| Year: | 1962 |
| Preseason Ap: | Cincinnati[1] [2] |
| Tourney Start: | March 9 |
| Nc Date: | 23, 1963 |
| Champ Stad: | Freedom Hall |
| Champ City: | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Champ: | Loyola (Ill.) |
| Helmschamp: | Loyola (Ill.) |
| Nit Champ: | Providence |
| Helmspoy: | Art Heyman, Duke |
The 1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1962, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 23, 1963, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers won their first NCAA national championship with a 60–58 victory in overtime over the Cincinnati Bearcats.
See main article: 1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings.
The Top 10 from the AP Poll and the Top 20 from the UPI Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[4] [5]
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| Conference | Regular season winner[6] | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| Art Heyman, Duke[7] | Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, North Carolina) | Duke | ||||
| Colorado & | None selected | No Tournament | ||||
| Illinois & | None selected | No Tournament | ||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| No Tournament | ||||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| No Tournament | ||||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| No Tournament | ||||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| Fred Hetzel, Davidson[8] | Richmond Arena (Richmond, Virginia) | West Virginia[9] | ||||
| Bennie Lenox, | No Tournament | |||||
| Steve Gray, | No Tournament | |||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
| None selected | No Tournament | |||||
A total of 56 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Loyola of Illinois (29–2) had both the best winning percentage (.935) and the most wins.[10]
See main article: 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament and 1963 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game.
See main article: 1963 National Invitation Tournament.
See main article: 1963 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.
| Player | Position | Class | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Bonham | F | Junior | Cincinnati | |
| Jerry Harkness | G | Senior | Loyola (IL) | |
| Art Heyman | F | Senior | Duke | |
| Barry Kramer | G/F | Junior | NYU | |
| Tom Thacker | G | Senior | Cincinnati |
| Player | Position | Class | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Bradds | F | Junior | Ohio State | |
| Bill Green | F | Senior | Colorado State | |
| Cotton Nash | F | Junior | Kentucky | |
| Rod Thorn | G/F | Senior | West Virginia | |
| Nate Thurmond | C | Senior | Bowling Green |
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | Harold Anderson | Warren Scholler | ||
| West Texas A&M | Metz LaFollette | Jimmy Viramontes | ||