Happened to see parts of that game on the internet.  Was the kick-off game for ISU that year.  ISU ended up winning 60-50 in a game much closer than the score would indicate.  Bird was an amazing college basketball player and a lot of fun to watch.

Purdue's team included Joe Barry Carroll & Jerry Sichling.  They ended up tied for 1st in the BT conference with MSU & Iowa.  MSU had Magic but finished in a 3 way tie with Purdue & Iowa at 13-5.  MSU was rated 3rd nationally, Iowa 15th & Purdue 20th, but Purdue was left out of the 40 team ncaa tourney.  It was Lee Rose' 1st year there.  Famously, IU beat them 53-52 in the NIT final in MSG.

That Iowa team had Ronnie Lester but no other names that would resonate today.

MSU was only a 2 seed in the tourney.  ISU was a 1 seed, along with ND, North Carolina & UCLA.

ISU ended up 33-1 when they lost to MSU, but what I didn't remember that they had a lot of close calls that year:

--74-70 at Evansville

--74-70 at Illinois St

--73-69 v. NM State

--91-89 at NM State

--69-68 at SIU

--73-71 over 5 seed Arkansas

--76-74 over 6 seed DePaul

Then lost 64-75 v. MSU.  For the youngens out there ISU's 2nd best player was Carl Nix, a scoring off guard, while MSU also had Greg Kelser, a very good BT basketball forward, and a young Jay Vincent at center.

In my life to that point, it was one of the 3 most memorable national college games ever, the other two being Houston-UCLA in the Astrodome & IU-Michigan in 1976.

In 1979-80 IU is preseason #1 with Woodson, Butch Carter, Tolbert, Turner and freshman I. Thomas.  In 1980-81 we win the NC with I Thomas, Wittman, Kitchell, Tolbert, Turner & Jim Thomas.

Quite an era for Indiana basketball generally, and IU basketball in particular.