The 1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1975–76 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Pete Carril and the team co-captains were Armond Hill and Michael Steuerer.[2] The team played its home games in the Jadwin Gymnasium on the university campus in Princeton, New Jersey. It was the undefeated Ivy League and earned birth in the 32-team 1976 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[3]
| 1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball | |
|---|---|
Undefeated Ivy League Champion | |
1976 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Regional quarterfinals | |
| Conference | Ivy League |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 19t |
| Record | 22–5 (14–0, 1st Ivy) |
| Head coach | |
| Captains | |
| Home arena | Jadwin Gymnasium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Princeton | 14 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 22 | – | 5 | .815 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn | 11 | – | 3 | .786 | 17 | – | 9 | .654 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dartmouth | 7 | – | 7 | .500 | 16 | – | 10 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Columbia | 6 | – | 8 | .429 | 8 | – | 17 | .320 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brown | 6 | – | 8 | .429 | 7 | – | 19 | .269 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yale | 5 | – | 9 | .357 | 7 | – | 21 | .250 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cornell | 4 | – | 10 | .286 | 8 | – | 18 | .308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harvard | 3 | – | 11 | .214 | 8 | – | 18 | .308 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP Poll[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The team posted a 22–5 overall record and a 14–0 conference record.[2] No Ivy League team would go 14–0 again until the 1990–91 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team.[4] The team lost its March 13, 1976 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament East Regional first-round game against the No. 3 Rutgers Scarlett Knights 54–53 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.[2][3][5]
During the season, the team spent two weeks of the seventeen-week season ranked in the Associated Press Top Twenty Poll, peaking at number fifteen and ending the season unranked.[6] However, the team finished the season ranked tied at number nineteen in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.[7] The team was the first of nineteen Princeton teams to win the national statistical championship in scoring defense with an average of 52.9 points allowed.[8] That was an NCAA record (since 1965) that the team would break the following season.[9] Ilan Ramati posted seven blocked shots against William & Mary on January 6, 1976, which established an Ivy League record that would stand until Chris Dudley had nine on February 14, 1987. It remains a league record for non-conference games.[10] In the same game, Frank Sowinski made all twelve of his free throws to find his way into the Ivy League's record books although short of Bill Bradley's perfect 16 free throw night and the Ivy League record of 21.[11] Michael Steurer had eight steals against Columbia on February 6, 1976, which established an Ivy League record that would stand until March 5, 1983.[10]
The team was led by first team All-Ivy League selection Armond Hill, who was named Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year, and by fellow first team selection Barnes Hauptfuhrer. Hill was selected in the 1976 NBA draft with the 9th overall selection in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks, while Hauptfuhrer was selected with the 43rd overall selection in the third round by the Houston Rockets.[12] Hill repeated as the free throw percentage statistical champion with an 84.8% average.[11] He also surpassed Tim van Blommesteyn's Ivy League single-season steals record set the prior season by one with 73, establishing a record that would last twenty-four years.[10]
Schedule and results
editThe team posted a 22–5 (14–0 Ivy League) record.[13]
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site city, state | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| Nov 29, 1975* |
Drexel | W 67–48 | 1–0 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Dec 3, 1975* |
at Navy | W 60–59 | 2–0 |
Dahlgren Hall Annapolis, Maryland | |||||||
| Dec 6, 1975* |
Lafayette | W 84–65 | 3–0 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Dec 9, 1975* |
Villanova | L 49–51 | 3–1 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Dec 19, 1975* |
vs. Miami (OH) Michigan Invitational |
L 61–66 | 3–2 |
Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, Michigan | |||||||
| Dec 20, 1975* |
vs. Southern Illinois Michigan Invitational |
W 69–58 | 4–2 |
Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, Michigan | |||||||
| Dec 29, 1975* |
