1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The slam dunk, prohibited in NCAA basketball games and warm-ups since the 1967–68 season because of criticism that it rewarded height rather than skill, once again became legal after a nine-season absence.[https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/colleges/20140323_Giving__Em_Fitz__When_college_basketball_outlawed_the_dunk.html Fitzpatrick, Frank, "When college basketball outlawed the dunk," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 23, 2014 Accessed April 6, 2021]{{Cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/a-brief-history-of-mens-college-basketball/ |title=Burnsed, Brian, "A Brief History of Men's College Basketball," Champion, Fall 2018 Accessed April 6, 2021 |access-date=April 7, 2021 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413013611/https://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/a-brief-history-of-mens-college-basketball/ |url-status=dead }}

• The National Invitation Tournament expanded from 12 to 16 teams.
• In the Pacific 8 Conference, UCLA won its 11th of what would ultimately be 13 consecutive conference titles.

{{main|1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings}}

The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.{{cite book |title=ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia |isbn=978-0-345-51392-2 |publisher=Random House |date=2009 |page=836}}{{cite web |url=http://www.collegepollarchive.com/mbasketball/ap/seasons.cfm?appollid=407|title=1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll|publisher=College Poll Archive|accessdate=August 8, 2020}}

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The Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, with eight members, and the Sun Belt Conference, with six members, both began play this season. The ECBL, popularly known as the "Eastern 8," became the Eastern Athletic Association the following season and eventually became the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The Yankee Conference dropped all sports except football at the end of the previous season, and seven of its members left the conference before this season began.

Although Chattanooga joined the Southern Conference this season, it still was considered a Division II program. It completed its transition to Division I status after the conclusion of the season.

NOTE: From 1975 to 1981, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1977 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did.[http://jonfmorse.com/wiki/index.php?title=ECAC_Men%27s_Basketball_Tournaments Varsity Pride: ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments]

A total of 74 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, UNLV (29–3) had both the best winning percentage (.906) and the most wins.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1977.html |work=Sports Reference |title=1976-77 Men's Independent Season Summary |access-date=August 20, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/njny7/men/1977.html |work=Sports Reference |title=1976-77 Men's New Jersey-New York 7 Conference Season Summary |access-date=August 20, 2024}}

Columbia and Seton Hall both finished with 3–2 records in head-to-head competition among members of the New Jersey-New York 7 Conference.

Penn and Temple both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

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{{main|1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament|1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game}}

{{4TeamBracket | RD1=National semifinals | RD2=National finals | RD2b=Third place

| RD1-seed1=E

| RD1-team1=North Carolina

| RD1-score1=84

| RD1-seed2=W

| RD1-team2=UNLV

| RD1-score2=83

| RD1-seed3=ME

| RD1-team3=UNC Charlotte

| RD1-score3=49

| RD1-seed4=MW

| RD1-team4=Marquette

| RD1-score4=51

| RD2-seed1=E

| RD2-team1=North Carolina

| RD2-score1=59

| RD2-seed2=MW

| RD2-team2=Marquette

| RD2-score2=67

| RD2b-seed1=W

| RD2b-team1=UNLV

| RD2b-score1=106

| RD2b-seed2=ME

| RD2b-team2=UNC Charlotte

| RD2b-score2=94

}}

{{main|1977 National Invitation Tournament}}

{{4TeamBracket |seeds=no | RD1=Semifinals | RD2=Finals | RD2b=Third place

| RD1-seed1= 

| RD1-team1=Alabama

| RD1-score1=76

| RD1-seed2= 

| RD1-team2=Houston

| RD1-score2=82

| RD1-seed3= 

| RD1-team3=Villanova

| RD1-score3=82

| RD1-seed4= 

| RD1-team4=St. Bonaventure

| RD1-score4=86

| RD2-seed1= 

| RD2-team1=Houston

| RD2-score1=91

| RD2-seed2= 

| RD2-team2=St. Bonaventure

| RD2-score2=94

| RD2b-seed1= 

| RD2b-team1=Alabama

| RD2b-score1=89

| RD2b-seed2= 

| RD2b-team2=Villanova

| RD2b-score2=102

}}

{{main|1977 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans}}

• Wooden Award: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Naismith Award: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Helms Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• UPI Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• NABC Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Marques Johnson, UCLA
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Marques Johnson, UCLA

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bob Gaillard, San Francisco
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Eddie Sutton, Arkansas
• NABC Coach of the Year: Dean Smith, North Carolina
• UPI Coach of the Year: Bob Gaillard, San Francisco
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Lee Rose, UNC Charlotte

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Jeff Jonas, Utah
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Keven McDonald, Penn
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Rich Laurel, Hofstra

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A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

{{Reflist|2}}

{{NCAA Division I men's basketball season navbox}}

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