# 1976–77 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The 1976–77 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. In his second and final year as head coach, Gene Bartow and the Bruins began the season ranked fourth in the AP Poll and won the Pac-8 regular season with an 11–3 record. The Bruins were swept by Oregon, and also lost at Washington.
Ranked second and 23–4 overall, UCLA accepted a bid to the NCAA tournament; they defeated fourteenth-ranked Louisville in the first round in Pocatello, Idaho, and remained at second in the final poll. In the West Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen) at Provo, Utah, the Bruins were upset by a point by unranked Idaho State. Failing to make the Final Four broke a record streak of these appearances going back to 1966.
Senior forward Marques Johnson was a consensus All-American.

## Starting lineup

| No. | Position | Player | Class |
| 54 | F | Marques Johnson | Sr. |
| 34 | F | David Greenwood | So. |
| 32 | C | Bret Vroman | Jr. |
| 24 | G | Roy Hamilton | So. |
| 44 | G | Jim Spillane | Sr. |

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| November 26, 1976* | No. 4 | San Diego State | W 74–64 | 1–0 | Pauley Pavilion (12,062) Los Angeles, CA |
| November 27, 1976* | No. 4 | No. 18 DePaul | W 76–69 | 2–0 | Pauley Pavilion (12,131) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 01, 1976* | No. 3 | Jacksonville | W 99–68 | 3–0 | Pauley Pavilion (11,144) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 11, 1976* | No. 3 | No. 7 Notre Dame | L 63–66 | 3–1 | Pauley Pavilion (12,542) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 17, 1976* | No. 9 | Rice | W 107–60 | 4–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,106) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 18, 1976* | No. 9 | Tulsa | W 110–85 | 5–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,388) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 22, 1976* | No. 8 | San Jose State | W 89–74 | 6–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,284) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 23, 1976* | No. 8 | William & Mary | W 59–55 | 7–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,153) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 28, 1976* | No. 8 | SMU | W 99–71 | 8–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,088) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 29, 1976* | No. 8 | Utah State | W 88–68 | 9–1 | Pauley Pavilion (11,657) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 02, 1977* | No. 8 | Houston | W 96–83 | 10–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,302) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 07, 1977 | No. 7 | Oregon | L 60–61 | 10–2 (0–1) | Pauley Pavilion (12,497) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 08, 1977 | No. 7 | Oregon State | W 83–66 | 11–2 (1–1) | Pauley Pavilion (12,127) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 13, 1977 | No. 12 | at California | W 82–74 | 12–2 (2–1) | Harmon Gym (6,700) Berkeley, CA |
| January 15, 1977 | No. 12 | at Stanford | W 100–86 | 13–2 (3–1) | Maples Pavilion (8,000) Stanford, CA |
| January 23, 1977 | No. 10 | at Notre Dame | W 70–65 | 14–2 | Athletic & Convocation Center (11,345) Notre Dame, IN |
| January 28, 1977 | No. 8 | USC | W 77–59 | 15–2 (4–1) | Pauley Pavilion (12,397) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 30, 1977 | No. 8 | vs. No. 7 Tennessee | W 103–89 | 16–2 | Omni Coliseum (15,391) Atlanta, GA |
| February 03, 1977 | No. 2 | Washington | W 75–65 | 17–2 (5–1) | Pauley Pavilion (12,684) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 05, 1977 | No. 2 | Washington State | W 72–59 | 18–2 (6–1) | Pauley Pavilion (12,416) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 10, 1977 | No. 2 | at Washington State | W 65–62 | 19–2 (7–1) | WSU Performing Arts Coliseum (12,058) Pullman, WA |
| February 12, 1977 | No. 2 | at Washington | L 73–78 | 19–3 (7–2) | Hec Edmundson Pavilion (9,536) Seattle, WA |
| February 17, 1977 | No. 3 | at Oregon State | W 89–76 | 20–3 (8–2) | Gill Coliseum (10,501) Corvallis, OR |
| February 19, 1977 | No. 3 | at Oregon | L 55–65 | 20–4 (8–3) | McArthur Court (10,500) Eugene, OR |
| February 24, 1977 | No. 5 | Stanford | W 114–83 | 21–4 (9–3) | Pauley Pavilion (12,316) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 26, 1977 | No. 5 | California | W 91–69 | 22–4 (10–3) | Pauley Pavilion (12,512) Los Angeles, CA |
| March 05, 1977 | No. 4 | at USC | W 78–69 | 23–4 (11–3) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (9,300) Los Angeles, CA |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||
| March 12, 1977* 1:15 pm, NBC | No. 2 | vs. No. 14 Louisville Regional Quarterfinals | W 87–79 | 24–4 | ISU Minidome (10,897) Pocatello, ID |
| March 17, 1977* 8:15 pm, NBC | No. 2 | vs. Idaho State Regional semifinals | L 75–76 | 24–5 | Marriott Center (21,639) Provo, UT |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. ||||||
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