Kentucky Wildcats v. Michigan State Spartans, Mideast Regional Final, March 18, 1978 

Kentucky does something no other college team did -- beat Magic Johnson in the post season. The '78 Wildcat team is underappreciated. Everyone complained they weren't cheerful enough. But this UK team got the job done, against pressure of great expectations. Joe Hall won the title in the shadow of the coaching legend who preceded him, something no other college coach has ever done. That's another underappreciated accomplishment.

Kyle Macy's upperclassman-like leadership as a first year sophomore point guard having transfered in from Purdue and sitting out the 76-77 season, coupled with Macy's icewater in his veins freethrow shooting down the stretch was, IMO, the biggest factor in Kentucky defeating this really talented and atheletic Michigan State squad. Great basketball game.

I remember this game so well I was in 5th grade and the dunk had just been reintroduced to high school and college. I would see local teams like Syracuse and Iona. But Kelser and Magic were like nothing I’d ever seen. I became a MSU fan after watching this game...

Love hearing Curt Gowdy call a UK game. Thanks for posting this game. Big win for UK to get to the FF.

Omg!! Oh how much I remember these commercials. Classic!

Two champs of 78 and 79 good times

That NBC pre-game. I watched this when I was a junior at another basketball-crazed Midwest university and wanted nothing more than to have a job like Bryant Gumbel's. Traveling around the country introducing college hoop tournament drama.

This was the first year that the NCAA(and NBC) split the region finals between Saturday and Sunday. Before that for a couple of years NBC had three regional final windows and did a regional broadcast in the middle window. At one tine before that all four regional finals w ere played in two windows and NBC did regional broadcasts of those games.

What made this team unbeatable in the tournament was the guard play claytor and Macy kept their focus well definitely against Arkansas where they never faced such a great backcort before they were nice

Now can you get the 1978 final four game against Arkansas. Thank you for this. GO CATS!!!!

The was basically the tournament final IIRC. Closest game UK had, and to the team that would win it all in ‘79

3 future NBA first round picks and two high 2nd round picks in the starting line ups.

Thanks for posting this game. I have been a Kentucky basketball fan nearly all of my life. I have watched most of their NCAA tournament games since 1971 and I believe this was most tense game I ever saw. It seemed every play was crucial. UK seemed to have no answers for the Michigan State zone in the first half. But right before the half you could see Hall and his assistants frantically drawing up something to use. It turned out to be a screen at the top of the circle for Macy to get open. It worked as he hit some key shots and some even more huge free throws down the stretch. I have all of UK's games in the 1978 tournament on DVD but its still nice to see them on RU-vid.

Ken Norton was just named the WBC heavyweight champion. George Forman, "Hold my hamburger, I'll be back in a couple of minutes".

The wild commercials are better than the actual game!

Cal state had a 6 5 6 6 Greg Bunch, great talent. Moncreif was a beast. Was 6 3 . In the nba was all d team 8 9 times in career.

Baby Bryant.

Wow Freshman sensation Earvin Johnson 1978

Folks paid $50 bucks a ticket for this game, outlandish in those days. But was worth it though to see UK win and advance to the FF. I didn't know that MSU was the "top seed" of the ME Regional.

Was there........... Sold some of my tickets to UK fan..........go flyers !!!!!!!

In regards to the previous five seasons for seeding the Big Ten had an 18-8 NCAA tournament record from 1973-1977 with three Final Four appearances (Indiana in 1973 and 1976 plus Michigan in 1976) while the SEC was 8-9 with one Final Four appearance (Kentucky 1975) Kentucky also made two regional appearances(1973 where IU beat them 72-65 and 1975 with the Famous 92-90 upset) The Big Ten had a team in the Regional Finals every year from 1973-1977(IU in 1973, Michigan in 1974 losing to Marquette 72-70, IU in 1975, both IU and Michigan in 1976. IU beat Marquette 65-56 while Michigan beat Missouri 95-88 and Michigan in 1977 lost to UNCC 75-68.) An interesting fact about Michigan in 1977. In the Sweet 16 they beat Detroit 86-81. That Titan team was coached by Dick Vitale who had a really good run as Titan head coach. His run with the Pistons wasn’t so good.

Hi Patrick - we're working on a film project about this team and game and this may be one of the only copies that exists. We'd like to tell you more about it - can you reach out to us.

Funny. If MSU had won they probably win it all and Magic turns pro and plays for the Kansas City Kings. Bird-Magic rivalry probably never happens and maybe the Kings don't move.

Can you get the game when Kentucky played Indiana in the 1975 Regional Final?

Beat the defending champs.

Magic's only tournament loss by 3 to a Kentucky team that won the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Magics worst game : 6 TO, 6 pts

Dwight Anderson came in 1979.

MAGIC wearing CELTIC GREEN! even got on Larrys' future Celtics #: 33

yo Gummbel...magic was a 6-9 GUARD

How many times did Gowdy call Greg Kelser "Gene Kelser"? lol Billy Packer said the name correctly several times until Gowdy finally picked up on it. Even the best make mistakes.

Hall had 26 players who said on the record they had taken payoffs.

Msu should have won.