I just watched the highlights of the 1976 tournament which was won by Virginia in what was certainly one of the most, if not the most, unexpected championships in the history of the tournament. Virginia had a losing ACC record that year and had to defeat three nationally ranked teams. Led by tournament MVP Wally Walker, Virginia defeated a UNC team which had five future first round NBA selections. This was the first time Virginia had advanced to the finals of the rournament, which for years had been dominated by Duke, Maryland, NCSU, and UNC. This team and the Sampson teams laid the groundwork for the recent success of UVA basketball.
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