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1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

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1961 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Cincinnati Bearcats, champions, celebrating
Season1960–61
Teams24
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsCincinnati Bearcats (1st title, 1st title game,
3rd Final Four)
Runner-upOhio State Buckeyes (3rd title game,
6th Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachEd Jucker (1st title)
MOPJerry Lucas (Ohio State)
Attendance169,520
Top scorerBilly McGill (Utah)
(119 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1960 1962»

The 1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 14, 1961, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Kansas City, Missouri. A total of 28 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.

Cincinnati, coached by Ed Jucker, won the national title with a 70–65 victory in the final game over in-state rival and defending national champion Ohio State, coached by Fred Taylor. Jerry Lucas of Ohio State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The national third-place game, won by Saint Joseph's over Utah by the score of 127–120 in four overtimes, tied the record for the longest game in NCAA Division I tournament history, set in 1956 in a first-round game between Canisius and North Carolina State. As of the regional finals of the 2019 tournament, no NCAA Division I tournament games since then have gone to a fourth overtime period.[1] Saint Joseph's victory was later vacated because of the 1961 gambling scandal.[2]

Locations

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Ohio State players after losing the final v Cincinnati
Round Region Site Venue Host(s)
First Round East New York, New York Madison Square Garden St. John's
Mideast Louisville, Kentucky Freedom Hall Louisville
Midwest Houston, Texas Delmar Fieldhouse Houston/Rice/Texas Southern
West Portland, Oregon Memorial Coliseum Portland
Regionals East Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte Coliseum UNCC
Mideast Louisville, Kentucky Freedom Hall Louisville
Midwest Lawrence, Kansas Allen Fieldhouse Kansas
West Portland, Oregon Memorial Coliseum Portland
Final Four Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Auditorium UMKC

Teams

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Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final Opponent Score
East
East George Washington Bill Reinhart Southern First round Princeton L 84–67
East Princeton Jake McCandless Ivy League Regional Fourth Place St. Bonaventure L 85–67
East Rhode Island Ernie Calverley Yankee First round St. Bonaventure L 86–76
East St. Bonaventure Eddie Donovan Independent Regional third place Princeton W 85–67
East St. John's Joe Lapchick Metro NY First round Wake Forest L 97–74
East Saint Joseph's Jack Ramsay Middle Atlantic Third Place Utah W 127–120 (4OT)
East Wake Forest Bones McKinney Atlantic Coast Regional Runner-up Saint Joseph's L 96–86
Mideast
Mideast Kentucky Adolph Rupp Southeastern Regional Runner-up Ohio State L 87–74
Mideast Louisville Peck Hickman Independent Regional third place Morehead State W 83–61
Mideast Morehead State Robert Laughlin Ohio Valley Regional Fourth Place Louisville L 83–61
Mideast Ohio James Snyder Mid-American First round Louisville L 76–70
Mideast Ohio State Fred Taylor Big Ten Runner Up Cincinnati L 70–65
Mideast Xavier Jim McCafferty Independent First round Morehead State L 71–66
Midwest
Midwest Cincinnati Ed Jucker Missouri Valley Champion Ohio State W 70–65
Midwest Houston Guy Lewis Independent Regional Fourth Place Texas Tech L 69–67
Midwest Kansas State Tex Winter Big 8 Regional Runner-up Cincinnati L 69–64
Midwest Marquette Eddie Hickey Independent First round Houston L 77–61
Midwest Texas Tech Polk Robison Southwest Regional third place Houston W 69–67
West
West Arizona State Ned Wulk Border Regional Runner-up Utah L 88–80
West Loyola (Los Angeles) William Donovan West Coast Athletic Regional third place USC W 69–67
West Oregon Steve Belko Independent First round USC L 81–79
West Seattle Vince Cazzetta Independent First round Arizona State L 72–70
West USC Forrest Twogood AAWU Regional Fourth Place Loyola (Los Angeles) L 69–67
West Utah Jack Gardner Mountain States Fourth Place Saint Joseph's L 127–120 (4OT)

Bracket

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* – Denotes overtime period

East region

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Saint Joseph's# 72
  Princeton 67
  Princeton 84
  George Washington 67
  Saint Joseph's# 96
  Wake Forest 86
  St. Bonaventure 86
  Rhode Island 76
  St. Bonaventure 73
  Wake Forest 78
  Wake Forest 97
  St. John's 74

Mideast region

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Ohio State 56
  Louisville 55
  Louisville 76
  Ohio 70
  Ohio State 87
  Kentucky 74
  Kentucky 71
  Morehead State 64
  Morehead State 71
  Xavier 66

Midwest region

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Kansas State 75
  Houston 64
  Houston 77
  Marquette 61
  Kansas State 64
  Cincinnati 69
  Cincinnati 78
  Texas Tech 55

West region

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Utah 91
  Loyola (Los Angeles) 75
  Utah 88
  Arizona State 80
  Arizona State 72
  Seattle 70
  Arizona State 86
  USC 71
  USC 81
  Oregon 79

Final Four

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National Semifinals National Championship Game
      
E Saint Joseph's# 69
ME Ohio State 95
ME Ohio State 65*
MW Cincinnati 70
MW Cincinnati 82
W Utah 67

* - denotes overtime

# - Saint Joseph's was later forced to vacate their appearance in the 1961 NCAA Tournament due to a gambling scandal involving a player on the team. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Saint Joseph's removing the wins from its own record.[3]

National Third Place Game

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National Third Place Game[4]
   
E Saint Joseph's# 127
W Utah 120****

Regional third place games

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ The Sports Network. "The Sports Network - Men's College Basketball". Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  2. ^ "Review of the Literature".
  3. ^ Wolfson, Andrew (October 19, 2016). "What led to vacated Final Fours in the past?". Courier Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "1954 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Retrieved October 14, 2011.