University of North Carolina Athletics
Car-O-Lines: A Magical First Trip to East Lansing
November 27, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2000
Read Previous Car-O-Lines Columns from Brewer
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
Although North Carolina and Michigan State will be meeting for the eighth time on the basketball court this week, the Tar Heels will be making only their second trip to East Lansing.
Four of the previous games have come in tournament play The Spartans have made two trips to Chapel Hill and scored an 86-76 win here a year ago.
The most famous battle between these two schools, of course, was the triple-overtime thriller in the 1957 NCAA semi-finals. Carolina edged the Spartans, 74-70, in Kansas City that night and went on to topple Kansas in another three-overtime affair for the national championship.
But, it's the Tar Heels' only other trip to East Lansing that is the topic here.
The game itself wasn't close. Playing in old Jenison Field House, Carolina blasted the Spartans. 81-58. The date was Dec. 6, 1976 and that Tar Heel team, although later ripped apart by injuries, would still reach the NCAA Finals before losing to Marquette.
However, Carolina was at full strength for the game with Michigan State. Foul problems kept Walter Davis and Tommy LaGarde from performing at their best, but it made no difference. Phil Ford was sensational with 18 points, eight assists and three steals to spark the victory. LaGarde added 15, Mike O'Koren had 11 and Davis scored 10. In fact, 11 different players scored points in the victory.
The Tar Heels jumped to a 24-13 lead in the game's first 10 minutes and were never threatened after that. By halftime the margin was 45-27.
When Davis hit a jumper from the key in the first seven seconds of the second half and O'Koren followed that with a steal and driving layup, Spartan Coach Jud Heathcoate quickly called his third timeout of the game.
Many in the crowd of 4,797 that had braved terrible weather to attend the game left at that point. But, one high school senior, who certainly planned to play college basketball, stuck around to watch the final half with great interest.
Carolina had flown into town late the previous day and Eddie Fogler, then a Tar Heel assistant coach, had driven over to Everett High School to watch that particular player practice.
The high school coach had welcomed Fogler, but warned, "He's pretty set on going to Michigan or Michigan State."
Fogler assured the coach he was well aware of that. This wasn't a recruiting trip, he had heard about the player and wanted to see for himself how skilled he was.
When the practice was over, Fogler was brought down out of the stands and introduced by the high school coach to Magic Johnson.
"Earvin, this is Coach Fogler from North Carolina," his coach told him.
Johnson shook hands with Fogler and smiled.
"North Carolina," said Johnson. "You know, it's funny. I've gotten recruiting letters from every school in the country except North Carolina. With your school's program, I had wondered about that."
"That's my fault," said Fogler. "I'd heard a lot about you, but that you were going to stay in-state. We don't like to recruit kids if there's no chance to get them and I had told Coach Smith what I had heard. Everyone else on our staff had heard the same thing so we've spent our time looking at other people.
"But, after watching you practice today, that was a mistake. We should have taken a chance and tried to get you interested in Carolina. You're a wonderful player."
Johnson told Fogler that he indeed was planning to stay in the state. He had considered Michigan, but was probably heading to Michigan State.
Fogler wished him luck and Johnson said he would see him at the game the following night.
So after Carolina's impressive win over the Spartans, Johnson was in the Tar Heel locker room. He talked to Smith and chatted with Ford, Davis, O'Koren, and the rest of the team--including LaGarde and Tom Zaliagiris, two players from the state of Michigan who had started that night. In fact, he stayed there until the Tar Heel team finally left for its hotel.
As one Michigan State athletic official put it much later in the evening, while sitting on press row, "There was probably more apprehension and worry among our people about what happened after the game than what happened in it.
"You score an impressive win like that and then Earvin meets Dean Smith, Phil Ford, Walter Davis and the rest of your team. We feel good about our chances with him, but who knows what can happen?"
Johnson, of course, did go on to play at Michigan State. He helped lead the Spartans to two straight Big Ten titles and one NCAA championship before leaving for the NBA after his sophomore season.
He eventually would play in Chapel Hill. During Michigan State's NCAA title run in 1979-80 the Spartans lost to Carolina, 70-69, at Carmichael Auditorium. Dudley Bradley was the big star as his defensive play against Johnson keyed the Tar Heel victory.
Now, it's back to East Lansing. Michigan State has replaced Jenison Field House, built in 1940, with the 14,659-seat Breslin Center and there are plans to expand that. Regardless of the weather, the place will be packed for this one.
Carolina will be facing one of the top teams in the country in the third-ranked Spartans. That will be the primary focus.
But, who know? There aren't any Magic Johnsons out there, but there may be an undecided prospect on hand. It's an opportunity for the Tar Heels to put on an impressive show against an outstanding opponent.
