The word historic shouldn’t be thrown around lightly, but when describing the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program, this is one of the first words to come up. As one of the premier college basketball programs in the country, the Hoosiers have set the bar for what it means to be successful. With over 35 NCAA Tournament appearances, more than 60 tournament wins, over seven Final Fours, 4+ national championships, and countless Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearances, Indiana has established themselves as a top five storied program in college basketball.
Head Coach Branch McCracken helped establish Indiana basketball to what it is today. McCracken took over in 1938 and under the Hall of Famer, Indiana won two national championships in 1940 and 1953. McCracken left Indiana after 23 years and finished with over 360 wins and set the tone for a program that would eventually become one of the best in the country. The Hoosiers once again became a national fixture under head coach Bobby Knight. Knight coached Indiana for 29 years and won over 660 games, and had 22 seasons of finishing with at least 20 victories. Knight led Indiana to three national championships including five trips to the Final Four and an undefeated season in 1975-76 that has yet to be duplicated.
The undefeated season of 1975-76 was the last time a team went an entire year without losing. Under Knight and behind National Player of the Year award winner Scott May, the Hoosiers finished with a 32-0 record and a victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the National Championship. The Hoosiers coasted their way through the NCAA Tournament that season and defeated the Wolverines 86-68 to earn the title of champion.