1979 Larry Bird Ncaa run Indiana State

TERRE HAUTE – There was a time where thousands of fans flocked to Terre Haute every time the Sycamores took the court.

That was 40 years ago, when the Indiana State basketball team captured the hearts of so many, going undefeated through the regular season and becoming the first mid-major basketball program to reach the National Championship game.

"It was amazing," former player Alex Gilbert said. "You've heard the stories about the toilet paper and all that. It was everything you would think college sports should be. It was packed every game, kids went crazy every night.

Thousands reminisced, watching moments like Bob Heaton’s half-court shot against New Mexico State, Alex Gilbert’s monstrous slam on the road against Kansas and the endless highlight reels Larry Bird and Carl Nicks produced while in a Sycamore uniform on the four-panel screen at center court.

The top seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional was awarded to the Sycamores. The final game of the regional tournament was against Arkansas with a berth in the Final Four on the line. With the game tied at 71, the right-handed Heaton was the hero again with a last second left-handed shot in the lane to win the game. They advanced to the championship game and faced Michigan State University, which was led by sophomore Magic Johnson. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

West
Indiana State (#1 seed) 86, Virginia Tech (#8 seed) 69
Indiana State 93, Oklahoma (#5 seed) 72
Indiana State 73, Arkansas (#2 seed) 71


Final Four

Indiana State 76, DePaul 74
Michigan State 75, Indiana State 64