NCAA at 75 - College Basketball
36. Marquette, 1977
Perhaps more than any other team that won a title, the 1977 Marquette squad was a reflection of their legendary coach, Al McGuire. The Warriors played with street smarts and tenacity. After McGuire announced at midseason that he would retire at season's end, the Warriors took a 20-7 record into the NCAA tournament. They beat Kansas State by one point in the second round and UNC Charlotte by two points in the national semifinals. With the score tied at 49 in the final seconds, UNC Charlotte's Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell deflected a pass to Marquette's Jerome Whitehead, who dribbled once and then tried to dunk the ball. Maxwell partially blocked his shot, but the ball bounced through the rim, giving the Warriors a 51-49 victory. They defeated North Carolina 67-59 in the finals, leaving McGuire weeping at the end of the bench.
-- Mark Schlabach
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