1977 #1 Kentucky vs #4 Notre Dame

[@alicestevenson4591]

I was there. My first UK game in person. New Year’s Eve 1977.

[@anthony0358]

Thank you for sharing this video. I loved seeing this game each year. I feel like NBC aired this on a delay Saturday night at 1130pm. The game was always at Freedom Hall in Louisville

[@harrymann5523]

I believed NBC aired this game live.

[@toddlightner1242]

I definitely remember watching this game at 11:30 on Saturday night. Funny how you remember things from your childhood but can’t remember where I put my keys. May have aired that Saturday afternoon, but definitely aired that night.

[@paulsonj72]

@@toddlightner1242 According to a website message board this game aired live at 4 PM ET on New Year’s Eve.

[@toddlightner1242]

@ John Paulson Yes you probably right original live air was that Saturday afternoon. I was probably out playing basketball. I saw delayed version. Actually was looking to watch SNL when this came on.

[@tperk]

@@toddlightner1242 Also NBC would stage an NCAA game as part of Super Bowl Sunday, usually Maryland at home in an ACC game.

[@natch27]

Kentucky’s highly recruited Chuck Aleksinas played sparingly for the eventual national champs, then quit the team the following year. He ended up at UConn, where he played well in the early years of the Big East. This game was played on New Year’s Eve in 1977. Both teams made the final four, with the Irish losing to Duke in the semis.

[@carseye1219]

I listened to the audiobook version of Magic/Bird's book. They were teammates on a USA team that year. Joe B Hall always started an all UK lineup, despite the "2nd team" beating up on them in practice. Can you imagine both of them sitting behind this group?

[@deanw0rmer]

Who would have thought that Laimbeer would have the best pro career of any one in this game ?

[@teddavis6093]

Right. He was always an animal, though, if not easily distracted. Tripucka was a good pro for 6, 7 years. Woolridge was explosive, but as we saw, those knees were about cooked in college. Lol Hanzlik was a very good pro. I enjoyed watching him with Denver. Early, big guard, who was not spectacular but was smart, tough, and skilled.

[@shawnyoung8752]

Lambert was beaten up by Roby and Phillips for his career. They were 6'10 240 250. HE was 215 as fr. Only 225 as jr. Here . Tripucka,Jackson ,woolridge were freshman. Hanzlik and Branning sophomore. They get to final four 3 months later with Duke using break to make irish not use their Frontline size to slow game pounding ball down low. Kentucky beat Arkansas with the triplets. Delph, brewer and the great Sidney Moncrief who was a 6'3 guy who defended teams best player regardless of size. Kentucky beat Duke in finals thar had Givens shooting the lights out. Next year Irish finally got a good seed. A #1 that they didn't deserve at 24-6. They had they once again Ncaa selection committe give Digger another punishment for his and AL mcguirres criticism of selection committee giving big conferences easy brackets. Since Coach was gone Digger was target. So we get easy half but on other is Spartans with some guy named Magic. Indiana St. Gets well deserved Midwest seed. IRISH get mideast.? Depaul is 27-2 gets west's top seed. So irish are 24-6 and get seed that Depaul should. All I know is that you have a team with 6 guys back from final four team. Digger does good by forcing Johnson to wing and not allowing him to drive. But they ran backside lob 5 6 times and irish didn't get it. Hanzlik was a 6'7 defensive guy who got better ever year the he was drafted in late first round. Traded to Denver the guy was 1rst team defense for 5 6 years.Tripuka was a decent college player. Only cause he played with Isiah did he play that long. Orlando was on a bad coached team and never learned that he just needed to rebound a play d. Lambert was finally as big as the bug boys with being able to play away from basket. That left Vinnie, Isiah,Dumas to get to basket with no blocker. When they left Lambert he could hit shots.

[@nohisocitutampoc2789]

It's a shame. And it makes to think how things were gone in a time in the professional sport.

[@RoofDoctorsJoanne]

​@@teddavis6093His father actually was paid more than him as well.

[@paulsonj72]

This was an early game in the season as Al McGuire is now sitting courtside.

