The 1975-76 NCAA Final Four Team
The story of the 1975-76 team has been told and re-told for 20 years. The number of people who claim to have been in the 2,800-seat College Avenue Gym on March 1, 1976, the night RU sealed the perfect season with an 85-80 win over St. Bonaventure, is in the hundreds of thousands. As was the case so many times before, paint chips fell from the ceiling that night, caused by the tremendous, vibrating noise and the heat generated in the building. The names on that team still resonate within the minds of all Rutgers fans; Sellers, Dabney, Copeland, Jordan, Bailey, Anderson and on and on. That team pressed and ran opponents right out of the gym on a nightly basis. In an era without the three-point shot, the team broke the 90-point barrier 25 times, the century mark on 11 occasions. The constant defensive pressure applied would often dictate an opponent mistake and an ensuing long pass and, ultimately, an open layup. Sellers to Dabney to Jordan - A blur of uniforms streaking to the hoop. That team won its first 31 games, made an appearance in the NCAA Final Four in Philadelphia, featured a National Coach of the Year and included five of the six leading scorers in Rutgers history. It was a magical time, a magical season. The achievements of that team have been well-told. They will be told again and again.
Al Adler
Rutgers Class of 1931
Al Adler, a 1931 Rutgers graduate, played for the Scarlet Knights from 1928-1931. He was the second-leading scorer on the 1928-29 team, which compiled a 10-5 record. Known as an aggressive defensive player, the Bayonne, N.J. native was one of the top players for Rutgers in the 1920’s. In fact, the current Rutgers defensive player of the year award is named after Adler. Adler was a member of the 1928-29 team, which was the first Rutgers team to defeat CCNY, a team that was coached by the legendary Nat Holman. Following his playing career, Adler became a prominent fixture in the Rutgers athletic scene. He served on the Board of Trustees for 20 years, was a member of the President’s Council, was president of the Rutgers Alumni Association and served as the treasurer of the class of 1931.
Abdel Anderson
Rutgers Class of 1979
Abdel Anderson enjoyed a brilliant Rutgers career from 1975-79. In his four seasons, Anderson played on teams which made two NCAA and two NIT appearances. Those teams were a combined 95-28, the best four-season mark in school history. He was an unsung contributor as a freshman to the Scarlet Knights’ magical 1975-76 season. Coming off the bench as the sixth man, the lithe 6-7 Anderson averaged 9.4 points per game during that 31-2 season when the Scarlet Knights won their first 31 games and finished the season ranked fourth in the nation. Anderson, employing a distinctive and unorthodox jump shot, was the consummate team player. As a sophomore, he tallied 15.2 points per game when the Knights went 18-10 and made the NIT. His junior year, the Belleville, N.J. native averaged 12.3 points an outing in helping to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 24-7 record and to a third-place finish in the NIT. He capped his career by averaging 11.8 as a senior, second on the team to All-American James Bailey, as the Knights compiled a 22-9 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Anderson’s 1,459 career points ranks him 12th on the all-time Rutgers University scoring list.
Gene Armstead
Rutgers Class of 1973
Eugene Armstead was an imposing and productive force on both ends of the floor throughout his Rutgers career. The first high school All-American to play basketball at Rutgers, the 6-9 Armstead was, at the time, the tallest player in Scarlet Knight history. At the conclusion of his career, Armstead, was ranked first in RU history in blocked shots, second in rebounding and 10th in points. His .555 career field goal percentage was a Rutgers record that stood for 29 years. Nicknamed “the dominator” because of his ability to intimidate the opposition around the basket, Armstead poured in 1,046 points in a three-year career as freshmen were not eligible to play varsity in his era. The Media, Pa. native helped lead Rutgers to three winning seasons, an overall record of 45-29 and an appearance in the 1973 NIT. Armstead was the second-leading scorer on the 1970-71 team with a 16.1 average and pulled down a team-leading 11.8 boards in helping RU achieve a 16-7 record. He averaged 13.4 points and 11.8 rebounds in helping to lead the 1971-72 team to a 14-11 mark as a junior. He then averaged 13.7 and 9.4 rebounds per game his senior year for the 1972-1973 team which finished with a 15-11 record.
