What year did Indiana basketball go undefeated? Exploring Hoosiers' historic season

The Indiana Hoosiers are one of the most historic basketball programs in the country.

With five national championship triumphs and several conference championships, they have one of the most decorated trophy cabinets in college basketball. But the Hoosiers’ proudest legacy remains being the last team in college basketball to have an undefeated season.

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What year did Indiana basketball go undefeated?

Indiana basketball went undefeated in 1975–76. The Hoosiers were coached by the legendary Bob Knight, who was in his fifth year in charge of the team.

Knight guided the team to an undefeated 32-0 record, winning the national championship to crown the undefeated run. The team included three All-Americans and remains a reference point in college basketball history.

The Hoosiers’ run in the 1975–76 season was not a fluke. They had made an impressive run in the previous season, which ended in a NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky.

They started the 1975–76 season in hot form and were ranked No. 1. The Hoosiers opened the season with a comprehensive win over reigning national champion UCLA. They went on to dominate the Big Ten, winning all 18 conference matchups.

Knight’s team proceeded to the NCAA tournament ranked as the No. 1 team. However, they faced a relatively tough schedule, including Marquette, UCLA and Michigan, en route their national championship triumph.

The Hoosiers reached the climax of their incredible season when they faced Michigan in the national championship game at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. They beat Michigan 86-68 to win their third national championship. Michael Benson won the Outstanding Player Award with 25 points.

Four members of Knight’s team were drafted into the NBA in 1976; three of them were picked in the first round. Kent Benson, Wayne Radford and Bob Bender got into the draft in 1977, 1978 and 1979, respectively. Benson was the first overall pick in the 1977 draft, while Radford and Bender got drafted in the second and sixth rounds respectively.

The legacy of the Hoosiers team of the 1975–76 season has endured for almost 50 years. While no Indiana team, or any college team for that matter, has repeated the feat, the Hoosiers have won two more national championships since then.

However, the last time they won a national championship was in 1987, so many Hoosiers fans will agree that another national championship is long overdue.