1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season explained
The 1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1969, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 21, 1970, at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The UCLA Bruins won their sixth NCAA national championship with an 80–69 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins.
Season headlines
- UCLA won its fourth NCAA championship in a row, sixth overall, and sixth in seven seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its fourth of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles.
- The Pacific Coast Athletic Association began play. It was renamed the Big West Conference in 1988.
- LSU’s Pete Maravich established several NCAA records during his career. Two of the most notable came during this season - single-season scoring average (44.5 in 1969–70, besting his 44.2 average from the prior season) and career scoring (3,667 points). In addition to leading the NCAA in scoring for the third consecutive season, Maravich was named a consensus first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year for the third time. He was the first player to score 3,000 or more points in his career (1968–1970),[3] and his career average of 44.2 points per game made him the first player to average more than 40 points a game for his career.[3] In a game against Alabama on February 7, 1970, Maravich scored 69 points, setting a record for points scored by a single player in a game against an NCAA University Division (later NCAA Division I) opponent;[4] Maravich broke the record of 68 points set by Calvin Murphy of Niagara in December 1968, and no one outscored Maravich until Kevin Bradshaw scored 72 points in a game in January 1991.[5]
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
See main article: 1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings.
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[6] [7]
Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conferences
Conference winners and tournaments
| Conference | Regular
season winner[8] | Conference
player of the year | Conference
tournament | Tournament
venue (City) | Tournament
winner |
|---|
| | John Roche,
South Carolina[9] | | Charlotte Coliseum
(Charlotte, North Carolina) | NC State |
| | Dave Robisch, Kansas[10] | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | Jim Penix, Bowling Green[11] | No Tournament |
| St. Joseph's (East); Lafayette, Lehigh, & | | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | Pete Maravich, LSU[12] | No Tournament |
| | Mike Maloy, Davidson[13] | | Charlotte Coliseum
(Charlotte, North Carolina) | Davidson[14] |
| | Kenny Haynes, Lamar[15] | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament | |
Conference standings
University Division independents
A total of 61 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Jacksonville (27–2) had the best winning percentage (.931), and Jacksonville and New Mexico State (27–3) finished with the most wins.[16]
Informal championships
Penn finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
See main article: 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament and 1970 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game.
Final Four
National Invitation tournament
See main article: 1970 National Invitation Tournament.
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
See main article: 1970 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.
Major player of the year awards
Major coach of the year awards
Other major awards
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
Notes and References
- Book: ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia . 978-0-345-51392-2 . . 2009 . 846.
- Web site: 1978 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll. College Poll Archive. August 8, 2020.
- Web site: Playing Rules History . . . ncaa.org . NCAA . June 25, 2024 . 13.
- https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DC133DF934A35752C0A967958260 "72-Point Performance Erases Maravich's Record," The New York Times, January 7, 1991.
- Web site: Maravich scored at will . Carter . Bob . November 19, 2003 . espn.com . ESPN Classic . August 30, 2024.
- Book: ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia . 978-0-345-51392-2 . . 2009 . 836.
- Web site: 1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll. College Poll Archive. August 8, 2020.
- News: 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section. 2009. NCAA. 2009-02-14.
- http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/09mbkguide083112.pdf 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section
- http://www.big12sports.com//pdf1/147025.pdf 2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section
- http://mac-sports.com/pdf5/153033.pdf?ATCLID=1620714&SPSID=42971&SPID=3803&DB_OEM_ID=9400 2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section
- http://secsports.com/doc_lib/bkc_record_book.pdf 2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book
- http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section
- http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section
- http://www.southland.org/pdf7/153625.pdf?ATCLID=1287496&SPSID=97316&SPID=10825&temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=18400 2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide
- Web site: 1969-70 Men's Independent Season Summary . . August 15, 2024.
