1974 Marquette Basketball: Al McGuire’s Breakthrough Final Four

As he entered his 10^th season on the sidelines at Marquette, Al McGuire had turned the Warrior basketball program into a consistent winner. He was routinely winning 20-plus games and making the NCAA Tournament, in an era when both objectives were far less commonplace than is the case today. What he hadn’t yet done was reach the Final Four. In 1974, Al and Marquette made the breakthrough.

YOUNG STARS LEAD THE WAY

The Warriors were led by sophomore forward Maurice Lucas, who eventually became a key part of an NBA championship team in Portland. In 1974 for Marquette, Lucas averaged 16 points/10 rebounds. Bo Ellis, a freshman, was at the other forward spot and averaged a 12/9 line.

A three-guard attack was quarterbacked by sophomore Lloyd Walton who averaged five assists per game. Marcus Washington provided senior leadership, and Earl Tatum was an up-and-coming sophomore. Each was a double-digit scorer.

The Warriors validated that confidence in the early going. They went to Knoxville and pulled out a 67-65 win over a pretty good Tennessee team that was led by future NBA player Ernie Grunfeld. They beat 12^th-ranked Arizona State at home, 76-62 and nipped in-state rival Wisconsin, a respectable opponent, 49-48. By the New Year, Marquette was 8-0.

On the first Saturday of January, MU suffered their first loss, dropping a 60-58 road decision to NCAA Tournament-bound South Carolina. But they bounced back with four straight wins against softer opponents, including traditional rival DePaul. That set up a home game with 10^th-ranked Long Beach State.

The 49ers had a young coach named Lute Olson, and some NBA talent on their roster. Marquette trailed by eleven at the half. But they got rolling in the second half and pulled out a 54-52 win. After knocking off Loyola-Illinois, the Warriors were 15-1, ranked fifth in the nation and heading to South Bend to take on Notre Dame.

A TRIO OF TOUGH LOSSES

Ranked third in the country, the Irish were just ten days removed from one of the signature regular season games in the history of college basketball—a 71-70 win over UCLA that ended the Bruins’ legendary 88-game winning streak. Marquette hung tough on the road but couldn’t get big defensive stops down the stretch and lost to Notre Dame 69-63.

The Warriors played a couple of rematches, visiting both DePaul and Wisconsin. They won both, again surviving the Badgers in a one-point game. A loss to Creighton, another eventual NCAA Tournament team, dropped MU to ninth in the polls. They blasted Loyola-Illinois 69-43 in their home finale and got set to conclude the regular season with four straight road games.

A victory at Manhattan was followed by beating a pretty good University of Detroit team that was coached by Dick Vitale. Marquette squeaked past MAC runner-up Toledo. The Warriors ended the season by losing decisively on the road to a solid Cincinnati team, 91-72.

BOUND FOR THE NCAAS

The Warriors had finished 21-4 and every loss was to a good team. Still, at #11 in the final rankings, this didn’t have the look of a nationally elite team. But they were going to the NCAA Tournament, something only 25 teams could say in 1974.

Marquette was placed in the Mideast Regional (the forerunner of today’s South bracket). The bracket was not formally seeded, but both Vanderbilt and Michigan had been seeded directly into the Sweet 16. The Warriors, along with Notre Dame, would have to play the first round at Terre Haute.

OVERWHELMING OHIO

At the arena that would become famous five years later as the home of Larry Bird, Marquette took on the University of Ohio. The MAC champion Bobcats had a 23ppg scorer in the backcourt with Walter Luckett. George Green was a swingman who averaged a double-double.

What Ohio did not have was size. Lucas and Ellis led what proved to be an overwhelming rebounding advantage. Marquette led 37-28 at the half. Lucas finished with 18 points/15 rebounds. Ellis posted a 16/9 line. Tatum knocked down 16. The final was 85-59.

OUTLASTING VANDERBILT

Marquette headed to Tuscaloosa to play Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16. The Commodores were led by SEC Player of the Year Jan van Breda Kolff, a versatile 6’7” forward. He averaged double-digits both scoring and rebounding and was a good passer to boot. Vân Breda Kolff was the focal point of a balanced offense that had four double-digit scorers. Vanderbilt had gone 22-3 through the regular season.

