1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

The 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 7, 1970, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in College Park, Maryland. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game. This tournament was notable for the number of small schools that reached the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and championship Game. Another notable aspect of the tournament was that Marquette became the first team to turn down an announced NCAA Tournament bid for the National Invitation Tournament. Coach Al McGuire took issue with being seeded in the Midwest regional instead of the geographically closer Mideast. They were replaced in the field by Dayton.[1] As a result of this action, the NCAA now forbids its members from playing in other postseason tournaments if offered an NCAA bid.

1970 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Teams25
Finals siteCole Field House
College Park, Maryland
ChampionsUCLA Bruins (6th title, 6th title game,
7th Final Four)
Runner-upJacksonville Dolphins (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachJohn Wooden (6th title)
MOPSidney Wicks (UCLA)
Attendance146,794
Top scorerAustin Carr (Notre Dame)
(158 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1969 1971»

There were three first-time participants in the Final Four: New Mexico State, St. Bonaventure, and Jacksonville, a feat not repeated until the 2023 tournament. UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won the national title with an 80–69 victory in the final game over Jacksonville, coached by Joe Williams. Sidney Wicks of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Schedule and venues

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1970 tournament:

First round

Regional semifinals, 3rd-place games, and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

National semifinals, 3rd-place game, and championship (Final Four and championship)

Teams
RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal opponentScore
East
EastDavidsonTerry HollandSouthernFirst roundSt. BonaventureL 85–72
EastNiagaraFrank LaydenIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceNC StateL 108–88
EastNC StateNorm SloanAtlantic CoastRegional third placeNiagaraW 108–88
EastPennDick HarterIvy LeagueFirst roundNiagaraL 79–69
EastSt. BonaventureLarry WeiseIndependentFourth PlaceNew Mexico StateL 79–73
EastTempleHarry LitwackMiddle AtlanticFirst roundVillanovaL 77–69
EastVillanovaJack KraftIndependentRegional Runner-upSt. BonaventureL 97–74
Mideast
MideastIowaRalph MillerBig TenRegional third placeNotre DameW 121–106
MideastJacksonvilleJoe WilliamsIndependentRunner UpUCLAL 80–69
MideastKentuckyAdolph RuppSoutheasternRegional Runner-upJacksonvilleL 106–100
MideastNotre DameJohn DeeIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceIowaL 121–106
MideastOhioJames SnyderMid-AmericanFirst roundNotre DameL 112–82
MideastWestern KentuckyJohnny OldhamOhio ValleyFirst roundJacksonvilleL 109–96
Midwest
MidwestDaytonDon DonoherIndependentFirst roundHoustonL 71–64
MidwestDrakeMaury JohnMissouri ValleyRegional Runner-upNew Mexico StateL 87–78
MidwestHoustonGuy LewisIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceKansas StateL 107–98
MidwestKansas StateCotton FitzsimmonsBig EightRegional third placeHoustonW 107–98
MidwestNew Mexico StateLou HensonIndependentThird PlaceSt. BonaventureW 79–73
MidwestRiceDon KnodelSouthwestFirst roundNew Mexico StateL 101–77
West
WestLong Beach StateJerry TarkanianPacific CoastRegional Fourth PlaceSanta ClaraL 89–86
WestSanta ClaraDick GaribaldiWest CoastRegional third placeLong Beach StateW 89–86
WestUTEPDon HaskinsWestern AthleticFirst roundUtah StateL 91–81
WestUCLAJohn WoodenPacific-8ChampionJacksonvilleW 80–69
WestUtah StateLaDell AndersenIndependentRegional Runner-upUCLAL 101–79
WestWeber StatePhil JohnsonBig SkyFirst roundLong Beach StateL 92–73

Bracket

East region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  NC State 68
  St. Bonaventure 80
  St. Bonaventure 85
  Davidson 72
  St. Bonaventure 97
  Villanova 74
  Villanova 77
  Temple 69
  Villanova 98
  Niagara 73
  Niagara 79
  Penn 69
East Regional third place
   
NC State 108
Niagara 88

Mideast region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Iowa 103
  Jacksonville 104
  Jacksonville 109
  Western Kentucky 96
  Jacksonville 106
  Kentucky 100
  Kentucky 109
  Notre Dame 99
  Notre Dame 112
  Ohio 82
Mideast Regional third place
   
Iowa 121
Notre Dame 106

Midwest region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  Kansas State 66
  New Mexico State 70
  New Mexico State 101
  Rice 77
  New Mexico State 87
  Drake 78
  Drake 92
  Houston 87
  Houston 71
  Dayton 64
Midwest Regional third place
   
Kansas State 107
Houston 98

West region
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
  UCLA 88
  Long Beach State 65
  Long Beach State 92
  Weber State 73
  UCLA 101
  Utah State 79
  Santa Clara 68
  Utah State 69
  Utah State 91
  UTEP 81
West Regional third place
   
Long Beach State 86
Santa Clara 89

Final Four
National semifinals National Championship Game
      
E St. Bonaventure 83
ME Jacksonville 91
ME Jacksonville 69
W UCLA 80
MW New Mexico State 77
W UCLA 93 National third-place game
E St. Bonaventure 73
MW New Mexico State 79

See also

Tournament notes
  • In Iowa's 121–106 win over Notre Dame, the two teams set a tournament record for most combined points (227).
  • Every game in the Mideast Regional saw at least one of the two teams score 100 points or more.
  • For the second straight year, a first-time tournament participant, in this case Jacksonville, made the national championship game. Niagara and Long Beach State also made their tournament debuts this year, both of whom placed as their respective regional fourth place teams.
  • This was the first of eighteen tournament appearances for Long Beach coach Jerry Tarkanian, who would go on to coach the 49ers to four straight tournament appearances, as well as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to a national championship (1990) and four Final Fours, and Fresno State to two tournament appearances.
  • The 1970 tournament is, to date, the most recent tournament appearance for Rice University. They currently hold the fifth longest active drought after Dartmouth (1959), Tennessee Tech (1963), Bowling Green and Columbia (1968) and Seattle (1969).
  • Three of the Final Four teams had dominant centers that would go on to successful NBA careers; Jacksonville with Artis Gilmore, St. Bonaventure with Bob Lanier, and New Mexico State with Sam Lacey. However, UCLA would win the tournament despite losing their dominant center from the previous season (Lew Alcindor).

Announcers

Curt Gowdy, Charlie Jones, and Jim Simpson - First Round at Dayton, Ohio (Jacksonville-Western Kentucky, Notre Dame-Ohio State);

References
  1. "Marquette takes NIT over NCAA bid". Great Falls Tribune. February 25, 1970. p. 11. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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