John Wooden and Denny Crum

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) won his third and final NCAA title at UCLA on March 22, 1969 at Freedom Hall in Louisville.

While many will make note of the arena, I am here to focus on the date. For the first three decades of the men’s NCAA tournament, the party was before the final weekend in March.

The first time the tournament stretched as deep as March 29 was in 1975, one of the most unforgettable days on the local sports calendar.

That was the afternoon in San Diego when Louisville lost an 75-74 overtime game to John Wooden and UCLA while Kentucky handled Syracuse, 95-79, in the other national semifinal.

We were THIS CLOSE to U of L and UK playing for the national title. Instead, Wooden announced his pending retirement after the Louisville victory and then claimed his 10th and final championship by defeating Joe B. Hall and Kentucky, 92-85, on Monday night March 31, 1975.

Today is the 48th anniversary of those games. It is also a reminder of what the area programs used to deliver — often on March 29.

With Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana all parked on the sidelines for more than a week, I believe it is time for another history lesson because March 29 has generated considerable joy and indigestion for the local programs.

Let’s run the highlights.

1975 — I told you how it turned out in what might have been the most anticipated Final Four locally ever.

Kentucky made its way to California by upsetting top-ranked and unbeaten Indiana in Dayton, Ohio. Louisville looked championship worthy by winning its first three tournament games by an average of 14 points.

That was Denny Crum’s second Final Four team, but first built with only his recruits. Crum hungered for the chance to coach Junior Bridgeman and Allen Murphy against Kentucky’s Kevin Grevey, Jimmy Dan Connor and Mike Flynn. But it didn’t happen.

1976 — Indiana showed its 29-1 season in 1975 was no fluke, rolling to college basketball’s last unbeaten season.

The 32nd and final victory came on March 29 in Philadelphia. The Hoosiers spotted Michigan a 6-point lead at halftime after losing guard Bobby Wilkerson to a concussion in the early minutes.

But Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Kent Benson and Tom Abernethy settled the group and the Hoosiers gave Bob Knight the first of his three national titles, 86-68, as IU outscored the Wolverines, 57-33, in the second half.

1986 — Crum didn’t get his national title in 1975. But he did win a pair in 1980 and 1986. On March 29, 1986 at Reunion Arena in Dallas, the Cardinals took out Dale Brown and Louisiana State, 88-71.

The Cards trailed by eight at halftime but hung 52 points on LSU in the second half. All five U of L starters scored in double figures, with the Camden (N.J.) connection of Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner leading Louisville with 22 points.

LSU was a surprise Final Four guest as an 11-seed. In fact, after losing three games to UK and Eddie Sutton, LSU shocked the Wildcats in a regional final in Atlanta by employing something Brown called “the freak” defense.

Crum was not concerned. “It’s not really any different from a lot of other defenses that we’ve seen,” he said.

1997 — Kentucky inched closer to what appeared to be back-to-back titles by handling Clem Haskins and Minnesota, 78-69, on March 29, 1997 at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis.

It was Rick Pitino’s final victory as the Kentucky coach.

After handling the Gophers, Kentucky lost the title game to Arizona and Miles Simon in overtime, 84-79, on Monday night. A free throw here and a block out there and the Wildcats might have delivered a three-peat because they won the title in San Antonio the following season.

Tubby two

Tubby Smith celebrated with his players after Kentucky won the 1998 NCAA title in San Antonio. AP Photo.

But they won it for Tubby Smith. Several weeks after the 1997 Final Four, Pitino bolted to take charge of the Boston Celtics. Don’t worry. He returns to this column.

2003 — March 29, 2003 might have been Tubby Smith’s least favorite memory as the UK coach. Riding a 26-game winning streak as the overall top seed in the tournament, the Wildcats were upset by Tom Crean and Marquette, 83-69, at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Dwyane Wade and Travis Diener were too much for UK, especially with Keith Bogans slowed by a bad ankle. Smith never got back to Final Four.

2008 — More disappointment, this time for Louisville. After handling No. 2 seed Tennessee, the Cardinals, the 3-seed, faced the joyous task of playing favored North Carolina in Charlotte.

It went the way it was expected to go —UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough punished the Cards, scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in an 83-73 Tar Heels’ victory. But now at Louisville, Pitino was just warming up.

2009 — If 2008 was unpleasant for Pitino, March 29 of the following season was worse. The Cardinals won their last 10 games before Selection Sunday, earning the overall top seed. They handled Morehead State and Siena in the opening rounds before embarrassing Arizona, 103-64, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

Then Louisville and Pitino got Izzo-ed. The Cards consistently misplayed high ball screens, allowing Michigan State to make 8 of 16 shots from distance, including three by plodding center Goran Suton.

Terrence Williams

Terrence Williams during his playing days at Louisville. The 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft is alleged to have led a scheme to defraud the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan by submitting fake reimbursement claims for medical and dental services that were never actually rendered.

Pitino and Terrance Williams, the Cards’ best player, quarreled at halftime in the locker room — and Williams departed on a colossal dud, missing 6 of 7 shots and scoring five points.

2013 — Consider it evidence of the tournament being bumped back on the calendar. On March 29, 2013, Louisville won a regional semifinal game over Oregon, 77-69, in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was the Cards’ third victory of the six that were required to win the title, which U of L was later forced to vacate.

Russ Smith dropped 31 points on the Ducks. I still don’t understand why an NBA team has not made room for Smith. I just had to say that.

2015 — The Cards were not supposed to get to the Final Four on March 29 of that season but they nearly did. Seeded fourth in the East Regional, the Cards lost to Michigan State, 76-70, in overtime at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Wayne Blackshear delivered his best game as a Cardinal, scoring 28, while making all 12 free throws and four shots from distance.

2019 — It’s been precisely four years since Kentucky’s last significant NCAA Tournament victory. Seeded second, the Wildcats took down Kelvin Sampson and Houston, 62-58, in Kansas City.

Tyler Herro lifted Kentucky with 19 points while PJ Washington contributed 16 off the bench on a sore foot. The celebration did not last. The Wildcats were upset by Auburn, 77-71, in overtime in the regional final on an afternoon when UK missed 16 of 21 shots from distance.

2023 — Nothing to see here, except multiple requests for a better outlook on March 29 in upcoming seasons.

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