vs. No. 8 Alabama Maryland Invitational |
W 61–59 | 5–2 |
Cole Fieldhouse College Park, Maryland | |||||||
| Dec 30, 1975* |
at No. 2 Maryland Maryland Invitational |
L 59–66 | 5–3 |
Cole Fieldhouse College Park, Maryland | |||||||
| Jan 3, 1976 |
Penn | W 63–39 | 6–3 (1–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Jan 6, 1976* |
William & Mary | W 64–63 | 7–3 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Jan 9, 1976 |
at Harvard | W 62–57 | 8–3 (2–0) |
Lavietes Pavilion Cambridge, Massachusetts | |||||||
| Jan 10, 1976 |
at Dartmouth | W 59–38 | 9–3 (3–0) |
Alumni Gym Hanover, New Hampshire | |||||||
| Jan 13, 1976* |
at Saint Joseph's | W 56–46 | 10–3 |
Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||||||
| Jan 24, 1976* |
No. 9 St. John's | W 58–55 OT | 11–3 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Jan 27, 1976 |
No. 17 | at Penn | W 69–52 | 12–3 (4–0) |
The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||||||
| Feb 2, 1976* |
No. 15 | No. 7 Rutgers | L 62–75 | 12–4 |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | ||||||
| Feb 6, 1976* |
No. 15 | Columbia | W 69–53 | 13–4 (5–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | ||||||
| Feb 7, 1976* |
No. 15 | Cornell | W 53–35 | 14–4 (6–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | ||||||
| Feb 13, 1976 |
at Brown | W 56–47 | 15–4 (7–0) |
Marvel Gymnasium Providence, Rhode Island | |||||||
| Feb 14, 1976 |
at Yale | W 49–48 | 16–4 (8–0) |
John J. Lee Ampitheater New Haven, Connecticut | |||||||
| Feb 20, 1976 |
Dartmouth | W 74–51 | 17–4 (9–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Feb 21, 1976 |
Harvard | W 69–48 | 18–4 (10–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Feb 27, 1976* |
Yale | W 68–53 | 19–4 (11–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Feb 28, 1976 |
Brown | W 70–59 | 20–4 (12–0) |
Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, New Jersey | |||||||
| Mar 5, 1976 |
at Cornell | W 72–58 | 21–4 (13–0) |
Barton Hall Ithaca, New York | |||||||
| Mar 6, 1976 |
at Columbia | W 46–44 | 22–4 (14–0) |
Levien Gymnasium New York, New York | |||||||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| Mar 13, 1976* |
vs. No. 3 Rutgers First round |
L 53–54 | 22–5 |
Providence Civic Center Providence, Rhode Island | |||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East. | |||||||||||
Rankings
edit| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Top 20 Poll[6] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
NCAA tournament
editThe team won the 1976 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[14][15]
- 3/13/76 in Providence, R.I.: Rutgers 54, Princeton 53
Awards and honors
edit- Armond Hill
- Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year[14]
- First Team All-Ivy League[14]
- All-East[16]
- Barnes Hauptfuhrer
- First Team All-Ivy League[14]
- Bob Slaughter
- Second Team All-Ivy League[14]
Team players drafted into the NBA
editThree players from this team were selected in the NBA draft.[17][18]
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 1976 | 1 | 9 | Armond Hill | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1976 | 3 | 10 | Barnes Hauptfuhrer | Houston Rockets |
| 1978 | 9 | 1 | Frank Sowinski | New Jersey Nets |
References
edit- ^ sports-reference.com 1975-76 Ivy Group Season Summary
- ^ a b c "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton Athletic Communications. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
- ^ a b 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 30.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ "COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP Mississippi State Happy to Share SEC Title: [Home Edition]". Los Angeles Times. March 3, 1991. p. 8. ProQuest 281391790. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 22, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Men's Basketball in the Postseason". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ a b "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 68–83. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 85. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 48. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 42. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 54.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ a b 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 52.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 35.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "1975–76 Ivy Men's Basketball". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ "1976 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". databaseSports.com. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Ivy League & National Awards". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ "1976 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ "1978 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.