The Scarlet Surge
An In-Depth Chronicle of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' Historic 1975-76 Men's Basketball Season.
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Season Overview
Historic Campaign
The 1975โ76 Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team represented Rutgers University during the 1975โ76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Young, in his third season, the team achieved remarkable success. Playing their home games at the venerable College Avenue Gymnasium, the Scarlet Knights were an NCAA Division I Independent institution.
Unbeaten Regular Season
The team was renowned for its exciting, up-tempo style of play, averaging a school-record 93.3 points per game. They entered the NCAA tournament with a perfect 28โ0 record, a testament to their dominance throughout the regular season.
Championship Achievements
Rutgers secured the ECAC Metro Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Final Four, marking the only appearance in the school's history. Their remarkable journey captivated fans and cemented their place in college basketball lore.
The Season Unfolds
ECAC Metro Champions
The Scarlet Knights demonstrated exceptional performance throughout the season, culminating in their victory at the ECAC Metro Tournament. This championship secured their automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, capping off an already stellar season.
Perfect Regular Season
Rutgers achieved an unprecedented 28โ0 record in the regular season. This flawless performance included numerous high-scoring victories and consistent national rankings, building significant anticipation for their NCAA tournament run.
Final Record
The team concluded the season with an outstanding 31โ2 overall record. Their only losses came in the NCAA Tournament: an 86โ70 defeat to Michigan in the national semifinals, followed by a 106โ92 loss to UCLA in the consolation game.
NCAA Tournament Journey
East Regional Path
Rutgers entered the NCAA Tournament as a highly-ranked team. Their path to the Final Four included victories over:
- Princeton (54โ53) in the East Regional Quarterfinal.
- Connecticut (93โ79) in the East Regional Semifinal (Sweet Sixteen).
- VMI (91โ75) in the East Regional Final (Elite Eight).
Final Four Showdown
The Final Four marked the pinnacle of the Scarlet Knights' historic season. They faced the formidable Michigan Wolverines in the national semifinal, ultimately falling 70โ86. This marked their first loss of the season.
Consolation Game
In the national third-place game, Rutgers competed against UCLA. Despite a strong effort, they were defeated 92โ106, concluding their remarkable tournament appearance and season.
Team Roster
| Pos. | # | Player | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | 12 | Phil Sellers | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sr | Brooklyn, New York |
| C | 20 | James Bailey | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Fr | Boston, Massachusetts |
| G | 22 | Stanford Nance | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | So | Washington, D.C. |
| C | 24 | Bruce Sherer | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sr | Parsippany, New Jersey |
| G | 30 | Eddie Jordan | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jr | Washington, D.C. |
| G | 32 | Mike Dabney | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sr | East Orange, New Jersey |
| F | 34 | Hollis Copeland | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | So | Trenton, New Jersey |
| G | 42 | Mark Conlin | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jr | Queens, New York |
| G | 44 | Jeff Kleinbaum | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Sr | Queens, New York |
| G | 50 | Steve Hefele | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | So | East Rockaway, New York |
| C | 52 | Mike Palko | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sr | Hackettstown, New Jersey |
| F | 54 | Abdel Anderson | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Fr | Belleville, New Jersey |
