1978–79 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=1978–79

|team=Weber State Wildcats

|image=

|image_size=

|conference=Big Sky Conference

|division=

|short_conf=Big Sky

|record=25–9

|conf_record=10–4

|head_coach=Neil McCarthy

|hc_year = 4th

|asst_coach1=

|asst_coach2=

|mvp=

|stadium=Dee Events Center

|champion=Big Sky champions

|bowl=

|bowl_result=

}}

{{1978–79 Big Sky men's basketball standings}}

The 1978–79 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by fourth-year head coach Neil McCarthy and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.

They were {{nowrap|22–8}} overall in the regular season and {{nowrap|10–4}} in conference play,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CMwnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2664%2C1445997 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |title=Final college basketball standings |date=March 5, 1979 |page=3B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IPZLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9O0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4070%2C5793266 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=College basketball standings |date=February 27, 1979 |page=21}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v_JVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3404%2C7899800 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |title=College basketball standings |date=February 26, 1979 |page=4B}} won the regular season title,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HZ1YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VYADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2463%2C6641665 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |title=Weber awaits BSC tournament Friday at Dee Events Center |date=February 26, 1979 |page=2B}} and the conference tournament.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1dlSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5288%2C620938 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Rock |first=Brad |title=Weber vs. NAU for 'Sky crown |date=March 3, 1979 |page=A3}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1tlSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7048%2C978286 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Rock |first=Brad |title=Weber rules Big Sky, eyes NCAA |date=March 5, 1979 |page=B3}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m3tfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1y8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3444%2C1126672 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Big Sky belongs to Weber |date=March 4, 1979 |page=4B}} The Wildcats appeared in the first five finals of the conference tournament; this was the second of three consecutive titles.

Weber State earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the expanded 40-team NCAA tournament, where they were seeded seventh in the Midwest region, the first time the Big Sky representative was not in the West region. The Wildcats met New Mexico State in the first round in Lawrence, Kansas; the Aggies won the previous meeting in December.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sYwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JecFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6444%2C1453867|work=Lawrence Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |last=Woodling |first=Chuck |title=Road-toughened Weber gets second shot at Ags |date=March 8, 1979 |page=11}} This time the Wildcats prevailed in {{nowrap|overtime,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oXtfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1y8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4939%2C3355171 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Weber clips Aggies in overtime |date=March 10, 1979 |page=4B}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=29lSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4232%2C2689750 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Robinson |first=Doug |title=Weber stays alive, awaits Arkansas |date=March 10, 1979 |page=A3}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s4wyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JecFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4948%2C1719612 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |last=Woodling |first=Chuck |title=Weber wriggles by Ags, gains Razorback rematch |date=March 10, 1979 |page=11}}}} but were stopped two days later by second-seeded Arkansas.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tIwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JecFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6336%2C2266066 |work=Lawrence Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |last=Cottrell |first=Chris |title=Hogs still prime porkers |date=March 12, 1979 |page=13}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3NlSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6474%2C3180423|work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Robinson |first=Doug |title=Arkansas knocks off Wildcats |date=March 12, 1979 |page=1D}}

Three Wildcats, all juniors, were named to the all-conference team. Guard Bruce Collins was a repeat selection, joined by forward David Johnson and center Richard Smith; both were on the previous season's second team.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2NlSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TIADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7197%2C1550674 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=UPI |title=3 Wildcats on all-Big Sky team |date=March 7, 1979 |page=E4}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9PVLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8O0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6866%2C3666859 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Cathey named All-Big Sky |date=March 7, 1979 |page=C1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nntfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1y8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5231%2C2197943 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |title=All league: Newman on Big Sky second unit |date=March 7, 1979 |page=3B}}