1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

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.

1961 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Cincinnati Bearcats, champions, celebrating
Season1960–61
Teams24
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsCincinnati Bearcats (1st title, 1st title game,
3rd Final Four)
Runner-upOhio State Buckeyes (3rd title game,
6th Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachEd Jucker (1st title)
MOPJerry Lucas (Ohio State)
Attendance169,520
Top scorerBilly McGill (Utah)
(119 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1960 1962»

Cincinnati, coached by Ed Jucker, won the national title with a 70–65 victory in the final game over state rival 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 Utah 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
Ohio State players after losing the final v Cincinnati
RoundRegionSiteVenueHost(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

Teams
RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal OpponentScore
East
EastGeorge WashingtonBill ReinhartSouthernFirst roundPrincetonL 84–67
EastPrincetonJake McCandlessIvy LeagueRegional Fourth PlaceSt. BonaventureL 85–67
EastRhode IslandErnie CalverleyYankeeFirst roundSt. BonaventureL 86–76
EastSt. BonaventureEddie DonovanIndependentRegional third placePrincetonW 85–67
EastSt. John'sJoe LapchickMetro NYFirst roundWake ForestL 97–74
EastSaint Joseph'sJack RamsayMiddle AtlanticThird PlaceUtahW 127–120 (4OT)
EastWake ForestBones McKinneyAtlantic CoastRegional Runner-upSaint Joseph'sL 96–86
Mideast
MideastKentuckyAdolph RuppSoutheasternRegional Runner-upOhio StateL 87–74
MideastLouisvillePeck HickmanIndependentRegional third placeMorehead StateW 83–61
MideastMorehead StateRobert LaughlinOhio ValleyRegional Fourth PlaceLouisvilleL 83–61
MideastOhioJames SnyderMid-AmericanFirst roundLouisvilleL 76–70
MideastOhio StateFred TaylorBig TenRunner UpCincinnatiL 70–65
MideastXavierJim McCaffertyIndependentFirst roundMorehead StateL 71–66
Midwest
MidwestCincinnatiEd JuckerMissouri ValleyChampionOhio StateW 70–65
MidwestHoustonGuy LewisIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceTexas TechL 69–67
MidwestKansas StateTex WinterBig 8Regional Runner-upCincinnatiL 69–64
MidwestMarquetteEddie HickeyIndependentFirst roundHoustonL 77–61
MidwestTexas TechPolk RobisonSouthwestRegional third placeHoustonW 69–67
West
WestArizona StateNed WulkBorderRegional Runner-upUtahL 88–80
WestLoyola (Los Angeles)William DonovanWest Coast AthleticRegional third placeUSCW 69–67
WestOregonSteve BelkoIndependentFirst roundUSCL 81–79
WestSeattleVince CazzettaIndependentFirst roundArizona StateL 72–70
WestUSCForrest TwogoodAAWURegional Fourth PlaceLoyola (Los Angeles)L 69–67
WestUtahJack GardnerMountain StatesFourth PlaceSaint Joseph'sL 127–120 (4OT)

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

East region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Saint Joseph's 72
  Princeton 67
  Princeton 84
  George Washington 67
  Saint Joseph's 96
  Wake Forest 86
  St. Bonaventure 86
  Rhode Island 76
  St. Bonaventure 73
  Wake Forest 78
  Wake Forest 97
  St. John's 74

Mideast region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Ohio State 56
  Louisville 55
  Louisville 76
  Ohio 70
  Ohio State 87
  Kentucky 74
  Kentucky 71
  Morehead State 64
  Morehead State 71
  Xavier 66

Midwest region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Kansas State 75
  Houston 64
  Houston 77
  Marquette 61
  Kansas State 64
  Cincinnati 69
  Cincinnati 78
  Texas Tech 55

West region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Utah 91
  Loyola (Los Angeles) 75
  Utah 88
  Arizona State 80
  Arizona State 72
  Seattle 70
  Arizona State 86
  USC 71
  USC 81
  Oregon 79

Final Four
National Semifinals National Championship Game
      
E Saint Joseph's 69
ME Ohio State 95
ME Ohio State 65*
MW Cincinnati 70
MW Cincinnati 82
W Utah 67

National Third Place Game
National Third Place Game[3]
   
E Saint Joseph's 127
W Utah 120****

Regional third place games

See also

References
  1. The Sports Network. "The Sports Network - Men's College Basketball". Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  2. "Review of the Literature".
  3. "1954 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Retrieved October 14, 2011.
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