| Year: | 1961 |
| Teams: | 24 |
| Finalfourarena: | Municipal Auditorium |
| Finalfourcity: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Champions: | Cincinnati Bearcats |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Champgamecount: | 1st |
| Champffcount: | 3rd |
| Runnerup: | Ohio State Buckeyes |
| Gamecount: | 3rd |
| Runnerffcount: | 6th |
| Semifinal1: | Saint Joseph's Hawks (Vacated) |
| Finalfourcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal2: | Utah Redskins |
| Finalfourcount2: | 2nd |
| Coach: | Ed Jucker |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
| Mop: | Jerry Lucas |
| Mopteam: | Ohio State |
| Attendance: | 169,520 |
| Topscorer: | Billy McGill |
| Topscorerteam: | Utah |
| Points: | 119 |
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 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]
| 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 | ||
| Region | Team | Coach | Conference | Finished | Final Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | ||||||
| East | First round | Princeton | L 84–67 | |||
| East | Regional Fourth Place | St. Bonaventure | L 85–67 | |||
| East | First round | St. Bonaventure | L 86–76 | |||
| East | Independent | Regional third place | Princeton | W 85–67 | ||
| East | First round | Wake Forest | L 97–74 | |||
| East | Third Place | Utah | W 127–120 (4OT) | |||
| East | Regional Runner-up | Saint Joseph's | L 96–86 | |||
| Mideast | ||||||
| Mideast | Regional Runner-up | Ohio State | L 87–74 | |||
| Mideast | Independent | Regional third place | Morehead State | W 83–61 | ||
| Mideast | Regional Fourth Place | Louisville | L 83–61 | |||
| Mideast | First round | Louisville | L 76–70 | |||
| Mideast | Runner Up | Cincinnati | L 70–65 | |||
| Mideast | Independent | First round | Morehead State | L 71–66 | ||
| Midwest | ||||||
| Midwest | Champion | Ohio State | W 70–65 | |||
| Midwest | Independent | Regional Fourth Place | Texas Tech | L 69–67 | ||
| Midwest | Regional Runner-up | Cincinnati | L 69–64 | |||
| Midwest | Independent | First round | Houston | L 77–61 | ||
| Midwest | Regional third place | Houston | W 69–67 | |||
| West | ||||||
| West | Regional Runner-up | Utah | L 88–80 | |||
| West | Regional third place | USC | W 69–67 | |||
| West | Independent | First round | USC | L 81–79 | ||
| West | Independent | First round | Arizona State | L 72–70 | ||
| West | Regional Fourth Place | Loyola (Los Angeles) | L 69–67 | |||
| West | Fourth Place | Saint Joseph's | L 127–120 (4OT) | |||
* – Denotes overtime period