1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

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.[1] 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 Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[2]

1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Undefeated Ivy League Champion
ConferenceIvy League
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19t
1975–76 record22–5 (14–0, 1st Ivy)
Head coach
Captains
Home arenaJadwin Gymnasium

The team posted a 22–5 overall record and a 14–0 conference record.[1] The team lost its March 13, 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament East Regional first round game against the Rutgers Scarlett Knights 54–53 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.[1][2][3]

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.[4] However, the team finished the season ranked tied at number nineteen in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.[5] 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.[6] That was an NCAA record (since 1965) that the team would break the following season.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] Michael Steurer had eight steals against Columbia on February 6, 1976, which established an Ivy League record that would stand until March 5, 1983.[8]

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.[10] Hill repeated as the free throw percentage statistical champion with an 84.8% average.[9] 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.[8]

Regular season

The team posted a 22–5 (14–0 Ivy League) record.[11]

DREXELW67–48
NavyW60–59
LAFAYETTEW84–65
VILLANOVAL49–51
Miami (Ohio) !L61–66
Southern Illinois !W69–58
Alabama @W61–59
Maryland @L59–66
PENNSYLVANIAW63–39
WILLIAM & MARYW64–43
HarvardW62–57
DartmouthW59–38
St. Joseph’sW56–46
ST. JOHN’SW*58–55
PennsylvaniaW69–52
RUTGERSL62–75
COLUMBIAW69–53
CORNELLW53–35
BrownW56–47
YaleW49–48
DARTMOUTHW74–51
HARVARDW69–48
YALEW68–53
BROWNW70–59
CornellW72–58
ColumbiaW46–44
Rutgers #L53–54
! = Michigan Invitational at Ann Arbor, Mich.
@ = Maryland Invitational at College Park, Md.
# = NCAA first round at Providence, R.I.

Home games in CAPS

Rankings
Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
PollPreWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Final
AP Top 20 Poll[4] - - - - - - - - - - 19 17 - - - - - -

NCAA tournament

The team won the 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[12][13]

3/13/76 in Providence, R.I.: Rutgers 54, Princeton 53

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

Three players from this team were selected in the NBA Draft.[15][16]

YearRoundPickPlayerNBA Club
197619Armond HillAtlanta Hawks
1976310Barnes HauptfuhrerHouston Rockets
197891Frank SowinskiNew Jersey Nets

References
  1. "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton Athletic Communications. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 30.
  3. 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.
  4. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 68–83. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  5. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 85. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  6. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 48. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  7. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 42. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  8. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 54.
  9. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 52.
  10. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 35.
  11. Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  12. "1975–76 Ivy Men's Basketball". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  13. "1976 NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket". databaseSports.com. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  14. Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Ivy League & National Awards". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  15. "1976 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  16. "1978 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
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