For the first time in two decades, the University of Kentucky is the champion of basketball after beating Duke 94-88 at the Checkerdome in St. Louis. The Wildcats coached by Joe B. Hall had lost the title game in 1975 to UCLA, while the Blue Devils coached by Bill Foster were in their first title game since 1964. Leading the way for Kentucky was Jack Givens, who torched Duke for 41 points in the final.