Editing Bob Knight (section)

====1970s====
[[File:President Gerald Ford Meets with 1976 NCAA Champion Indiana University Basketball Team.jpg|thumb|left|Knight ''(leftmost)'' and the 1976 national champion Hoosiers with President [[Gerald Ford]] at the White House]] 
In [[1972–73 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1972–73]], Knight's second year as coach, Indiana won the Big Ten championship and reached the Final Four, losing to [[1972–73 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team|UCLA]], which was on its way to its seventh consecutive national title.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Brew |first=Tom |date=March 24, 2020 |title=ON THIS DAY: In 1973, a Very Young Bob Knight Almost Took Down the UCLA Dynasty |url=https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/on-this-day-indiana-ucla-1973 |access-date=November 2, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328035251/https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/on-this-day-indiana-ucla-1973 |url-status=live }}</ref> The following season, in [[1973–74 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1973–74]], Indiana once again captured a Big Ten title.<ref name="Glenesk-2023">{{Cite web |last1=Glenesk |first1=Matthew |last2=Osterman |first2=Zach |date=November 1, 2023 |title=Ranking Bob Knight's top 5 IU basketball teams: Undefeated champs to what-could-have-been |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/11/01/ranking-bobby-knight-best-indiana-hoosiers-basketball-teams-iu-1976-1975-1981-1993-1987/70367290007/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102011218/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/11/01/ranking-bobby-knight-best-indiana-hoosiers-basketball-teams-iu-1976-1975-1981-1993-1987/70367290007/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the two following seasons, [[1974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1974–75]] and [[1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1975–76]], the Hoosiers were undefeated in the regular season and won 37 consecutive Big Ten games, including two more Big Ten championships.<ref name="Smith-2012">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Eric |date=October 29, 2012 |title=Indiana Basketball: Top 5 Teams in Hoosiers History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1386377-indiana-basketball-top-5-teams-in-hoosiers-history |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102011214/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1386377-indiana-basketball-top-5-teams-in-hoosiers-history |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[1974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1974–75]], the Hoosiers swept the entire Big Ten by an average of 22.8 points per game. However, in an 83–82 win against [[Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball|Purdue]] they lost consensus [[All-American]] forward [[Scott May]] to a broken left arm.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sports |first=IndyStar |date=July 18, 2013 |title=Indiana Basketball: And the No. 1 player all-time in Indiana University basketball history is ... |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/hoosier-insider/1/01/01/indiana-basketball-and-the-no-1-player-all-time-in-indiana-university-basketball-history-is/2557209/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102023549/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/hoosier-insider/1/01/01/indiana-basketball-and-the-no-1-player-all-time-in-indiana-university-basketball-history-is/2557209/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With May's injury limiting him to seven minutes of play, the No. 1 Hoosiers lost to [[1974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team|Kentucky]] 92–90 in the [[1975 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|Mideast Regional]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Brew |first=Tom |date=March 23, 2020 |title=ON THIS DAY: In 1975, Kentucky Steals Indiana's Shot at History |url=https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/on-this-day-indiana-loses-kentucky-1975 |access-date=November 2, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102023548/https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/on-this-day-indiana-loses-kentucky-1975 |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite the loss, the Hoosiers were so dominant that four starters—[[Scott May]], [[Steve Green (basketball)|Steve Green]], [[Kent Benson]], and [[Quinn Buckner]]—would make the five-man All-Big Ten team.<ref name="Smith-2012" />

The following season, in [[1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1975–76]], the Hoosiers went the entire season and [[1976 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1976 NCAA tournament]] without a single loss, defeating [[1975–76 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team|Michigan]] 86–68 in the title game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Osterman |first=Zach |date=January 2, 2016 |title=1976 Indiana Hoosiers' undefeated season: An oral history |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2016/01/02/1976-indiana-hoosiers-undefeated-season-oral-history/78181576/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101224427/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2016/01/02/1976-indiana-hoosiers-undefeated-season-oral-history/78181576/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Immediately after the game, Knight lamented that "it should have been two." The 1976 Hoosiers remain the last undefeated NCAA Division I men's basketball team.<ref>{{cite news|first=Dave |last=Dorr |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/trends/150673.html |title=A perfect season |work=Sporting News |date=April 10, 1976 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000229072546/http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/trends/150673.html |archive-date=February 29, 2000|access-date=March 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sports/hh/1976/ |title=Hoosier Historia |publisher=heraldtimesonline.com |access-date=March 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606115814/http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/sports/hh/1976/ |archive-date=June 6, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> Through these two seasons, Knight's teams were undefeated in the regular season, including a perfect 37–0 record in Big Ten games on their way to their third and fourth conference titles in a row.<ref name="Smith-2012" /> Behind the play of [[Mike Woodson]], Indiana won the [[1979 National Invitation Tournament|1979 NIT]] championship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dopirak |first=Dustin |date=January 19, 2022 |title=Mike Woodson on IU-Purdue rivalry: 'It's just always been a battle over the years.' |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2022/01/19/mike-woodson-rejoins-iu-purdue-basketball-rivalry-sideline-indiana/6578214001/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102021903/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2022/01/19/mike-woodson-rejoins-iu-purdue-basketball-rivalry-sideline-indiana/6578214001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Throughout the 1970s, however, Knight was beginning to be involved in several controversies.<ref name="The Columbus Dispatch-2008">{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2008 |title=The Knightmare is Over |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2008/02/05/the-knightmare-is-over/23628132007/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}}</ref> 1960 Olympic gold medalist [[Douglas Blubaugh]] was head wrestling coach at IU from 1973 to 1984. Early in his tenure while he jogged in the practice facility during basketball practice, Knight yelled at him to leave, using more than one expletive. Blubaugh pinned Knight to a wall, and told him never to repeat the performance, and Knight never did.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Doug Blubaugh was tougher than he was good," NewsOK, Barry Tramel, 10 August 2017 |url=http://newsok.com/article/5559704 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120071923/http://newsok.com/article/5559704 |archive-date=November 20, 2017 |access-date=November 13, 2017}}</ref>

On December 7, 1974, Indiana defeated Kentucky 98–74. Near the end of the game, Knight went to the Kentucky bench where the official was standing to complain about a call. Before he left, Knight hit Kentucky coach [[Joe B. Hall]] in the back of the head.<ref>{{cite web |title=Recapping the rivalry |url=https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/article/recapping-the-top-5-games-in-the-kentucky-indiana-hoops-rivalry-52292/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110101123/http://kentucky.247sports.com/Article/Recapping-the-top-5-games-in-the-Kentucky-Indiana-hoops-rivalry-52292 |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=March 22, 2012}}</ref> Kentucky assistant coach Lynn Nance, a former [[FBI agent]], had to be restrained by Hall from hitting Knight. Hall later said, "It publicly humiliated me."<ref>''Atlanta Constitution Journal'', February 28, 1982.{{verify source|date=April 2017}}</ref> Knight blamed the furor on Hall, stating, "If it was meant to be malicious, I'd have blasted the fucker into the seats."<ref>{{cite book |last=Delsohn |first=Steve |url=https://archive.org/details/bobknightunautho00dels |title=Bob Knight: The Unauthorized Biography |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2006 |isbn=9780743243483 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bobknightunautho00dels/page/96 96] |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Years after the incident, it was reported that Knight choked and punched Indiana University's longtime sports information director, Kit Klingelhoffer, over a news release that upset the coach.<ref name="The Columbus Dispatch-2008" /> In 1976, Knight grabbed IU basketball player Jim Wisman and jerked him into his seat.<ref name="The Columbus Dispatch-2008" />