James Bailey
Rutgers Class of 1979
James Bailey is number three on the Rutgers all-time scoring list (2, 034), and just behind Phil Sellers in rebounding (1,047). The 6-9 Bailey was the freshman center on the 1975-76 Final Four team and went on to capture All-America honors from UPI and The Sporting News in 1978. Bailey, whose number 20 was retired in 1992, played nine NBA seasons with the Seattle Supersonics, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns. Known as “Jammin’ James,” he was the recipient of the prestigious Coursen Award and the Widmer Trophy.
John Battle
Rutgers Class of 1985
John Battle enjoyed a brilliant Rutgers career from 1981-1985 before going on to a long and productive career in the NBA. Battle, a 6-2 guard from Washington D.C. came to Rutgers as a lightly-recruited player who was the sixth man on his high school team as a senior. He played sparingly in his freshman year and then saw his role begin to expand late in his sophomore season, as he provided a spark which helped the 1982-83 Scarlet Knights gain a berth in the NCAA Tournament. That Rutgers team, which featured 1995 RU Hall of Fame inductee Roy Hinson, defeated Southwestern Louisiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Beginning in his junior year, 1983-84, Battle exploded, averaging 21 points per game in both his junior and senior seasons. A tremendous leaper and dangerous three-point threat, Battle scored 608 points in his senior year, 1984-85, and finished his career with 1,385 points. That point total places him 15th all-time at Rutgers (it was 10th when he graduated ). Battle was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 1985. He played with the Hawks from 1985-1991 and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1991-96. In the NBA, Battle scored more than 5,000 points and dished off more than 1,200 assists.
Hollis Copeland
Rutgers Class of 1978
Hollis Copeland was a standout on the great Rutgers teams of the mid-1970’s. This uncommonly graceful 6-6 forward is the fifth-leading scorer in Rutgers history with 1,769 points. His 850 rebounds is sixth-best on the all-time Rutgers charts. Possessor of a lithe physique which featured extremely broad shoulders, this high-jumping native of Ewing Township enjoyed his best statistical season as a junior, when he averaged 16.1 points per game, to go with 8.1 rebounds per outing. His career average was 14.6 points per game and 7.0 rebounds an outing. As a sophomore, he played a significant role and was an integral member of the 1975-76 Final Four team. His teams qualified for post-season play in all four of his years “On the Banks,” with a pair of NCAA and NIT appearances. An honorable mention All-American in 1977, Copeland was a third-round pick of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. His 93-game NBA career also included a stint with the New York Knicks.
Mike Dabney
Rutgers Class of 1976
Mike Dabney, who played at Rutgers from 1972-76, was a silky, smooth guard who starred for the great Rutgers teams of the mid 1970’s. The East Orange native was the second-leading scorer on the Scarlet Knights’ Final Four team in 1975-1976. That season, Dabney averaged 19. 1 points per game and was named honorable mention All-American. Teaming with backcourt mate Eddie Jordan, Dabney led the team in steals with 110. He was known for his grace and quickness on the court. The image most Rutgers fans have of Dabney probably centers around his many fast break layups, many of which came off steals. The 1976 Rutgers graduate is the fourth-leading scorer in school history with 1,902 points. He was a third-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bill Foster
Head Coach 1963-1971
Bill Foster ushered in the first truly successful era in Rutgers basketball history. His eight teams posted a 120-75 record, following a 22-7 mark in 1966-67 with a 21-4 mark in 1968-69. That 1966-67 team earned a third-place finish in the NIT, becoming the first Rutgers basketball team to reach post-season play. Eight of his players are currently in the top 50 in all-time scoring, including Bob Lloyd, Rutgers’ first All-American, first 2,000-point scorer, and the late Jim Valvano. Both were members of the inaugural Hall of Fame class. In 1971-72, Foster became the head coach at Utah and then went on to Duke where he led the Blue Devils to the 1978 NCAA Championship game. Foster also had head coaching stints at South Carolina and Northwestern and has served as the associate commissioner of the Southwest Conference. His commitment and dedication epitomizes the true meaning of college basketball and he was honored by his colleagues as president of the National Association of College Basketball Coaches in 1976-77. Foster also served as the first vice president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Larry Gordon
Rutgers Class of 1954
Larry Gordon scored 1,213 points in a three-year period, which places him 20th on the all-time list. When he graduated from Rutgers, Gordon was second on the all-time list. Gordon’s 19.0 ppg. scoring average is still the fifth highest all-time, his 321 converted free throws are ninth all-time and his 534 free throw attempts is sixth best all-time. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Gordon became a top executive in the international petroleum research area at Shell Oil Company, where he was employed from 1956-1991. A native of Elizabeth, N.J., he was an All-State selection at Thomas Jefferson (now Elizabeth) High School before becoming a Scarlet Knight.
