Alabama Basketball: Complete Crimson Tide NCAA Tournament History
By Ronald Evans
Mar. 13, 1976 – Mideast Region – Dayton, OH – Round One
Alabama Crimson Tide 79 – North Carolina Tar Heels 64
Alabama Basketball was the outright SEC Champion in 1976. Newton’s team was ranked no lower than No. 14 by the AP during the season and was No. 8 going into the NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels, ranked No. 5, were solid favorites to beat the Tide. North Carolina had four players who progressed to the NBA, including Walter Davis and Phil Ford. The Tide was led again by Douglas, Dunn, Ricky Brown and Anthony Murray, plus an impressive freshman, Reggie King.
The Tar Heels’ bigs, Mitch Kupchak and Tommy LaGarde were no match for Douglas who had 35 points and 17 rebounds. Murray swallowed up a gimpy Phil Ford. T.R. Dunn, probably the best defender in Crimson Tide history until Herbert Jones, was instrumental in holding North Carolina star, Walter Davis to 16 points. Murray and King added 13 points each, with ‘Mule’ King also getting 13 rebounds.
The outcome was one of the season’s major upsets because even with the Tide’s ranking, the Tar Heels were expected to have little problem beating an Alabama basketball team.
Mar. 18, 1976 – Mideast Regional Semi-Final – Baton Rouge, LA
Indiana Hoosiers 74 – Alabama Crimson Tide 69
Despite the loss, this performance was one of the greatest in Alabama Basketball, NCAA Tournament history. Indiana would go on to win the NCAA Tournament and become National Champion with the last undefeated season in Division One basketball.
All five of Bobby Knight’s starters were drafted by the NBA. Much like the Arizona State game the year before, the Crimson Tide was tight for most of the first half. Down by eight at halftime, the Tide fought back to take a 69-68 lead with 2:03 left in the game. In the subsequent minute and a half, Leon Douglas missed two free throws and an easy shot directly under the basket. Indiana took the lead 70-69 with 2:02 left. Douglas missed another short shot late and the Hoosiers prevailed by the five-point margin. Walking off the court after his Hoosiers destroyed Michigan in the National Championship game, Bobby Knight was quoted saying C.M. Newton’s team was the best his team played that season.