Imagine March Madness without two of the best six college basketball teams even in the NCAA tournament. That was the scene in 1974, when UCLA's streak of seven straight college championships came to an end and the North Carolina State Wolfpack won the 32-team tournament. When the Wolfpack, led by forward David Thompson, point guard Monte Towe and center Tom Burleson, defeated Marquette 76-64, it became the last team to win when the tournament field included only conference champions and invited independent schools. The 32-team format meant the Maryland Terrapins, ranked fourth before the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and North Carolina Tar Heels, ranked sixth in the same AP poll, went home instead of to the Big Dance.
UCLA Bruins Rule
While UCLA ruled college basketball in the late 1960s and early 1970s, rumblings of change were evident, especially in the ACC. Maryland, North Carolina and North Carolina State jockeyed for supremacy with players who would star in the ABA and NBA after graduating college. On March 9, 1974, the last battle for one tournament bid produced one of the greatest college basketball games ever played - a 103-100 overtime win for North Carolina State over the Terrapins.
David Thompson Stars
In setting the stage for the game, the 1973-1974 NCAA season began with the UCLA Bruins dominant. In the midst of a winning streak that would reach 88 games, the Bruins beat North Carolina State 84-66 and Maryland 65-64 early in the season. Eventually, the streak would end with a 71-70 loss to Notre Dame on Jan. 19, 1974. After the Wolfpack lost to UCLA in December, 1973, they did not lose again. Twice they beat Maryland by six points, Thompson scored 41 in the first victory in Raleigh, N.C., and 39 more when the Terrapins hosted N.C. State in College Park, Md. The Wolfpack also beat the Tar Heels twice that year.
Held in Greensboro, N.C., the ACC tournament was the road to glory for only one of the teams. By this time, North Carolina State was the top-ranked team in the AP poll, having taken the spot Feb. 19, 1974. As regular-season conference champions, the Wolfpack earned a bye for the first round of the tournament, held March 7-9. After advancing easily to the semi-final games, Maryland and North Carolina squared off. After splitting two games during the regular season, the Terps had no problems with the Tar Heels, winning 105-85 to set up the championship match with North Carolina State, which had beaten Virginia.
Maryland Terrapins Talented
To counter Thompson, Towe, Burleson and guard Moe Rivers, Maryland had center Len Elmore, forward Tom McMillan and guard John Lucas. The teams met in the ACC tournament final the year before, won narrowly by North Carolina State, but it was Maryland that advanced to the NCAA tournament because the Wolfpack was on probation for recruiting violations involving Thompson.
Early on, it was all Maryland, the Terps dropped 12 of the first 14 shots from the field and led 25-12. North Carolina State cut the lead to 55-50 at halftime. In the second half, the lead changed hands repeatedly, until Maryland tied the score at 97 with nine seconds left. Wolfpack forward Phil Spence hit the game winner with 1:59 to play and Towe sank two free throws and six seconds left. The Terps did not hit a field goal in overtime. The Wolfpack went on, beating UCLA on the way to the championship. In 1975, the national tournament expanded to 48 teams.
David Harry - Along with contributing articles to Suite 101, I am a reporter for a newspaper in Scarborough, Maine. I have been a freelance writer for ...
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