1976–77 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team

{{short description|American college basketball season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NCAA team season

|CoachRank=

|APRank=

|mode=Basketball

|year=1976–77

|team=Weber State Wildcats

|image=

|image_size=

|conference=Big Sky Conference

|division=

|short_conf=Big Sky

|record=20–8

|conf_record=11–3

|head_coach=Neil McCarthy

|hc_year = 2nd

|asst_coach1=

|asst_coach2=

|mvp=

|stadium=Wildcat Gym

|champion=

|bowl=

|bowl_result=

}}

{{1976–77 Big Sky men's basketball standings}}

The 1976–77 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1976–77 NCAA Division I basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by second-year head coach Neil McCarthy and played their home games on campus at Wildcat Gym in Ogden, Utah. They were {{nowrap|19–7}} overall in the regular season and {{nowrap|11–3}} in conference play.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g_BLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=se0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6092%2C5058026 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=Zags draw Weber State |date=February 28, 1977 |page=17}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HXVhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=su0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4221%2C81155 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=College cage standings |date=March 1, 1977 |page=16}}

Weber State was second in the regular season standings and qualified for the four-team conference tournament, hosted by Idaho State in [[Holt Arena|

Pocatello]].{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zTtOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=su0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6913%2C1377961 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=Gonzaga, Montana State in tough but not without chances |date=March 4, 1977 |page=31}} The Wildcats won their semifinal by a point over underdog {{nowrap|Gonzaga;{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4flLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7fgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6728%2C1492754 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |last=English |first=Sue |title=Cats survive GU scare |date=March 5, 1977 |page=11}}}} and advanced to the final again, this time to host Idaho State; the teams had split the season series with home wins. The trend continued as Idaho State won the tournament final at home by six points.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yaYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d1sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7279%2C1633582 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |title= A secure 'Dome-ain' ISU |last=Benson |first=Lee |date=March 7, 1976 |page=4B}} They advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, upsetting #2 UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. It remains the best-ever showing in the NCAA tournament by a Big Sky team.

Forward Stan Mayhew was named to the all-conference team,{{cite web |url=https://weberstatesports.com/honors/weber-state-athletics-hall-of-fame/stan-mayhew/76 |publisher=Weber State University Athletics Hall of Fame |title=Stan Mayhew |accessdate=April 13, 2021}} center Jim Erickson was on the second team, and freshman guard Mark Mattos was honorable mention.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6PlLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7fgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3437%2C3537080 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Grady wins All-Big Sky cage honors |date=March 15, 1977 |page=22}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AtFSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IX8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2902%2C3575024 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=Associated Press |title=Mayhew, Hayes head all-Big Sky cage team |date=March 15, 1977 |page=B6}}

Weber State appeared in the first five finals of the conference tournament, and won the next three (1978, 1979, 1980).

This was the last season in Wildcat Gym (now Swenson Gym); the new Dee Events Center opened in November 1977.