On March 30, 1987 Big Mac Claims Title
1987: One is a former employee at McDonald’s, cooking hamburgers after he graduated from high school. The other is a former McDonald’s high school All-American. Want to guess who’s the hero and who’s the goat in the NCAA final?
Indiana guard Keith Smart, the former Big Mac maker, cooks Syracuse’s goose with a 15-foot jump shot from the left baseline with five seconds left to give the Hoosiers a 74-73 victory. Smart, after scoring just four points in the first half, pours in 17 in the second half, including a basket that pulls Indiana to 73-72 with 30 seconds left.
Then he intentionally fouls the McDonald’s All American, freshman forward Derrick Coleman, with 28 seconds remaining. While Coleman has performed yeoman work on the boards, pulling down a game-high 19 rebounds, he puts up a brick from the foul line, giving Indiana the chance to win.
The NCAA title is the third for Indiana coach Bob Knight. Only UCLA’s John Wooden (10) and Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp (four) have won more.