .673, of all time. But it is seventh among all teams with more than 13 NCAA Tournament games played. Their 64-wins in the NCAA Tournament is also tied for seventh all-time behind Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville

Indiana missed out on the NCAA Tournament this year and will look to next season to add onto their historic legacy.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009. The Tar Heels were the runner-up four times in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981. North Carolina has been in the Final Four a total of 18 times, including three consecutive appearances from 1967-1969. The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 26 times, including three-consecutive times twice, in 1967-1969 and 2007-2009. North Carolina has played in the Sweet 16 a total of 31 times, including 13-straight years from 1981-1993. The Tar Heels have been invited to the NCAA Tournament a total of 45 times, including 27-consecutive years from 1975-2001.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have appeared in 153 NCAA Tournament games, well enough for second all-time behind only Kentucky. Their record of 110-43 is good enough for fourth all-time in winning percentage, .718, behind only Florida Gulf Coast, Duke and UCLA. However, they are third all-time with teams playing with more than three games. Their 110-wins in the NCAA Tournament is good enough for second most all-time behind only Kentucky’s 114.

North Carolina had to give up their dream of adding onto their five NCAA Tournament championships when they lost to Iowa State in the third round.

Duke Blue Devils Win NCAA Championship

On March 28, 1992, the Duke Blue Devils edge out the Kentucky Wildcats. With two seconds left the Blue Devils completed a three-quarter court inbounds pass from Grant Hill to Christian Laettener, who would then put in a basket to win the game in overtime 104-103.

The 1992 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions, the Duke Blue Devils.

The win over Kentucky put Duke into the Final Four and eventually they would be crowned NCAA Tournament Champions with a win over Indiana in the Final Four and Michigan in the Finals.

Duke’s Laettener would be the games leading scorer with 31 points in the win. Kentucky’s Jamal Mashburn would lead the Wildcats in scoring with 28 points.

Eight players from this game, including Grant Hill, Christian Laettener, Jamal Mashburn, Bobby Hurley, Brian Davis, Thomas Hill, Antonio Lang and Cherokee Parks were drafted into the NBA.

Grant Hill, Laettener and Mashburn would have successful careers in the NBA while several of the others drafted would not play in the NBA after being drafted, but play overseas.

The NCAA Championship for Duke was the schools second, and second of a back-to-back with their first win coming in 1991. Since 1992, Duke has won two more NCAA Tournament Finals in 2001 and 2010. Duke was the NCAA Tournament runner up six times, including 1964, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999.

Duke made the Final Four 15 times including five straight appearances from 1988-1992. They reached the Elite Eight 18 times, including five straight appearances from 1988-1992. Duke has played in the Sweet 16 a total of 27 times, including seven straight from 1986-1992 and nine straight from 1998-2006. The Blue Devils have played in the NCAA Tournament a total of 37 times, and have been in the NCAA Tournament every year since 1996, marking 18 straight appearances in tournament play.

The Blue Devils and Wildcats are tied for third all-time with 15 Final Four appearances, trailing only North Carolina and UCLA.

The Blue Devils 10 NCAA Tournament Finals appearances ranks third all-time behind Kentucky and UCLA, and their four victories in the NCAA Tournament Finals ranks fifth all-time, behind North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and UCLA. Despite not having the most NCAA Championships, Duke is the proud owner of the highest winning percentage in NCAA Tournament play with .750 winning percentage.

The Duke Blue Devils have appeared in 133 NCAA Tournaments, fifth all time behind only UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky. Their combined record is 96-33.

With Duke still in the NCAA Tournament this year they have a chance to add onto their schools already historic basketball legacy.

While the Kentucky Wildcats would miss out on the Final Four and their chance win the NCAA Tournament Finals in 1992, but the school has had some good seasons since. The Wildcats have amassed eight NCAA Tournament Champions, including three since 1992, in 1996, 1998 and 2012. The Wildcats were the NCAA Tournament runner-ups in 1966, 1975 and 1997.

