March 26, 1977: Marquette vs Charlotte (Final Four)

[@Churchcantor]

My brother was born I think while this game was still being played, or shortly after. Our family lived in Charlotte, and dad almost had to be dragged to the hospital...I was eight; don't remember, but will watch it now.

[@55cleon]

I Was Exactly 3 Years And 2 Days Old When This Game Was Played. It's Cool Seeing Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell In College Along With Butch Lee. I Remember Cedric As Boston Celtic Growing Up.

[@brianarbenz1329]

I was just watching the NC State vs UCLA classic game at the ‘74 final 4, and if my math is right you must have been born the day after that, which was the day before NC State won the ‘74 title over these Marquette Warriors.

[@ditto1958]

Watching these games is fascinating for a few reasons. The first thing that struck me is that the college game was played above the rim a lot more back then than it is now. This was before weight training, players were a lot slimmer, and I think they could jump higher. Gold tending isn’t called very often in college these days. Second, there were actually star players in their senior years still playing in college and it showed. Butch Lee played for Puerto Rico in the 76 Olympics and nearly beat the USA team. Third, I wonder if anyone back then who may have been pushing for a three point line knew how much it would change basketball.

[@brianarbenz1329]

I was a freshman in college and remember this final 4 vividly. It was the first without UCLA in 11 years, and the greatest mix of coaching styles ever - Dean Smith’s 4 corners vs. Jerry Tarkanian’s run and gun. Al McGuire the street kid vs. Lee Rose the dapper southern gentleman. Of the three teams Al had taken to the final 4, this was the weakest, yet they won. And 7 loses for a champion was unimaginable until this year. This was the start of teams peaking in March. The wire-to-wire no. 1 champion team was no longer the norm.

[@ReadEphesians612]

Thank you for uploading this.

[@DA-xh3tw]

Loved their uniforms of the seventies. always the Warriors.

[@ARIZJOE]

Al McGuire: "We had to do what the Russians did at the 1972 Olympics. I went onto the court to check the height of the scoreboard. Then I said, "Okay, Butch, let it fly, you can't hit it.'" "Lee Rose spoke like a southern gentleman. I came on with salty, tugboat language."

[@123slasher.16]

The greatest power point guard in college basketball history, Alfred Butch Lee.

[@remmymafia3889]

Then he was, however McGuire's assistant coach here in this game, Rick Majerus, had who I consider a stud power point guard (under'6'6") at Utah, Andre Miller. He was '6 -"4 but played bigger down in the blocks- almost won Majerus a National Championship in '98, losing to Kentucky in the National Final. (Tubby Smith)

[@123slasher.16]

@@remmymafia3889 almost won, ain't winning.

[@paulsonj72]

NBC college basketball was in a transition period here between Dick Enberg and Curt Gowdy. Enberg was the lead announcer in the regular season but Gowdy had a clause in his contract that he was to call the national title game. In 1977 NBC had both Enberg and Gowdy call one semi final and then for the title game they had a three man booth. The year before Gowdy and Enberg called the game and Billy Packer was in the studio. Enberg actually recommend Packer to NBC as he had worked with him before and developed chemistry.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Some great info there. Thanks. It’s also odd to hear Enberg and Packer refer to McGuire as a coach they are covering, not the colleague with whom they’re working. That was change shortly.

[@spryfolII]

Why isn't this game talked about as one of the All Time great Final Four games ever? You couldn't ask for more twist n turns with awesome play, team and individual along with a ending more controversial than any ending I've seen. Only game I can remember that wasn't NC State ripping the hearts out of ever Houston Cougar this side of Albuquerque. The 1980 ACC Championship Game, My Maryland Terrapins vs Duke. On a missed free throw with Maryland down 2, Terps Buck Williams was clearly undercut all the way to the floor with less than 2 seconds left. No call and Duke Wins. That was just a Conference Championship. The issue and call wasn't even talked about after, and Lefty always said after that it took something away and of course Georgetown eliminated the Terps a week later in the Big Boy Tournament. So, for UNCC when that ball dropped into the net with no time left, leaving the 49ers just standing there like.... That's It? No, we get...nah, we..we.. supposed to, awee HELL NO! It can't end LIKE THAT!!! BUT IT DID, and a GREAT GAME gets lost in the mush n mash of the Kentucky vs Duke, Duke vs Vegas, Indiana vs Syracuse etc...etc... They treat this game and Final Four like it's Disney High Tournament. Al McGuire was a great tournament coach and you can clearly see how respectful everyone was.😊😊😊😊😊

[@brianarbenz1329]

I agree with some of what you say. As for respectful, yes and no. Al McGuire lost great chances at NCAA titles in ‘74 vsNC State and ‘76 vs Indiana due to getting two technicals in each of those games. This time Al played it smart and won. What was better then is that schools were not primarily concerned with marketing their merchandise, as haddock become the case today. It’s about jersey and shoe sales.

