# 1976–77 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team

The 1976–77 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented Illinois State University during the 1976–77 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds, led by second year head coach Gene Smithson, played their home games at Horton Field House and competed as an independent (not a member of a conference). They finished the season 22–7.
The Redbirds received an invitation to the 1977 National Invitation Tournament. It was their first postseason appearance as an NCAA Division I member. They defeated Creighton University in the regional round and lost to the University of Houston in the quarterfinal round.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 26, 1976* 7:00 pm | vs. Northeast Louisiana New Orleans Classic [Semifinal] | W 87–78 | 1–0 | 26 – Lewis | 12 – Lewis | – | Health & Physical Education Center (2,850) New Orleans, LA |
| November 27, 1976* | at New Orleans New Orleans Classic [Final] | L 73–91 | 1–1 | 17 – Wilkins, Mayes | 12 – Wilkins | – | Health & Physical Education Center (3,162) New Orleans, LA |
| November 30, 1976* 7:30 pm | Lewis | W 79–60 | 2–1 | 16 – Lewis | 15 – Lewis | – | Horton Field House (5,000) Normal, IL |
| December 4, 1976* 6:00 pm | at Central Michigan | W 81–76 | 3–1 | 28 – Wilkins | 11 – Lewis | – | Daniel P. Rose Center (6,075) Mount Pleasant, MI |
| December 6, 1976* 7:30 pm | Northern Illinois | W 78–76 | 4–1 | 29 – Wilkins | 10 – Wilkins | – | Horton Field House (4,700) Normal, IL |
| December 11, 1976* 7:30 pm | San Jose State | W 101–82 | 5–1 | 18 – Wilkins | 13 – Wilkins | – | Horton Field House (5,500) Normal, IL |
| December 18, 1976* 7:15 pm | at Akron | W 91–85 | 6–1 | 27 – Wilkins | 14 – Wilkins | – | Memorial Hall (832) Akron, OH |
| December 20, 1976* 6:30 pm | at Kent State | W 73–69 | 7–1 | 26 – Wilkins | 12 – Wilkins | – | Memorial Gymnasium (1,200) Kent, OH |
| December 23, 1976* 7:30 pm | Drake | L 67–80 | 7–2 | 23 – Wilkins | 14 – Wilkins | – | Horton Field House (5,200) Normal, IL |
| December 28, 1976* | vs. Seattle Connecticut Classic [Semifinal] | W 83–72 | 8–2 | 28 – Lewis | 14 – Wilkins | – | Hartford Civic Center (6,630) Hartford, CT |
| December 29, 1976* | at Connecticut Connecticut Classic [Final] | W 88–77 | 9–2 | – | – | – | Hartford Civic Center (9,367) Hartford, CT |
| January 3, 1977* 7:30 pm, WEEK | Bradley | W 89–66 | 10–2 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (6,200) Normal, IL |
| January 5, 1977* 7:30 pm | Pacific | W 74–56 | 11–2 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (3,200) Normal, IL |
| January 10, 1977* 7:30 pm | Northern Iowa | W 74–61 | 12–2 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (5,700) Normal, IL |
| January 12, 1977* 10:05 pm | at San Jose State | L 75–79 | 12–3 | – | – | – | Independence High School Gymnasium (2,350) San Jose CA |
| January 15, 1977* 7:30 pm | at Oral Roberts | L 75–84 | 12–4 | – | – | – | John Mabee Center (9,646) Tulsa, OK |
| January 19, 1977* 7:30 pm | Saint Louis | L 77–84 $^{2OT}$ | 12–5 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (4,200) Normal, IL |
| January 22, 1977* 7:30 pm | at Western Illinois | W 89–80 | 13–5 | – | – | – | Western Hall (4,220) Macomb, IL |
| January 25, 1977* 7:30 pm | Indiana State | W 70–64 | 14–5 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (5,300) Normal, IL |
| January 27, 1977* 7:30 pm | Northern Colorado | W 108–61 | 15–5 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (3,500) Normal, IL |
| January 31, 1977* 6:30 pm | at Indiana State | L 84–100 | 15–6 | – | – | – | Hulman Civic University Center (10,102) Terre Haute, IN |
| February 3, 1977* 7:30 pm | No. 4 Nevada–Las Vegas | W 88–84 | 16–6 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (8,000) Normal, IL |
| February 5, 1977* 6:30 pm | at Marshall | W 103–91 | 17–6 | – | – | – | Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse (2,638) Huntington, WV |
| February 12, 1977* 7:30 pm | Southern Illinois–Edwardsville | W 85–58 | 18–6 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (5,300) Normal, IL |
| February 16, 1977* 7:30 pm | at Northern Illinois | W 70–66 | 19–6 | – | – | – | Chick Evans Field House (6,076) DeKalb, IL |
| February 19, 1977* 7:30 pm | South Alabama | W 107–82 | 20–6 | – | – | – | Horton Field House (5,700) Normal, IL |
| February 26, 1977* 7:30 pm | Butler | W 83–75 | 21–6 | 41 – Wilkins | – | – | Horton Field House (8,000) Normal, IL |
| National Invitation {NIT} Tournament |||||||||
| March 8, 1977* 7:30 pm | at Creighton Regional | W 65–58 | 22–6 | 21 – Wilkins | 12 – Wilkins | 4 – Lewis | Omaha Civic Auditorium (6,336) Omaha, NE |
| March 14, 1977* 8:00 pm | vs. Houston Quarterfinal | L 90–91 $^{OT}$ | 22–7 | 28 – Wilkins | 9 – Wilkins | 13 – Jones | Madison Square Garden (IV) (9,581) New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Standard Time. |||||||||