Bob Greacen
Rutgers Class of 1969
Bob Greacen was a dominant player during a career which saw the Scarlet Knights soar to previously unprecedented heights. The 6-7 native of Merchantville played a prominent role on the 1967 team, which earned a third-place finish in the NIT. An excellent leaper, Greacen is 24th all-time in scoring with 1,154 career points. He averaged 21.3 points per game on the 1968-69 team, the 10th-best single season average in school history. That 1968-69 team went 21-4 and beat NYU in the first round of the NIT. Greacen was a second-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Bucks and was a member of the 1970-71 Bucks’ NBA Championship team.
“Bucky” Hatchett
Rutgers Class of 1950
William F. “Bucky” Hatchett was Rutgers’ first 1,000 point scorer. Hatchett is still ranked 18th on the all-time list with 1,245 points. His scoring record stood until 1965-66. He averaged 12.6 ppg. in his freshman year, 18.3 ppg. as a sophomore, 17.2 ppg. as a junior, and averaged 14.4 in his senior year. A 1991 inductee into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame, Hatchett won10 letters in three sports (football, basketball, track). After graduating from Rutgers, Hatchett became a legend in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. During his pro career, he served as an executive with RCA.
Frank Hill
Head Coach 1915-1943
The late Frank Hill (head coach, 1915-43), recorded a 223-165 record. During much of this same period, he also coached at Seton Hall and St. Benedict’s Prep, where he was 191-80 (18 seasons) and 209-28 (16 seasons), respectively. He also enjoyed a long and successful career as an official and worked 16 Final Fours. His Rutgers squads posted 19 winning seasons and his 1919-20 squad was a finalist in the National AAU Tournament. He is the grandfather of five Rutgers graduates.
Roy Hinson
Rutgers Class of 1983
Roy Hinson was a dominating defensive force throughout his Rutgers career, which spanned from 1979-1983. The 6-9 Hinson, who graduated from nearby Franklin High School, came to Rutgers as a raw, thin athlete and left as a first-round NBA draft choice. Hinson is the Scarlet Knights’ second all-time leading shot-blocker with 356. The 1983 Rutgers graduate added a little bit to his game each season at Rutgers, improving his scoring averages from 9.7 as a freshman to 16.6 as a senior. His 1,521 career points are 10th on the all-time list and he is the fifth-leading rebounder in school history with 860. Hinson was a first-round draft choice of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 14.2 points per game in an NBA career, which included stints with the 76ers and Nets. His NBA career ended after the 1991 season due to a knee injury.
Eddie Jordan
Rutgers Class of 1980
Eddie Jordan was the point guard and catalyst of the great Rutgers teams of the mid-1970’s. “Fast Eddie” was the on-court general for the 1975-76 Scarlet Knights, who fashioned a perfect 26-0 regular season mark, reached the Final Four, and wound up with a record of 31-2. Jordan’s name remains prominent in the RU record books. He is the all-time assist leader with 585 and steals leader with 220. Jordan is also the seventh-all-time leading scorer with 1,632 points. Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft, Jordan was later a member of the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA Championship team. In a career which included stints with the New Jersey Nets and Portland Trailblazers, Jordan played in 420 NBA games, scored 3,414 career points and had a per-game average of 8.1. Jordan served five seasons as an assistant coach at Rutgers before later serving as head coach of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
Austin “Bus” Lepine
Rutgers Class of 1937
Austin “Bus” Lepine played in a highly successful era of Rutgers basketball. A 1937 graduate, Lepine was a catalyst and floor leader on the great 1936-37 team, which, to that point in history, was the most successful and decorated Rutgers team ever. An All-State selection at New Brunswick High School, Lepine averaged a team-best 11.8 points per game for the 13-2 Rutgers team of 1936-37. Lepine was also the leading scorer on the team as a junior, and second-leading as a sophomore. Lepine played for coach Frank Hill, a member of the inaugural Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. Rutgers raced out to an 8-0 start in 1936-37 before dropping a pair of late season games, one of which was a 39-38 decision to national power NYU.