[@deonteross2996]

Kyle Macy very underrated Mr Clutch when he was at UK

[@RoofDoctorsJoanne]

My buddy actually had a softball signed by Kyle Macey

[@paulsonj72]

Also Dick Enberg was not calling this game as he was in Denver to call the AFC title game the next day. Enberg called that game despite doing only 2 football games for NBC that year(he was still doing Rams radio which is why he only called two games for NBC. In 1978 he joined NBC full time)

[@dontabaltimore1974]

This is Dick Stockton later of CBS and Fox

[@paulsonj72]

@@dontabaltimore1974 I know. Enberg was the lead play by play guy for college basketball for NBC in this era and would have done this game if he wasn’t doing the AFC title game the next day.

[@WaltGekko]

@@dontabaltimore1974 And Stockton by some is still considered the greatest NBA play-by-play voice of all time.

[@Jdub14000]

Bill Lambieer and Adrian Dantley. Two former Pistons greats.

[@shawnyoung8752]

No Dantley. Orish would have been elite 8 final four with him.

[@JerichoCastille]

​@@shawnyoung8752This is the last Notre Dame team that made it to the final 4

[@shawnyoung8752]

@@JerichoCastille the only time.

[@nohisocitutampoc2789]

The grat Dick Stockton as a narrator ans thr beloved and missing Mike Philips in the starting five.

[@shawnroberts8650]

This was the first Kentucky game that I ever attended. I wad 14 years old. It was a good choice.

[@tperk]

What were the chances we'd have a Goose (Gvens) AND Duck (Williams) on the floor in the same game?

[@paulnguyen8910]

Four years later, NCAA introduced alternating possession, and one referee-two linesmen as officials. Plus, team that lost opening tip gets possession from out of bounds to start 2nd half.

[@GBeret83]

Both of these teams would advance to the Final Four a couple of months later. Notre Dame would lose to Duke in the National Semi-Finals and in the consolation game for 3rd place, they also lost to a really good Arkansas team on a shot from just beyond the free throw line by Arkansas's Ron Brewer with 1 second left. Kentucky would also face that same talented Arkansas team with Ron Brewer, Sidney Moncrief, & Marvin Delph and defeat them in the National Semi-Finals before beating Duke for the 1978 National Championship at the Checker Dome in St Louis behind a monster performance from Jack Givens who scored 41 points in the title game for Kentucky. Only UCLA's Bill Walton with 44 points against Memphis State in 1973 and UCLA's Gail Goodrich with 42 points against Michigan in 1965 better Givens mark of 41 points against Duke in 1978. 4th on the list is UCLA's Lew Alcindor-(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) with 37 against Purdue in 1969 and 5th on the list is Seton Hall's John Morton who scored 35 points against Michigan in 1989. Among the 5 players listed, Seton Hall's John Morton is the only player who's team lost the title game.

[@brianarbenz1329]

This was very nearly the national championship matchup. ND lost to Duke in the final minute of the semifinal game at St. Louis. Notre Dame-Kentucky for the national title would have been spectacular. Jack Givens, as super human as he was in the title game, would not have gotten 41 against the Irish.

[@jasonponto1032]

20:44 I did not know that Fact.

[@deonteross2996]

Was bulit very different back then they had 2 forwards in laimbeer and batton who could hit the jump shot at least 20ft out big men back then would just leave em open they shooting so far out

[@SPOCK7525]

Steelbuck. Can u find 1986 ohiostate vs Dayton mens basketball 🏀 game in Columbus

[@paulsonj72]

Must be one of Al McGuire’s early games at NBC where was not sitting with Dick and Billy courtside.

[@Firebirdfrenzy79]

This is the first season after McGuire quit Marquette, he wouldn’t become a full time NBC analyst until the 78-79 season

[@johnreznick3506]

Enberg not announcing this game. Sounds like Dick Stockton

[@paulsonj72]

@@johnreznick3506 Dick Enberg was in Denver for the AFC Championship game the next day

[@ronflatter1235]

53:37 Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?

[@matthewdempsey8852]

Weird seeing Dick Stockton calling a game for the peacock.

[@harrymann5523]

Stockton was with the peacock calling NFL and college basketball games from 1975 to 1978.

[@matthewdempsey8852]

@@harrymann5523 and don’t forget he was part of the ‘75 WS that brought him to prominence.

[@harrymann5523]

@@matthewdempsey8852 He was part of NBC’s World Series coverage because he was also the television voice of the Boston Red Sox

[@racebannon8569]

All the White players.. beautiful. Kentucky won thev title that year.

[@ronflatter1235]

49:47 Fake clock.

[@debbiehenson1096]

UK will win the title nxt season.

[@Vgy926]

They won it that season as the game was during the 1977-78 campaign.