[@bradlewis6514]

Can u imagine the press coverage on Tobacco Road had Charlotte and the Tar Holes ended up facing off for the title! Charlotte was America's darling in that tournament once they had stunned #1 ranked Michigan! I can guarantee u Charlotte would have had everyone behind them had they beaten Marquette! But the Warriors refused to lose in sending out McGuire a national champion! Marquette winning it all was meant to be

[@bluebirdconundrum]

The one thing that has always stood out to me at the end of this game is how Al McGuire behaved in the midst of the chaos. McGuire was an amazing coach (he made Marquette a national power, after all), but he was also seen as something of a hothead and a provocateur by Marquette's opponents. Just after Whitehead scored, McGuire was - perhaps predictably - right up in the ref's grill pleading his case. Then, after everybody gathered around the scorer's table to try to influence the last call, McGuire pissed off the ref one last time for good measure and calmly strolled away. McGuire knew what the call was going to be before anyone else in the arena did; he was just that in tune with the game. There will never be another college coach or announcer with McGuire's particular blend of intensity, wit, and good cheer; he was truly a one-off.

[@tperk]

McGuire was ahead of his time on this play. He knew at worst it was going to be OT and walking away was the best option to get himself and his team re-engaged if an extra 5:00 was added to the clock.

[@bluebirdconundrum]

@@tperk That's a good point as well. But really, I think McGuire knew what the call was going to be; he insinuated as much in a couple of interviews he did back in the day. He claimed he looked the scorekeeper right in the eyes and asked him pointedly if Whitehead had released the ball before the buzzer sounded. He knew the answer to this particular question was obvious even when seeing the play in real time, and that is likely why he was so calm when he walked away. The thing is, the ball did indeed touch Whitehead again when it bounced around the rim, and that was not obvious in real time. But there was no one in the arena who realized this had happened save for perhaps Maxwell and Whitehead himself. UNCC supporters have always complained about this missed call, but their grievance is not legitimate because Maxwell's foul on Whitehead was also not called. Marquette was destined to win after Maxwell let Whitehead catch that full-court pass; that was a huge misplay that rightly cost UNCC the game.

[@jamesschmidt2160]

OMG the whole game!!!???

[@luisvaldes1568]

Future NBA 1st round picks in this game. UNCC= "Cornbread" Maxwell '77, Chad Kinch '80. Marquette= Bo Ellis '77, Butch Lee '78.

[@Kickingit06]

Cornbread Maxwell on the last play, "They try a long inbounds pass. I know I’m going to catch this ball if they try to throw it over my head. And he throws it, and I catch it, but (Marquette star) Jerome Whitehead hits me from behind and jars the ball loose. He goes to dunk it, but I was able to block his dunk. The ball hung on the rim, and then he actually tapped it in while it was on the rim. It was goaltending. And that’s how we lost."

[@natashatomlinson4548]

Yep that’s exactly what happened . UNC-C really won that game

[@timtebowsleftarm5368]

@@natashatomlinson4548A few things: No UNCC wouldn’t have won. The game was tied at that point. Incidental contact when Whitehead bumped into Maxwell during the inbounds. That won’t ever be called. Maxwell was correct that Whitehead goaltended. But he goaltended because Maxwell fouled him. Regulation should have ended with Whitehead shooting two.

[@carseye1219]

Not saying I want to eliminate the shot clock or anything but sometimes it was interesting watching teams probe the other team's defense. Shooting has become so advanced that these zones would not work at all today.

[@brianarbenz1329]

If teams didn’t overindulge in stalls, the game was fine without a shot clock. The way these teams were playing was strategic and fun to watch.

[@carseye1219]

@@brianarbenz1329 That's just it. Some teams made a travesty out of it. Refusing to even try a shot or going "four corners" would bore everyone to tears. However, I wish they had left the college clock at :35, which would have allowed teams to play different styles. I hear many fans in Europe are upset with the International game going to the:24 clock. The famed Euro passing game has devolved into more NBA-style individual isolation.

[@brianarbenz7206]

I keep wondering -- How would Al McGuire have called this game?

[@shagar5448]

1:14:22 Isn't that considered coincidental contact today?

[@ARIZJOE]

@Brian Arbenz "Good. The basket was good."

[@MichaelJW72]

He would have been calling Billy Packer a meathead.

[@123slasher.16]

I was a Michigan fan and a Marquette fan back then I wanted to see Rickey Green versus Butch Lee UNCC beat Michigan then lost to Marquette. I was a 9th grader in Detroit at that time and Magic Johnson had just beaten a local team for the Michigan Class A state title. Magic Johnson was going to sign with Michigan before MSU persuaded him to stay home with Michigan State.

[@tperk]

1:21:00 random security officers including a female cop sauntering up to the fracas at the scorer's table well after the players, coaches, and photographers have arrived.

[@mrlafayette1964]

ACC fans were pulling for UNCC.

[@jeffwright1722]

love to see unc vs unlv

[@milart12]

01:20:40 Referee is pretty nonchalant about the whole thing.

[@oluhamilton2121]

Bernard 'Looney' Toone

[@endcivilizationnow]

#wearemarquette

[@shagar5448]

Had em by the balls.

[@MrPatrickAnonymous]

Onions!

[@dannfinley794]

I watched every second of this game in 1977 live. Basket interference should have been called. The game was decided by the ref, not the players on the court. UNCC was robbed of a chanced to win it in overtime !!!

[@SorgiStories]

A pair of no-calls that should have been called. You're correct on basket interference. Also, Maxwell fouled Whitehead on the arm as he was dunking. That's why it wasn't a dunk. Whitehead should have had two shots at the line.

[@paulschwarz5927]

@@SorgiStories Maxwell had his hands on the pass. All he had to do was catch it and it was OT. But it slipped away, literally and figuratively.

[@lesliejasinski5901]

The best team won. Al McGuire knew exactly what he was doing.