Bob Lloyd
Rutgers Class of 1967
Bob Lloyd was the first Rutgers All-American in 1967 (UPI first-team and AP second-team) and was the first Scarlet Knight to score over 2,000 points, this in an era when varsity athletes were limited to three seasons. Averaging an astounding 26.5 points a game for his career, he amassed 2,045 career points and led the nation in free throw percentage (.921) in 1966-67. He and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Jim Valvano led the 1966-67 Scarlet Knights to a third-place finish in the NIT. His number 14 was the first to be retired, in 1987, in Rutgers basketball history.
George Mackaronis
Rutgers Class of 1949
George Mackaronis was a fixture on the Rutgers men’s basketball scene for more than 50 years. An All-State player at New Brunswick High School, he became one of the best college players in the East, competing well against All-Americans the likes of NYU’s Dolph Schayes, Seton Hall’s Bobby Wanzer and Princeton’s Butch Van Breda Kolff, to name a few. In 1942, due to World War II, he became the first Rutgers freshman to ever play on the varsity. From 1943-45, he served in World War II, was involved in the D-Day invasion and earned five battle stars. He returned to Rutgers in 1946 and started every game over the next three seasons, leading the 1945-46 team in scoring with as 15.0 average. The team captain in 1948, Mackaronis was the winner of the Loyal Son Award and was considered to have one of the best set shots in Rutgers history. A leader on various committees, Mackaronis founded the Court Club in 1956 and served as president for 30 years. He was the first president of the Rutgers Basketball Players Association and sponsored the Rutgers Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award, which is named in his honor.
Doug Patton
Rutgers Class of 1961
Doug Patton was one of the most prolific scorers in Rutgers basketball history. The 6-0, 165-pound native of Red Bank, N.J. became just the fourth Scarlet Knight to ever score 1,000 points, a feat even more impressive given that he played in an era where athletes could only play three varsity seasons. At the time of his graduation in 1961, Patton was the third-leading scorer in school history. In his first varsity season, as a sophomore in 1958-59, Patton averaged 15.1 ppg. In his junior season, he scored a career-high 495 points and averaged 19.8 per game, which was the second-best figure in school history upon his graduation. He was a first-team All-East selection as a senior in 1960-61 when he averaged 18.3 ppg. Behind Patton’s leadership, the 1960-61 team fashioned an 11-10 record, becoming the first Rutgers team in 12 years to record a winning season. In addition to his prolific scoring, Patton led Rutgers in steals three years in a row. Nearly 40 years since his college basketball career ended, Patton’s 1,180 career points ranks 21st in school history.
Eric Riggins
Rutgers Class of 1987
As his career progressed, Eric Riggins developed into a virtually unstoppable offensive force. The extremely quick 6-8, 205-pound Riggins blended an assortment of crafty, low post moves with an uncommonly soft touch. He scored 1,604 career points, which ranks eighth on the all-time Rutgers scoring list. In 1986-87, his senior season, Riggins put together one of the finest offensive seasons in school history. That year, he averaged 24.7 points per game, fifth all-time in RU history. He finished the season with 692 points, the fourth-best single-season total ever at Rutgers. He scored 20 or more points in a game 21 times that season, eclipsed the 30-point mark eight times and finished his RU career by scoring 20 or more points in 14 consecutive games. His 245 made field goals in 1986-87 are sixth all-time. His 200 free throws made and 256 attempted are both second all-time. On the afternoon of February 21, 1987, he poured in 51 points vs. Penn State at the RAC, to tie fellow Hall of Famer Bob Lloyd for the most points ever scored by a Rutgers player. His 19 made field goals that day also tied a school record.
Phil Sellers
Rutgers Class of 1976
Phil Sellers was the leader of the 1975-76 Final Four team. This aggressive athlete set the tone for the 31-2 Scarlet Knights that season. Sellers is Rutgers’ all-time scoring and rebounding leader with 2,399 points and 1,115 rebounds. A 6-4 forward, Sellers was a two-time Haggerty Award winner as the Metropolitan New York area’s top performer. He was a first-team AP All-American in 1976. He later returned to Rutgers as an assistant coach for four seasons. His number 12 was Rutgers’ second to be retired in basketball history, in 1988.