Kentucky made the Final Four 15 times, including back-to-back appearances in 1948-1949, 1996-1997 and 2011-2012. The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight 34 times, including four straight years from 1996-1999. They had reached the Sweet 16 a total of 39 times, including six consecutive years from 1968-1973. The Wildcats have played in the NCAA Tournament a total of 52 times, including 17 straight appearances from 1992-2007.

The Wildcats 11 NCAA Tournament Finals appearances rank second all-time, only behind UCLA, and their eight victories in the NCAA Tournament Finals also ranks second all-time, again behind only UCLA.

Kentucky also leads all schools with 57 20-win seasons, 13 30-win seasons, and is the only school with five different NCAA Championship coaches Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Orlando “Tubby” Smith and John Calipari.

The Kentucky Wildcats have appeared in 158 NCAA Tournaments, the most of any school. Their combined record is 113-46.

Michigan State Spartans Wins NCAA Championship

On March 26, 1979, Michigan State would play Indiana State for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.  Michigan would defeat Indiana 75-64, led by point guard Magic Johnson who was also named as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

To this day, the 1979 championship game remains as the highest-rated college basketball game in history.  Much hype was given to this game by the media because each team had a superstar, with Michigan State having Magic Johnson on their roster, while Larry Bird was playing for Indiana State. 

Both players led their respective teams in scoring in the game, but it was Magic’s 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists that ultimately took home the title for the Spartans.

Michigan State has compiled two NCAA Tournament championships in 1979 and 2000. They were the Tournament runner-up in 2009. The Spartans have reached the Final Four eight times including back-to-back-back appearances in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Their last appearance in the Final Four came in 2010. The Spartans have also reached the Elite Eight 11 times, the Sweet Sixteen 16 times, including four straight years from 1998-2001. Overall the Spartans have reached the NCAA Tournament 27 times, and is on their 17th consecutive appearance this year dating back to 1998.

While Michigan State won the NCAA Tournament in 1979, and again in 2000, Indiana State had never won the NCAA Tournament. Their highest finish ever was in 1979 when Bird’s team lost to Michigan State. The Sycamores have only reached the Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen once, in 1979.

They Sycamores have reached the NCAA Tournament four times though in 1979, 2001, 2001 and 2011.

The Michigan State Spartans have another chance to add onto their legacy of basketball excellence this year as they are now in the Sweet 16 and set to play the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday, March 28 at 6:57 p.m. on TBS.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Go Toe-To-Toe

On March 24, 1979,  Magic Johnson and Larry Bird lead their respective teams to the 1979 NCAA finals.  Magic’s Michigan State team would destroy Penn State by a score of 101-67, while Bird’s Indiana State would beat out DePaul 76-74.

Larry Bird (back left) watches Magic Johnson (right) take free throws in their 1979 NCAA tournament game.

Both Magic and Larry would have outstanding games in their respective semi-final games.  Magic registered a triple-double, with 29 points to go along with his 10 rebounds and 10 assists, as he was nearly perfect that day going 9-for-10 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line.  As for Bird, he would narrowly miss a triple-double of his own with 35 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Michigan State and Indiana State would go on to face each other in the NCAA championship game, as this would mark the beginning of one of sports’ biggest rivalries.

Magic Johnson (left) and Larry Bird (right) wait for a free throw shot in their 1979 NCAA tournament game.

Michigan State has a chance to add onto their NCAA Tournament resume this year, while Indiana State missed the cut.

Michigan State has compiled two NCAA Tournament championships in 1979 and 2000. They were the Tournament runner-up in 2009. The Spartans have reached the Final Four eight times including back-to-back-back appearances in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Their last appearance in the Final Four came in 2010. The Spartans have also reached the Elite Eight 11 times, the Sweet Sixteen 17 times, including four straight years from 1998-2001. Overall the Spartans have reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times, and is on their 17 consecutive appearance this year dating back to 1998.

While Michigan State won the NCAA Tournament in 1979, and again in 2000, Indiana State had never won the NCAA Tournament. Their highest finish ever was in 1979 when Bird’s team lost to Michigan State. The Sycamores have only reached the Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen once, in 1979.

They Sycamores have reached the NCAA Tournament four times though in 1979, 2001, 2001 and 2011.