1976–77 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team

1976–77 Syracuse Orangemen basketball
1976–77 Syracuse Orangemen basketball
NCAA Tournament, Regional semifinal
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 9
AP	No. 6
Record	26–4
Head coach	Jim Boeheim (1st season);
Assistant coaches	Rick Pitino (1st season); Bernie Fine (1st season);
Home arena	Manley Field House
	Seasons ← 1975–76 1977–78 →

1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 4 UNLV		–		–	29	–	3	.906
No. 6 Syracuse		–		–	26	–	4	.867
No. 12 Detroit		–		–	25	–	4	.862
Old Dominion		–		–	25	–	4	.862
Providence		–		–	24	–	5	.828
Holy Cross		–		–	23	–	6	.793
St. Bonaventure		–		–	23	–	6	.793
No. 7 Marquette		–		–	25	–	7	.781
North Texas State		–		–	21	–	6	.778
Illinois State		–		–	22	–	7	.759
No. 10 Notre Dame		–		–	22	–	7	.759
Oral Roberts		–		–	21	–	7	.750
Army		–		–	20	–	8	.714
St. John's		–		–	22	–	9	.710
Milwaukee		–		–	19	–	8	.704
Georgetown		–		–	19	–	9	.679
Virginia Tech		–		–	19	–	10	.655
James Madison		–		–	17	–	9	.654
Northwestern State		–		–	17	–	9	.654
Texas–Pan American		–		–	17	–	9	.654
Connecticut		–		–	17	–	10	.630
Seton Hall		–		–	18	–	11	.621
UNC Wilmington		–		–	16	–	10	.615
Portland State		–		–	16	–	10	.615
Iona		–		–	15	–	10	.600
Dayton		–		–	16	–	11	.593
Fairfield		–		–	16	–	11	.593
Georgia Southern		–		–	16	–	11	.593
Richmond		–		–	15	–	11	.577
Saint Francis (PA)		–		–	15	–	11	.577
DePaul		–		–	15	–	12	.556
Northeast Louisiana		–		–	15	–	12	.556
Stetson		–		–	15	–	12	.556
Utah State		–		–	15	–	12	.556
Colgate		–		–	13	–	11	.542
Navy		–		–	13	–	11	.542
Oklahoma City		–		–	14	–	12	.538
South Carolina		–		–	14	–	12	.538
Valparaiso		–		–	13	–	12	.520
Catholic		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Fairleigh Dickinson		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Loyola (IL)		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Maine		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Niagara		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Rhode Island		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Saint Peter's		–		–	13	–	13	.500
VCU		–		–	13	–	13	.500
Butler		–		–	13	–	14	.481
Manhattan		–		–	13	–	14	.481
New Hampshire		–		–	12	–	14	.462
Northeastern		–		–	12	–	14	.462
St. Francis (NY)		–		–	12	–	14	.462
Air Force		–		–	12	–	15	.444
Denver		–		–	12	–	15	.444
Southern Mississippi		–		–	11	–	16	.407
Siena		–		–	9	–	15	.375
Cleveland State		–		–	10	–	17	.370
Xavier		–		–	10	–	17	.370
Centenary (LA)		–		–	11	–	19	.367
Long Island		–		–	9	–	16	.360
Hawaii		–		–	9	–	18	.333
Vermont		–		–	8	–	17	.320
Boston College		–		–	8	–	18	.308
Baptist		–		–	8	–	19	.296
Boston University		–		–	7	–	19	.269
Robert Morris		–		–	7	–	19	.269
Samford		–		–	7	–	19	.269
Mercer		–		–	6	–	19	.240
Hardin–Simmons		–		–	6	–	21	.222
Houston Baptist		–		–	6	–	23	.207
Buffalo		–		–	5	–	21	.192
Fordham		–		–	5	–	21	.192
Wagner		–		–	3	–	21	.125
Canisius		–		–	3	–	22	.120

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976–77 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team represented Syracuse University during the 1976–77 NCAA men's basketball season. The team was led by first year head coach Jim Boeheim.

Roster

1976–77 Syracuse Orangemen men's basketball team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown
G	10	Hal Cohen	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Fr	Canton, New York
G	11	Larry Kelley	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	—	Sr	New Haven, Connecticut
G	20	Ross Kindel	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	—	Jr	Roselle, New Jersey
G	22	Jimmy "Bug" Williams	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	—	Sr	Buffalo, New York
G	24	Cliff Warwell	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	—	Fr	Candor, New York
F	32	Reggie Powell	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	—	So	Fayetteville, North Carolina
G/F	33	Dale Shackleford	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	So	Utica, New York
G/F	35	Bill Drew	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	—	Jr	Commack, New York
G/F	42	Kevin James	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	—	Jr	Brookville, New York
F/C	44	Marty Byrnes	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Jr	Pittsford, New York
C	50	Roosevelt Bouie	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Fr	Kendall, New York
C	53	Bob Parker	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	—	Sr	Irondequoit, New York
F	55	Louis Orr	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Fr	Cincinnati, Ohio

Head coach

Jim Boeheim

Assistant coach(es)