George "Swede" Sundstrom
Rutgers Class of 1954
George “Swede” Sundstrom is recognized as one of the greatest rebounders in Rutgers basketball history. Swede’s career average of 17.1 rebounds per game is the all-time best for the Scarlet Knights, and at the time of his induction into the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame, his 942 rebounds over his 55-game career spanning three seasons is No. 3 all-time. The 6-foot-5 Sundstrom averaged 20.6 rebounds per game as a senior in 1953-54, after pulling down 17.3 per contest as a junior the previous season. Those two rebounding averages are the top two single season marks in Rutgers history. Twice in his career, he pulled down 30 rebounds in a single game – against Johns Hopkins in 1953 and Army in 1954, also Rutgers single game records. Sundstrom grabbed an incredible 26 or more rebounds in eight games during his career, and owns or shares the top four single game rebounding records in Rutgers history. Sundstrom averaged 10.7 points with 588 career points, and was second on the team in scoring as a senior, averaging 13.8 points per game. The efficient big man, a native of Elizabeth, N.J., also showed a good touch from the foul line, as he converted 73 per cent of his free throws (214-of-293) during his career.
Kelvin Troy
Rutgers Class of 1981
Kelvin Troy was a 6-5, 195-pound forward at Rutgers from 1977-1981. During that period, the Scarlet Knights posted a record of 76-46, which included a 24-7 record in 1977-78 and a third place finish in the NIT, and a 22-9 mark in 1978-79 and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. In his junior year, 1979-80, Troy posted team-leading numbers in points (18.9), rebounding (8.3) and steals (51) and was an Honorable Mention All-American. In addition, he earned All-Eastern Eight, All-Metropolitan Area and All-New Jersey honors. Upon his graduation, Troy was eighth all-time in scoring at Rutgers (he is now 13th) with 1,458 points in 119 games and seventh all-time in rebounding with 703 (now 10th). For his career, he averaged 15.9 ppg. and 5.9 rpg. In addition to his offensive and rebounding prowess, Troy also crafted a well-earned reputation of a rugged, defensive standout. Sports Illustrated named him one of the nation’s top 10 best defensive players prior to the 1979-80 season. A fifth-round draft pick of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, Troy played professionally in Ireland.
Jim Valvano
Rutgers Class of 1967
The late Jim Valvano co-captained the 1966-67 squad with Bob Lloyd and was known as “Mr. Defense.” Named the Rutgers Senior Athlete of the Year in 1967, Valvano scored 1,122 points, then the sixth-best scoring figure in history. Following two seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, this charismatic personality later held head coaching positions at Johns Hopkins, Bucknell and Iona, before moving on to North Carolina State. He guided the 1982-83 Wolfpack squad to the national title. The recipient of the Rutgers Medal in 1983, Valvano owned a 346-212 record for his 18-year head coaching career. He later gained even more national acclaim as a sportscaster with ABC and ESPN. His final triumph came toward the end of his glorious life when he announced the formation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research at the 1993 ESPY Awards. Founded by ESPN and Jim Valvano, The V Foundation was established to carry out Jim’s final, unmet dream—to soundly defeat cancer.
Tom Young
Head Coach 1973-1985
Tom Young, the winningest coach in Rutgers men’s basketball history, presided over the greatest era in Scarlet Knight basketball history. From 1973-1985, his teams won 239 games and lost just 117. The pinnacle of his career was the 1975-76 season when the Scarlet Knights raced out to a perfect 26-0 regular season, eventually going 31-0 and reaching the Final Four. The final record of 31-2 is the best in RU history. He was the 1975-76 UPI National Coach of the Year. He led Rutgers to four NCAA Tournament and five NIT’s. His 1978-79 team reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament and his 1977-78 team reached the Final Four of the NIT at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He coached eight All-Americans at Rutgers and recruited seven of them. Twelve of his players, including 11 that he recruited, were drafted by the NBA. He coached 10 of Rutgers’ top 11 all-time scorers and 15 of the top 50. Young was especially noted for teaching the center position as he helped groom the All-American careers of RU Hall of Famers James Bailey and Roy Hinson.
