Found an interesting article, some like me donāt know much about 49er basketball history so here is something to read. Interesting read on his take of the Final Four game.
http://www.celtic-nation.com/interviews/cedric_maxwell/cedric_maxwell_page3.htm
CELTIC-NATION
You were born in Kinston, North Carolina, Monday, November 21, 1955. Although your affiliation with the Celtics keeps you in the Boston area, you remain a southerner by heart. Please tell me a little about growing up in Kinston.
CEDRIC MAXWELL
I had a good childhood. My father was a military man and my mother was a traditional, stay-at-home spouse who raised three children. We lived in Kinston until I was six, at which point my fatherās military obligation took us to Hawaii. North Carolina was a segregated situation in the late ā50s and early ā60s, and I vividly remember when there were āwhiteā and ācoloredā water fountains and bathrooms.
CELTIC-NATION
While UNC-Charlotteās basketball program has enjoyed recent success, qualifying for the NCAA tournament six of the last nine years, you are perhaps most responsible for putting the school on the basketball map. What led you to play your college ball at UNC-Charlotte?
CEDRIC MAXWELL
We moved back to Kinston, which is where I played my high school basketball. I was something of a late-bloomer, getting cut from the team as a junior before finally finding success on the court during my senior season. I grew from 6ā-3 Ā½ā to 6ā-7 Ā½ā in the span of a year, which also helped. It was a wonderful time, and we were a very good team. We won the championship and from there I decided to attend UNC-Charlotte. By that time I was ready to leave home, and the school was far enough away to where I could enjoy my independence. It was also close enough that I could get home when I needed to, which was a big plus. UNC-Charlotte is also a good school with a good reputation. Iām very happy that I decided to go there.
CELTIC-NATION
The 1976 NIT Tournament was also known to many as āCornbreadās Garden Partyā. UNC-Charlotte reached the finals against Kentucky and you were named the tournamentās Most Valuable Player. What do you remember most about that tournament, and how special was it to be recognized in such a way?
CEDRIC MAXWELL
Our run through the tournament stands out. Beating NC State and Oregon ā a lot of people donāt know this, but Oregon was coached by Dick Harter, who is now the assistant coach and defensive guru for the Celtics. We also beat a very good San Francisco team with Bill Cartwright at center. We reached the championship game before losing to Kentucky, 71-67, which was a tough loss to a very good team. Kentucky was coached by Joe B. Hall that season. Rick Robey was on that team, and he would later be my teammate with the Celtics.
Winning the MVP award showed people that I was good enough to play with the best in the country. Thatās what meant the most to me about receiving such an honor. There werenāt many who got to see UNC-Charlotte play during the regular season, so we werenāt all that well-known coming into the NIT. We got on a roll and beat some very good teams, so it was very satisfying to run. Unfortunately, we didnāt win the championship.
CELTIC-NATION
March 26th, 1977: There are three seconds left in the NCAA National Semifinal between UNC-Charlotte and Marquette. You hit a big shot to tie the game at 49. Tell me what happens next.
CEDRIC MAXWELL
Butch Lee of Marquette flung a length-of-the-court inbounds pass toward Bo Ellis. The ball deflected off of Ellisā hands and went directly to his teammate, Jerome Whitehead. Whitehead bumped me ā I still think it was a foul [laughs] ā but I was able to partially block his dunk. The ball hit the backboard and bounced off the rim before dropping, but there should have been a goaltending call [laughs]! Jerome clearly touched the ball over the cylinder. The shot goes in and the referees confer before ruling in Marquetteās favor. Marquette and Al McGuire get the victory and continue their Cinderella run to the NCAA Championship.
Very few people realize what I was prepared to do if Iād stolen that long inbounds pass. I was prepared to call timeout immediately after the steal, which wouldnāt have been a very smart thing to do in that situation. Do you know why?
CELTIC-NATION
You and senior teammate Melvin Watkins can boast of never losing a home game. The 49ers won all 58 games played in the Belk Gym and former Charlotte Coliseum. Where does this accomplishment rank in terms of your overall athletic achievement?
CEDRIC MAXWELL
Itās a great accomplishment ā how many players can say that theyāve never lost a home game? Itās a remarkable statistic because we played a mixture of teams during that run, some of them very good. Robert Parish played us in Charlotte, and Centenary was very tough at that time. I remember that it was a close game, and that we ended up beating them by 2 points. We first faced Robert in the 1975 NIT Tipoff Tournament, and we won that game as well. It was ironic playing against him in college and then playing with him later as teammates in Boston.
CELTIC-NATION
You are the only player in collegiate history to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for an NIT semifinalist one year and an NCAA semifinalist the next season. Were you aware of this?
CEDRIC MAXWELL
No, but thatās very interesting to hear ā I didnāt realize that I held that distinction.
CELTIC-NATION
If you were asked to select a signature game from either of those tournaments, which one would it be and why?
CEDRIC MAXWELL
Thatās an excellent question ā Iāve never been asked that before. If I had to select a signature game it would have to be the 1977 Mideast Regional Final against Michigan. The Wolverines were the number one seed and the heavy favorite to knock us out of the tournament. We went into this game and played with tremendous confidence, and because of this we were able to beat them convincingly. I think the final score was 75-68. Iād select this game because of the work I did on the boards.