1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
National Champions
SEC Regular Season champions
NCAA Men's Division I Tournament, National Championship Game, W 94–88 vs. Duke
Conference Southeast Conference
Ranking
Coaches #1
AP #1
1977–78 record 30–2 (16–2 SEC)
Head coach Joe B. Hall
Assistant coach Dick Parsons
Assistant coach Leonard Hamilton
Assistant coach Joe Dean, Jr.
Captain Jack Givens
Rick Robey
Home arena Rupp Arena

The 1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team were coached by Joe B. Hall. The team finished the season with a 30–2 record and SEC Championship and won the 1978 NCAA Championship over the Duke Blue Devils, 94–88. Hall remarked before the title game that "This season was without celebration for us." [1]

Season Summary

Those who witnessed it call Jack Givens' 41 point game against Duke in the 1978 NCAA championship game one of the finest performances in the game's history. Givens made 18-of-27 shots in leading Kentucky to its fifth national championship and first in 20 years. This team also had a pair of bruising frontcourt players in Mike Phillips and Rick Robey and a great point guard in Kyle Macy. The Wildcats went on exhibition tour of Japan in June following the season's end.

Schedule

Date
Time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
City, State

November 26*
 #2 SMU W 110–86  1–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 5*
 #1 Indiana W 78–64  2–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 10*
 #1 at #19 Kansas W 73–66  3–0
Allen Fieldhouse 
Lawrence, KS

December 12*
 #1 South Carolina W 84–65  4–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 16*
 #1 Portland State
UK Invitation Tournament
W 114–88  5–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 17*
 #1 St. John's
UK Invitation Tournament
W 102–72  6–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 23*
 #1 Iona W 104–65  7–0
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

December 31*
 #1 #4 Notre Dame W 73–68  8–0
Freedom Hall 
Louisville, KY

January 2
 #1 Vanderbilt W 72–59  9–0
(1–0)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

January 7
 #1 at Florida W 86–67  10–0
(2–0)
 
Gainesville, FL

January 9
 #1 at Auburn W 101–77  11–0
(3–0)
 
Auburn, AL

January 14
 #1 LSU W 96–76  12–0
(4–0)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

January 16
 #1 Ole Miss W 76–56  13–0
(5–0)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

January 21
 #1 at Mississippi State W 75–65  14–0
(6–0)
 
Starkville, MS

January 23
 #1 at Alabama L 62–78  14–1
(6–1)
 
Tuscaloosa, AL

January 30
 #1 Georgia W 90–73  15–1
(7–1)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 4
 #1 Florida W 88–61  16–1
(8–1)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 6
 #1 Auburn W 104–81  17–1
(9–1)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 11
 #1 at LSU L 94–95 OT 17–2
(9–2)
 
Baton Rouge, LA

February 13
 #1 at Ole Miss W 64–52  18–2
(10–2)
 
Oxford, MS

February 15
 #3 Tennessee W 90–77  19–2
(11–2)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 18
 #3 Mississippi State W 58–56  20–2
(12–2)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 20
 #3 Alabama W 97–84  21–2
(13–2)
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

February 25
 #2 at Tennessee W 68–57  22–2
(14–2)
Stokely Athletic Center 
Knoxville, TN

February 27
 #2 at Georgia W 78–67  23–2
(15–2)
 
Athens, GA

March 4*
 #1 UNLV W 92–70  24–2
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY

March 6
 #1 at Vanderbilt W 78–68  25–2
(16–2)
 
Nashville, TN

March 11*
 #1 vs. #13 Florida State
NCAA Tournament
W 85–76  26–2
Stokely Athletic Center 
Knoxville, TN

March 16*
 #1 vs. #19 Miami (OH)
NCAA Tournament
W 91–69  27–2
University of Dayton Arena 
Dayton, OH

March 18*
 #1 vs. #4 Michigan State
NCAA Tournament
W 52–49  28–2
University of Dayton Arena 
Dayton, OH

March 25*
 #1 vs. #5 Arkansas
NCAA Tournament
W 64–59  29–2
Checkerdome 
St. Louis, MO

March 27*
 #1 vs. #7 Duke
NCAA Tournament
W 94–88  30–2
Checkerdome 
St. Louis, MO
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

[2]

Statistics

[2]

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

Round Pick Player NBA Club
1 3Rick Robey Indiana Pacers
1 16Jack Givens Atlanta Hawks
2 39James Lee Seattle SuperSonics

[4]

References

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