1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament explained

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]

Locations

Round Region Site Venue Host(s)
First RoundEastNew York, New YorkMadison Square GardenSt. John's
MideastLouisville, KentuckyFreedom HallLouisville
MidwestHouston, TexasDelmar FieldhouseHouston/Rice/Texas Southern
WestPortland, OregonMemorial ColiseumPortland
RegionalsEastCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte ColiseumUNCC
MideastLouisville, KentuckyFreedom HallLouisville
MidwestLawrence, KansasAllen FieldhouseKansas
WestPortland, OregonMemorial ColiseumPortland
Final FourKansas City, MissouriMunicipal AuditoriumUMKC

Teams

Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final Opponent Score
East
East First roundPrincetonL 84–67
East Regional Fourth PlaceSt. BonaventureL 85–67
East First roundSt. BonaventureL 86–76
East Independent Regional third placePrincetonW 85–67
East First roundWake ForestL 97–74
East Third PlaceUtahW 127–120 (4OT)
East Regional Runner-upSaint Joseph'sL 96–86
Mideast
Mideast Regional Runner-upOhio StateL 87–74
Mideast Independent Regional third placeMorehead StateW 83–61
Mideast Regional Fourth PlaceLouisvilleL 83–61
Mideast First roundLouisvilleL 76–70
Mideast Runner UpCincinnatiL 70–65
Mideast Independent First roundMorehead StateL 71–66
Midwest
Midwest ChampionOhio StateW 70–65
Midwest Independent Regional Fourth PlaceTexas TechL 69–67
Midwest Regional Runner-upCincinnatiL 69–64
Midwest Independent First roundHoustonL 77–61
Midwest Regional third placeHoustonW 69–67
West
West Regional Runner-upUtahL 88–80
West Regional third placeUSCW 69–67
West Independent First round USCL 81–79
West Independent First roundArizona StateL 72–70
West Regional Fourth PlaceLoyola (Los Angeles)L 69–67
West Fourth PlaceSaint Joseph'sL 127–120 (4OT)

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

Final Four

  1. - 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]

Regional third place games

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Sports Network - Men's College Basketball . The Sports Network . https://web.archive.org/web/20110526000053/http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cbask%2Fmmad%2F2009%2Fstat.aspx%3Ff%3Dteams_records . 2011-05-26 . dead . 2009-04-02 .
  2. Web site: Review of the Literature.
  3. Web site: What led to vacated Final Fours in the past?. Wolfson, Andrew. Courier Journal. October 19, 2016. May 17, 2024.