New ’50s ’60s 1970s ’80s ’90s ’00s ’10s Era THROUGH ACC THE DECADES Visit JournalNow.com for more content on the history of ACC men’s basketball. — Compiled by Dan Collins

UNC’s cuts down Phil the net after N.C. State’s Ford GREATEST HITS win in the 1974 ACC Tournament title game. N.C. State 103, 100 (OT): March 9, 1974 The Wolfpack and Terrapins played what is widely considered the greatest game in ACC his- tory for the 1974 ACC Tournament championship. The stakes could not have been higher; only by outlasting a Maryland team featuring John Lucas, Tom McMillen and could David Thompson and his N.C. State teammates (including and ) advance to the NCAA Tournament. A turn- over by Lucas in the final minute of allowed Towe to clinch the victory ALL- with two free throws. A distraught Lucas broke into tears while being consoled by Coach during the post-game awards ceremony, prompting DECADE David Thompson conference officials to rescind a policy requiring the losing team to be on the court during the trophy presentation. Two weeks later, N.C. State defeated UCLA and Mar- TEAM quette on the same Greensboro Coliseum court and won the school’s first national title. G , UNC South Carolina 52, UNC 51: March 13, 1971 National player of the year 1978; First-team consensus Talk about going out in style. In the last game that South Carolina ever played as an ACC All-America 1977, 1978 and team, Frank McGuire’s vilified Gamecocks stunned when 6-3 out- second-team 1976. ACC jumped 6-10 Lee Dedmon of the Tar Heels for a jump ball with six seconds left. Joyce player of the year 1978; First- tapped the ball to open teammate for the winning . Later that month, team All-ACC 1976, 1977, 1978; the ACC voted to retain the rule requiring a score of 800 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Award 1975; prompting South Carolina to leave the conference in favor of independent status. first-team All-ACC Tourna- JOURNAL FILE PHOTO ment 1976 and 1977

G , USC Second-team consen- sus All-America 1970, 1971; QUOTES OF THE DECADE COACH ACC player of the year 1969, 1970. First-team All-ACC OF THE 1969, 1970, 1971. Everett “It makes me sick. I see who is getting bids to this “It’s a happy feeling, but an empty one.” Case Award 1971. First-team NCAA Tournament, and I know that we and Carolina and – Center Tommy Burleson after N.C. State beat Maryland for the 1973 All-ACC Tournament 1969, N.C. State are better than most of the teams. But only ACC title. Because of probation stemming from the recruitment of David DECADE 1971 and second-team 1970 one of us is going. It’s not fair.” Thompson, the Wolfpack was not eligible for the NCAA Tournament Norm Sloan, N.C. State – Lefty Driesell of Maryland in March 1974 l l l National championship F David Thompson, l l l 1974; ACC championships N.C. State “I’ve never seen the ACC better. In the past, we often 1970, 1973, 1974; ACC Tour- National player of the “We usually lose, and I go home. In the past, I’ve just nament finalist 1975; ACC packed a handkerchief, and that’s about it. But this time, I had one or two good teams, and the fans got carried year 1975; First-team con- away and said the ACC was the best conference. I never coach of the year 1970, 1973, packed for the whole week, and so did the team.’’ 1974; AP national coach of sensus All-America 1973, made that statement as coach, as I recall. And I don’t 1974, 1975; ACC player of the the year 1974. – Coach Bill Foster before Duke’s run through the ACC Tournament to the think we could have truthfully made that statement until year 1973, 1974, 1975; Final title in 1978. Foster, before then, was 0-3 in ACC Tournament play Four MVP 1974; First-team a couple of years ago. Now, though, I really believe ACC First runner-up All-ACC 1973, 1974, 1975; l l l basketball is the best.’’ – Former Duke coach in 1975 , UNC First-team All-ACC Tourna- “All the stories about blacks are the same. They all l l l Second runner-up ment 1973, 1974, 1975 come from the ghetto. They all grew up with roaches Bill Foster, Duke and rats and pimps and pushers. All blacks aren’t like “He just will not let them lose. If State needs some- F , Wake Forest that, and my family background is not like that. I had to thing, Thompson will get it for them. He’s just the best Second-team consensus be home when the streetlights came on. The first time I I’ve ever been around.” All-America 1977, 1978; ACC didn’t, I got whipped.’’ – John Lucas ARRIVALS player of the year 1977; First- – Bobby Jones of UNC on N.C. State great David Thompson team All-ACC 1977, 1978 and l l l Commissioner l l l second-team 1976 Bob James, 1971 “So far.” – Freshman forward Mike O’Koren of UNC, when asked if his “Coach Smith, going to Maryland for reasons you know.” Coaches C , Duke 31 points against Nevada-Las Vegas in the 1977 national semifinal were the most he had ever scored — Telegram from Tom McMillen to Dean Smith Neill McGeachy (1973) First-team consensus and Bill Foster (1974) at All-America 1979 and sec- Duke; Tates ond-team 1980; ACC player Locke (1970) of the year 1979; First-team UPI PHOTO ers made consensus first-team All- and Bill Fos- All-ACC 1978, 1979, 1980; America a total of 22 times. ter (1975) ACC rookie of the year 1977; at Clemson; First-team All-ACC Tourna- GAME Carl Tacy ment 1978, 1979, 1980 and Lifting of the 800 rule (1972) at second-team 1977 Through the 1971 season, the ad- Wake For- CHANGERS Carl Tacy est; Terry mission standard for an ACC basket- ball player was a score of 800 on the Holland (1974) at Virginia; Freshman eligibility (1979) at SECOND Scholastic Aptitude Test and a 1.6 In 1973, for the first time in ACC his- grade- projection (based on the TEAM tory, freshmen were eligible for varsity. student’s high-school GPA). When Players (birthday) The three freshmen to start regularly the conference voted in March 1971 Kenny Anderson 10-9-70, G John Lucas, Maryland that season were John Lucas of Mary- to continue requiring an 800 on the Bryant Stith 12-10-70, Rod- ney Rogers 6-20-71, Bobby G , land, Wally Walker of Virginia and Lee SAT, South Carolina, citing a competi- Foye of Wake Forest. The rookie-of-the- tive disadvantage against teams from Hurley 6-28-71, Virginia year award was started in 1976, with other conferences, dropped out of the 9-23-71, 9-21-72, 10-5-72, G , Duke Jim Spanarkel of Duke the first winner. ACC in favor of independent status. 3-25-73, Clemson also threatened to leave, but 7-26-75, 4-25- F Mike O’Koren, UNC The dunk cooler heads prevailed. As it turned 76, 5-13-76, C Tommy Burleson, After being banned since 1968 under Duke’s Kenny Dennard dunks out, the league dropped the 800 stan- 5-19-76, Matt Har- what was known nationally as the “Lew dard within a year after two players pring 5-31-76, Antawn Ja- N.C. State in a 1979 game against UNC. mison 6-12-76, Alcindor Rule,’’ the dunk was reinstated recruited to play soccer at Clemson threatened to sue. 1-26-76, 11- to in 1977. The shame Monte Towe of the Wolfpack wore a 26-77, 9-9-78, was the change came two years too late mask to protect a broken nose, and 10-9-78, Lonny now for David “Skywalker’’ Thompson and all Coach Lefty Driesell of Maryland wore NCAA Tournament expansion Baxter 1-27-79, those who loved to watch him soar. out his sideline, stomping his feet, as Influenced, no doubt, by the exclusion 3-11-79 available the No. 2-ranked Terps and No. 3 Wolf- of Maryland from the 1974 NCAA Tourna- Super Bowl Sunday 1973 pack went at it hammer-and-tongs for ment after its epic 103-100 loss to N.C. Departures Television coverage of ACC basketball 40 minutes. The game was tied at 85 State in the ACC championship game, was mostly confined to regional pack- until David Thompson skywalked for a the NCAA expanded the 1975 tourna- Commissioner ages on Saturdays during the regular and follow shot over 6-11 Tom ment field from 25 to 32 teams and, for James H. Weaver, 1971. season until visionary C.D. Chesley per- McMillen and 6-9 Len Elmore at the the first time, allowed more than one School suaded officials to pit N.C. State against buzzer for an N.C. State win. team from a conference to be invited. South Carolina, 1971. Maryland on Jan. 14, 1973, as a run-up to ACC basketball was never seen in Maryland and ACC champ UNC com- the Super Bowl between the Miami Dol- the same light again. In the first 18 peted in the 1975 NCAA Tournament. Coaches phins and Washington Redskins. Ches- seasons of the conference, seven play- Five years later, the field expanded again Jack McCloskey (Wake ley arranged a national network for the ers were named consensus first-team to 48, and all limitations on the Forest, 1972); Bill Gib- game, which proved to be quite a show. All-America, none more than once. of teams from the same conference son (Virginia, 1974); Neill $26.95, John F. Coach Norm Sloan of N.C. State wore Over the next 18 seasons, after the na- were lifted. Besides ACC champion Duke, McGeachy (Duke, 1974); Blair, Publisher bright yellow pants and a black-and-or- tion saw the brand of basketball being Clemson, Maryland, UNC and N.C. State (Clemson, 1975) ange checked sports coat, played in the conference, 13 ACC play- all competed in the 1980 tournament. CASSANDRA SHERRILL/JOURNAL