NBA Draft Selections
Phil Sellers
Following the successful season, key players were recognized for their talent. Phil Sellers was drafted into the NBA:
| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 38 | Phil Sellers | Detroit Pistons |
National Rankings
| Week | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | โ | โ | โ | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 (1) | 4 (2) |
| Coaches | Not released | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Not released | |
Game Schedule & Results
| Regular Season | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Rank# | Opponent | Result | Record | Site | |||
| Dec 1, 1975 | Bentley | W 100โ60 | 1โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | ||||
| Dec 4, 1975 | vs. Purdue | W 81โ73 | 2โ0 | |||||
| Dec 6, 1975 | Seton Hall | W 119โ93 | 3โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | ||||
| Dec 9, 1975 | at Boston College | W 105โ82 | 4โ0 | Roberts Center | ||||
| Dec 11, 1975 | vs. Pennsylvania | W 95โ80 | 5โ0 | |||||
| Dec 13, 1975 | Connecticut | W 96โ83 | 6โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | ||||
| Dec 20, 1975 | No. 15 | at Temple | W 95โ62 | 7โ0 | McGonigle Hall | |||
| Dec 29, 1975 | No. 15 | vs. The Citadel | W 96โ73 | 8โ0 | Greenville Memorial Auditorium | |||
| Dec 30, 1975 | No. 15 | vs. Georgia Tech | W 94โ87 | 9โ0 | Greenville Memorial Auditorium | |||
| Jan 2, 1976 | No. 15 | at Stetson | W 91โ70 | 10โ0 | Edmunds Center | |||
| Jan 10, 1976 | No. 12 | at Fordham | W 93โ55 | 11โ0 | Rose Hill Gym | |||
| Jan 14, 1976 | No. 10 | at Columbia | W 94โ65 | 12โ0 | Levien Gymnasium | |||
| Jan 17, 1976 | No. 10 | Bucknell | W 105โ82 | 13โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Jan 20, 1976 | No. 7 | at Lehigh | W 102โ87 | 14โ0 | Taylor Gym | |||
| Jan 24, 1976 | No. 7 | at Lafayette | W 113โ79 | 15โ0 | Kirby Sports Center | |||
| Jan 27, 1976 | No. 5 | Pittsburgh | W 102โ71 | 16โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 2, 1976 | No. 7 | at Princeton | W 75โ62 | 17โ0 | Jadwin Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 5, 1976 | No. 7 | vs. West Virginia | W 86โ76 | 18โ0 | Madison Square Garden | |||
| Feb 7, 1976 | No. 7 | Navy | W 86โ71 | 19โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 9, 1976 | No. 5 | Delaware | W 110โ87 | 20โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 14, 1976 | No. 5 | Manhattan | W 92โ81 | 21โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 18, 1976 | No. 4 | Syracuse | W 93โ80 | 22โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| Feb 21, 1976 | No. 4 | vs. American | W 94โ79 | 23โ0 | ||||
| Feb 25, 1976 | No. 3 | at William & Mary | W 100โ90 | 24โ0 | Kaplan Arena | |||
| Feb 28, 1976 | No. 3 | at Long Island | W 103โ87 | 25โ0 | Schwartz Athletic Center | |||
| Mar 1, 1976 | No. 3 | St. Bonaventure | W 85โ80 | 26โ0 | College Avenue Gymnasium | |||
| ECAC Metro Tournament | ||||||||
| Mar 4, 1976 | No. 3 | vs. Long Island (Semifinal) | W 104โ76 | 27โ0 | Jadwin Gymnasium | |||
| Mar 6, 1976 | No. 3 | vs. St. John's (Championship) | W 70โ67 | 28โ0 | Jadwin Gymnasium | |||
| NCAA Tournament | ||||||||
| Mar 13, 1976 | No. 3 | vs. Princeton (East Regional Quarterfinal) | W 54โ53 | 29โ0 | Providence Civic Center | |||
| Mar 18, 1976 | No. 4 | vs. Connecticut (East Regional Semifinal) | W 93โ79 | 30โ0 | Greensboro Coliseum | |||
| Mar 20, 1976 | No. 4 | vs. VMI (East Regional Final) | W 91โ75 | 31โ0 | Greensboro Coliseum | |||
| Mar 27, 1976 | No. 4 | vs. Michigan (National Semifinal) | L 70โ86 | 31โ1 | The Spectrum | |||
| Mar 29, 1976 | No. 4 | vs. UCLA (National 3rd-place game) | L 92โ106 | 31โ2 | The Spectrum | |||
| #Rankings from AP Poll. | ||||||||
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official team histories, sports statistics archives, or seeking advice from qualified sports historians or analysts. Always refer to primary sources and official records for definitive information.
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