1955 NCAA basketball tournament

The 1955 NCAA basketball tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1955, and ended with the championship game on March 19 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.

1955 NCAA basketball tournament
Teams24
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsSan Francisco Dons (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Runner-upLa Salle Explorers (2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachPhil Woolpert (1st title)
MOPBill Russell (San Francisco)
Attendance116,983
Top scorerBill Russell (San Francisco)
(118 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1954 1956»

San Francisco, coached by Phil Woolpert, won the national title with a 77–63 victory in the final game over La Salle, coached by Ken Loeffler. Bill Russell of San Francisco was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Locations

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1955 tournament:

East-1 Region

First round (March 8)
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York (Hosts: Fordham University, Columbia University)
East-1 Regional (March 11 and 12)
The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Host: University of Pennsylvania)

East-2 Region

First round (March 9)
Memorial Coliseum, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky)
East-2 Regional (March 11 and 12)
McGaw Memorial Hall, Evanston, Illinois (Host: Northwestern University)

West-1 Region

First round (March 8)
Thunderbird Coliseum, El Reno, Oklahoma (Host: Oklahoma City University)
West Regional (March 11 and 12)
Ahearn Field House, Manhattan, Kansas (Host: Kansas State University)

West-2 Region

First round (March 8)
Cow Palace, San Francisco, California (Hosts: University of San Francisco, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley)
West-2 Regional (March 11 and 12)
Oregon State Coliseum, Corvallis, Oregon (Host: Oregon State University)

Final Four

March 18 and 19
Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)

Teams

RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal OpponentScore
East
EastCanisiusJoseph CurranWNY3Regional Runner-upLa SalleL 99–64
EastDukeHarold BradleyAtlantic CoastFirst roundVillanovaL 74–73
EastIowaBucky O'ConnorBig TenFourth PlaceColoradoL 75–54
EastKentuckyAdolph RuppSoutheasternRegional third placePenn StateW 84–59
EastLa SalleKen LoefflerIndependentRunner UpSan FranciscoL 77–63
EastMarquetteJack NagleIndependentRegional Runner-upIowaL 86–81
EastMemphis StateEugene LambertIndependentFirst roundPenn StateL 59–55
EastMiami (OH)Bill RohrMid-AmericanFirst roundMarquetteL 90–79
EastPenn StateJohn EgliIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceKentuckyL 84–59
EastPrincetonFranklin CapponIvy LeagueRegional Fourth PlaceVillanovaL 64–57
EastVillanovaAlex SeveranceIndependentRegional third placePrincetonW 64–57
EastWest VirginiaFred SchausSouthernFirst roundLa SalleL 95–61
EastWilliamsAlex ShawIndependentFirst roundCanisiusL 73–60
West
WestBradleyBob VanattaIndependentRegional Runner-upColoradoL 93–81
WestColoradoBebe LeeBig 7Third PlaceIowaW 75–54
WestIdaho StateSteve BelkoIndependentFirst roundSeattleL 80–63
WestOklahoma CityDoyle ParrackIndependentFirst roundBradleyL 69–65
WestOregon StateSlats GillPacific CoastRegional Runner-upSan FranciscoL 57–56
WestSan FranciscoPhil WoolpertCBAChampionLa SalleW 77–63
WestSeattleAl BrightmanIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceUtahL 108–85
WestSMUDoc HayesSouthwestRegional Fourth PlaceTulsaL 68–67
WestTulsaClarence IbaMissouri ValleyRegional third placeSMUW 68–67
WestUtahJack GardnerMountain StatesRegional third placeSeattleW 108–85
WestWest Texas StateGus MillerBorderFirst roundSan FranciscoL 89–66

Bracket

East-1 Region

First round Regional semifinals Regional Finals
      
Princeton 46
La Salle 73
La Salle 95
West Virginia 61
La Salle 99
Canisius 64
Canisisus 73
Williams 60
Canisius 73 Third place
Villanova 71
Villanova 74 Villanova 64
Duke 73 Princeton 57

East-2 Region

First roundRegional semifinalsRegional Finals
Kentucky71
Marquette90Marquette79
Miami (OH)79Marquette81
Iowa86
Iowa82
Penn State59Penn State53Third place
Memphis State55
Kentucky84
Penn St.59

West-1 Region

First round Regional semifinals Regional Finals
      
SMU 79
Bradley 81
Bradley 69
Oklahoma City 65
Bradley 81
Colorado 93
Colorado 69 Third place
Tulsa 59
Tulsa 68
SMU 67

West-2 Region

First roundRegional semifinalsRegional Finals
Oregon State83
Seattle80Seattle71
Idaho State63Oregon State56
San Francisco57
Utah59
San Francisco89San Francisco78Third place
West Texas State66
Utah108
Seattle85

Final Four

National semifinal National Championship
    
Iowa 73
La Salle 76
La Salle 63
San Francisco 77
Colorado 50
San Francisco 62 National third-place game
Iowa 54
Colorado 75

Notes

  • The 1955 tournament saw a record eleven teams - Canisius, Duke, Iowa, Marquette, Memphis State, San Francisco, Southern Methodist, Tulsa, West Texas State, West Virginia and Williams College - make the tournament for the first time. This beat the record of ten teams set in 1953 (the first year which the tournament expanded to include a regional quarterfinal round), and would be beat in 1981 when 12 teams made the tournament.
  • Two teams in the field, West Texas State College (now known as West Texas A&M University) and Williams College of Williamstown, Massachusetts, are no longer in Division I. Neither team would make the tournament again; West Texas is now in Division II and Williams is in Division III. The NCAA would split into University and College Divisions in 1956, thus ending the chances for smaller teams such as these to make the tournament.

See also

References

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