The Warriors came out hot. They shot 60 percent in the first half, building a 40-30 lead. MU cooled in the second half and Vanderbilt was getting to the free throw line. The Commodores made 21/22 from the line, in comparison to 13/14 for Marquette. That helped Vandy overcome the tough Warrior defense, which forced the Commodores into 35 percent shooting from the floor. But even so, Vanderbilt tied the game with five minutes to go.

But some hot shooting from reserve senior guard Eddie Daniels proved to be the X-factor that so often makes a difference in these big tournament games. And the regulars came through. Lucas  and Ellis combined for 31 points/20 rebounds. Walton and Tatum kicked in 14 points each in the backcourt. The Warriors pulled back away and won 69-61.

A NAIL-BITER WITH MICHIGAN

In the meantime, Big Ten champ Michigan had knocked off Notre Dame in the other regional semifinal. It would be the Warriors and Wolverines to play for the Final Four in the late afternoon on Saturday

The great Campy Russell scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Wolverines. Ellis posted a 15/10 line for the Warriors. Washington popped in 17 points from the perimeter. Marquette got the better of the general flow of play. They shot 49 percent from the floor, while holding Michigan to 38 percent. Russell’s numbers came at the cost of 7-for-18 from the floor.

But the Warriors had their own problems. Lucas had a tough day, shooting 4-for-10. And Michigan was getting to the foul line—22/27 at the stripe, compared to 14/20 for Marquette. That was enough to close the gap that existed on floor shooting. The Warriors trailed at the half, 39-37, and were down 62-58 in the second half.

Rick Campbell, an unheralded 6’5” junior forward made one of the game’s big plays for Marquette. He scored, drew the foul, converted the free throw, and cut the deficit to one point. The run of unlikely contributors continued when little-used center Jerry Homan stepped outside and hit what today would be a three-point shot but then was just a standard 20-footer. Marquette had the lead.

Back and forth they went in the final five minutes. In the final minute, the game was tied 70-all, and Marquette had the ball.

It was Dave Delsman’s turn to step up. He drew a foul and got to the line. Delsman hit both free throws with 0:45 left. It was 72-70.

Michigan, as expected, went to Russell. The great forward got a shot from the left corner with 0:18 left. It missed. The Wolverines got the offensive rebound, and Campy another crack from the left corner. That one missed. Marquette survived, 72-70.

A lineup filled with outstanding college players, including those with good pro careers ahead of them, had done it with unlikely heroes. From Washington to Campbell to Homan to Delsman. Marquette’s reliance on their lesser names to win was underscored by the fact that only Ellis even made the all-regional team. Russell was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player.

But though individual accolades might be missing, McGuire was finally going to the Final Four.

DEFENSE DELIVERS

The nation was completely focused on N.C. State, and their electric forward David Thompson, taking on UCLA and trying to end the Bruins’ extraordinary run of eight straight national championships. Marquette and Kansas, tipping off as the early game at 1 PM EST, was called “the B Division Championship” by none other than Al himself.

Trailing 29-26 at intermission, the Warriors got loose early in the second half and scored nine straight points. Lucas would have a big game, with 18 points/14 rebounds on 7-for-11 shooting. Washington and Tatum combined for 30. As a team, Marquette only shot 39 percent, with Ellis’ 2-for-9 outing being the biggest rough patch.

But MU made up for it with defense. It’s not just that they held Kansas to 42 percent shooting, even though that’s a good statistic. It’s that the Warriors forced 19 turnovers. They also got to the foul line with greater consistency. On a day when offense was hard coming by for both teams, it was a big deal that Marquette went 20/29 at the line, compared to 7/13 for Kansas. The Warriors won 64-51. They would play for the national championship. The opponent would be N.C. State, who won an epic double-OT battle with UCLA.

ONE GAME SHORT

The 1974 Final Four was in Greensboro, with a decided home crowd advantage for the Wolfpack. Marquette managed it well early on and led 28-27. But McGuire was whistled for a technical foul and that triggered a 10-0 run for N.C. State. Al got another technical later in the game. The Warriors shot just 36 percent, allowed the Pack to shoot 57 percent, fell behind by as many as 19 points and lost 76-64.

It was still a breakthrough year for McGuire and the Marquette program. They had reached the Final Four. And three years later, they would take the final step and win it all.