Were the 1976-77 Warriors Al's best team?

[Marcus92]

Marquette went into the 1977 NCAA tournament with a 20-7 record and ranked 19th in the country. They finished the regular season losing 5 of 11, including at home to #15 Detroit and unranked DePaul and Wichita State. Their best win of the regular season was against #11 Clemson.

The year before, MU entered the NCAA tournament ranked #2 with a 25-1 record — winning its first two games before falling to eventual champion Indiana (the last Division I men's basketball team to finish a season undefeated).

It's obvious why Marquette's national championship team is so celebrated. But it seems like the 1975-76 Warriors don't get nearly the attention they deserve. By just about any measure, they'd match up with the best teams in MU history. Was this actually Al McGuire's best team?

[Galway Eagle]

I would guess the team that lost to Ohio state after going undefeated all season was our best team followed by the 76 team.

[Lennys Tap]

I would guess the team that lost to Ohio state after going undefeated all season was our best team followed by the 76 team.

That was the 70-71 team and I agree it was our best. #2 (imo) was the 71-72 team who were 22-0 (and ranked #1 or 2) when Jim Chones signed an ABA contract. The rest of my top 5 would be the 75-76 that lost to IU, the 73-74 national runner ups and the 76-77 national champs.

[4everwarriors]

You got it Lenny Man. Them was da daze, hey?

[GooooMarquette]

That was the 70-71 team and I agree it was our best. #2 (imo) was the 71-72 team who were 22-0 (and ranked #1 or 2) when Jim Chones signed an ABA contract. The rest of my top 5 would be the 75-76 that lost to IU, the 73-74 national runner ups and the 76-77 national champs.

Hard to argue with that order.

[Goose]

Lenny I am with you and 4ever. Will add that '76-77 team was ranked #1 preseason and much better than some believe. I like that team ahead of the '73-74 runner up team.

[ecompt]

In my opinion, the team that lost to Ohio State was the best, followed by the NIT championship team and the team that lost to Indiana in what should have been the championship game had the NCAA seeded teams.

[dgies9156]

That was the 70-71 team and I agree it was our best. #2 (imo) was the 71-72 team who were 22-0 (and ranked #1 or 2) when Jim Chones signed an ABA contract. The rest of my top 5 would be the 75-76 that lost to IU, the 73-74 national runner ups and the 76-77 national champs.

Ditto.

The best teams Al had probably were the ones that never were due to hardships. The 1972-1973 team if Jim Chones would have been dynamite as would the 1974-1975 team with Maurice Lucas, had he stayed.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny I am with you and 4ever. Will add that '76-77 team was ranked #1 preseason and much better than some believe. I like that team ahead of the '73-74 runner up team.

Yeah, I went back and forth on that one - basically a coin flip for me

[bilsu]

Imagine these teams with:
71-72 at end with Chones
72-73 with Chones
73-74 with McNeil
74-75 with Lucas
Those were my college years teams.

[HoopsterBC]

Yeah, I went back and forth on that one - basically a coin flip for me

The '76 team might have been the best, since all 5 starters made the NBA.  That team also changed how the tournament is run now.  MU and Indiana in the same
regional would not happen now.  Lets face it, the 10 years of Al, we were the Duke of today.

[Herman Cain]

That was the 70-71 team and I agree it was our best. #2 (imo) was the 71-72 team who were 22-0 (and ranked #1 or 2) when Jim Chones signed an ABA contract. The rest of my top 5 would be the 75-76 that lost to IU, the 73-74 national runner ups and the 76-77 national champs.

When that 70-71 walked on the court, the game was pretty much over as we struck fear into the hearts of our opponents. What people forget is that Al actually encouraged Chones to sign the ABA contract as it was in Chones interest, not many coaches would do that today.  We had a clear path to  a title that year. The 75-76 team was also fantastic and I enjoyed that team very much. It was too bad that they had to play Indiana when they did. That should have  been the final game or at least in the final four.