50 years after undefeated Indiana national championship, Hoosiers share 'a blessing,' advice

INDIANAPOLIS — When the 1976 Indiana men’s basketball team assembled in Indy this weekend, to be honored as the last undefeated team in Division I history, Todd Abernethy needed help recognizing an old friend. It had been, Abernethy estimated, the full half-century since the last time he saw Rich Valavicius. A Hammond native, Valavicius played for IU from 1975-77, before transferring to Auburn, and Valavicius admitted Monday night he was apprehensive about rejoining his teammates for Monday’s celebration.

The moment Abernethy reconnected the face to the name, he immediately recalled what Abernethy described as a “huge, huge basket” in the national championship win over Michigan . Valavicius, it turned out, had no reason to worry. “They opened their arms,” he said.

Living members of that team gathered Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, where they were honored for their achievements on the occasion of the 50 th  anniversary of their national title . Bob Knight, who Abernethy described as “the heart and soul of our group” was represented by his son, Pat. Must read: Will 1975-76 IU be college basketball's last undefeated champion?

Data explains odds, money has say It was Knight’s first at Indiana, and in some ways his most impressive — the Hoosiers did not lose a Big Ten game between 1974-76, and their only loss in the 1975 season came in the regional final against Kentucky, with leading scorer Scott May injured. The next year, Indiana opened with a win over then-No. 1 UCLA and never looked back.