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Perhaps the most important basketball game played in the last 20 years, the 1979 final introduced the country to two singular talents that would take the sport to new heights. Michigan State double-teamed Larry Bird and denied him the ball, immobilizing unbeaten Indiana State's offense; Bird was held to 19 points (7-21 FG), 13 rebounds, two assists and six turnovers. Meanwhile, Johnson (24 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Greg Kelser (19 points, eight rebounds, nine assists) were running wild. In the semis, the Spartans jumped out to a 38-8 lead and demolished Penn behind Johnson's 29, 10 and 10; Kelser added 28 points and nine rebounds. Bird's 11 turnovers kept DePaul in the game, but his 35 points (16-19 FG), 16 rebounds and nine assists put the Blue Demons away.

Surprise Guest: Unranked Penn, the ninth seed in the East, beat No. 9 North Carolina in Raleigh, 72-71, in the second round. It was the Ivy League's first Final Four appearance since Princeton in 1965, and there have been none since.

Close Call: In the Midwest semifinals, Indiana State reserve Bob Heaton threw up a lefty prayer that hit the rim, bounced once and rolled in with two seconds left to beat Arkansas 73-71.

Memorable Moment: DePaul beat UCLA 95-91 to win the West Region and return to the Final Four for the first time since 1943, when coach Ray Meyer was in his second season.

Surprise Performance: Michigan State guard Terry Donnelly, who averaged 6.3 points entering the final, finished with 15 on 5-for-5 from the field and 5-for-6 from the line.

Significant Facts: The tournament expanded to 40 teams, and this was the first year every team was seeded. The 1979 game was the highest-rated final ever, with a 24.1 rating and 38 share.

They Said It: Kelser—"I haven't realized we're champions yet, but I will, and it will hit me like a brick. I will explode."

Future First-Round Picks: Michigan State—Magic Johnson (1979, 1st, Los Angeles), Greg Kelser (1979, 4th, Detroit); Indiana State—Larry Bird (1978, 6th, Boston), Carl Hicks (1980, 23rd, Denver); DePaul—Mark Aguirre (1981, 1st, Dallas).