Marquette's 1977 NCAA championship will never be forgotten in Milwaukee

Marquette won the NCAA basketball trophy on March 28, 1977, with a 67-59 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, which sent students streaming down Wisconsin Avenue in an impromptu party-parade to the lake.

Under the brash, colorful (and quotable) Coach Al McGuire, the team – which famously took its team photo in tuxedos while sitting in a classic car – had captured the attention of the city, and the nation.

The teams were unseeded — it was the last year before teams came into the tournament with a ranking. And the term “March Madness” — describing the unpredictability of upsets and bracket busters — was not widely used until the ’80s.

It was legendary coach Al McGuire’s last game leading Marquette. He came into the game with a 25-7 record,  after sneaking into the tournament, to the Tar Heels’ 28-5 record.

One of McGuire’s key strategies was to not give North Carolina any lead. If they led, the Tar Heels were sure to do the dreaded Four Corners Offense, a “stall offense” where the players would pass the ball to kill time.

The teams could take 10 minutes for one possession — there was no 30-second shot clock to keep the game moving. There was no 3-point line.

Despite the fact basketball was played so much differently then, it is still remembered each year when Marquette plays in the NCAA tourney — as the only time Marquette men’s basketball won it all.

If anyone needs any reminding, the original trophy is in the Walk of Champions display at Marquette’s Al McGuire Center.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette 1977 NCAA basketball championship legendary in Milwaukee