There are games you win, and then there are games that win you.
On New Year's Eve 1977, #1-ranked Kentucky walked into Freedom Hall carrying the weight of perfection—7-0, unblemished, promising. But promise is unproven currency. The #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish arrived in Louisville fresh off stunning UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Everyone in college basketball knew what Digger Phelps's teams did to top-ranked opponents in the 1970s: they embarrassed them.
What happened over the next two hours accomplished more than preserving an undefeated record. It marked the precise moment a talented roster hardened into a championship machine.