Rick Pitino

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Regular season
Nov 26, 1976*		vs. Harvard Tip-Off Classic	W 75–48	1–0	–	–	–	Springfield Civic Center Springfield, Massachusetts
Nov 27, 1976*		vs. West Virginia Tip-Off Classic	L 78–83	1–1	–	–	–	Springfield Civic Center Springfield, Massachusetts
Dec 1, 1976*		Colgate	W 109–73	2–1	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Dec 4, 1976*		at No. 7 Louisville	W 76–75	3–1	–	–	–	Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky
Dec 7, 1976*	No. 20	at Boston College	W 67–54	4–1	–	–	–	Roberts Center Boston, Massachusetts
Dec 9, 1976*	No. 20	at Biscayne	W 87–63	5–1	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Dec 11, 1976*	No. 20	at Canisius	W 74–59	6–1	–	–	–	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo, New York
Dec 13, 1976*	No. 15	Penn State	W 101–63	7–1	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Dec 28, 1976*	No. 17	vs. Duquesne Maryland Invitational	W 116–86	8–1	–	–	–	Cole Fieldhouse College Park, Maryland
Dec 29, 1976*	No. 17	at No. 16 Maryland Maryland Invitational	L 85–96	8–2	–	–	–	Cole Fieldhouse College Park, Maryland
Jan 3, 1977*	No. 19	at Cornell	W 93–61	9–2	–	–	–	Barton Hall Ithaca, New York
Jan 5, 1977*	No. 19	at Fordham	W 87–68	10–2	–	–	–	Rose Hill Gym Bronx, New York
Jan 8, 1977*	No. 19	American	W 90–68	11–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Jan 12, 1977*		at Penn State	W 82–66	12–2	–	–	–	Rec Hall University Park, Pennsylvania
Jan 15, 1977*		West Virginia	W 86–71	13–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Jan 22, 1977*	No. 20	Pittsburgh	W 96–74	14–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Jan 24, 1977*	No. 17	Buffalo	W 91–71	15–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Jan 26, 1977*	No. 17	at Temple	W 76–67	16–2	–	–	–	McGonigle Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 3, 1977*	No. 17	Buffalo State	W 100–63	17–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 5, 1977*	No. 17	Northeastern	W 110–70	18–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 7, 1977*	No. 17	Bentley	W 104–86	19–2	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 12, 1977*	No. 17	at St. Bonaventure	L 84–91	19–3	–	–	–	Reilly Center St. Bonaventure, New York
Feb 17, 1977*	No. 20	at Rhode Island	W 70–47	20–3	–	–	–	Keaney Gymnasium Kingston, Rhode Island
Feb 19, 1977*	No. 20	St. John's	W 79–55	21–3	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 23, 1977*	No. 15	Niagara	W 106–82	22–3	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Feb 26, 1977*	No. 15	Rutgers	W 82–72	23–3	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
ECAC Tournament
Mar 6, 1977*	No. 13	St. Bonaventure ECAC Tournament – Upstate	W 85–72	24–3	–	–	–	Manley Field House Syracuse, New York
Mar 7, 1977*	No. 13	at Old Dominion ECAC Tournament – Upstate/Southern Championship	W 67–64	25–3	–	–	–	Norfolk Scope Norfolk, Virginia
NCAA Tournament
Mar 13, 1977*	(ME) No. 10	(ME) No. 7 Tennessee NCAA Tournament • First round	W 93–88 ^{OT^[1]}	26–3	–	–	–	Maravich Assembly Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mar 17, 1977*	(ME) No. 6	(ME) No. 17 UNC Charlotte NCAA Tournament • Regional semifinal	L 59–81^[2]	26–4	–	–	–	Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ME=Mideast.

^[3] ^[4]

Rankings

^[5]

References

^ "Syracuse Upsets Tennessee in Overtime". The New York Times. March 14, 1977. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ "Charlotte Advances With Michigan". The New York Times. March 18, 1977. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ "2020-21 Syracuse Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Syracuse University Athletics. pp. 126–127. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ College Basketball @ Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Mar-28.
^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. pp. 836–837. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.

[1] "Syracuse Upsets Tennessee in Overtime". The New York Times. March 14, 1977. Retrieved June 13, 2021.

[2] "Charlotte Advances With Michigan". The New York Times. March 18, 1977. Retrieved June 13, 2021.

[3] "2020-21 Syracuse Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Syracuse University Athletics. pp. 126–127. Retrieved June 13, 2021.

[4] College Basketball @ Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Mar-28.

[ESPN-5] ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. pp. 836–837. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Syracuse Orange men's basketball
Venues	Archbold Gymnasium (1908–1947; 1952–1955) State Fair Coliseum (1947–1951) Onondaga County War Memorial (1951–1952; 1955–1962) Manley Field House (1962–1980) JMA Wireless Dome (1980–present) Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center (practice)
Rivalries	UConn
Culture & lore	"McNamara's Band" Otto the Orange Scandal 6-overtime game Syracuse Sports Network
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Helms and Premo-Porretta national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics; NCAA championships in bolded italics