1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
The 1961 NCAA Men's Division I 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.
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 St. 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 2009 tournament
, no NCAA Division I tournament games since then have gone to a fourth overtime period. Saint Joseph's victory was later vacated because of a gambling scandal.
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It began on March 14, 1961, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. A total of 28 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.
Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, coached by Ed Jucker
Ed Jucker
Edwin Louis "Ed" Jucker was an American college basketball player and coach. He was the former head basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati in the 1960s. Jucker also attended Cincinnati as an undergraduate student and played on the school's basketball teams during the 1938, 1939, and 1940...
, won the national title with a 70-65 victory in the final game over state rival Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, coached by Fred Taylor. Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
of Ohio State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
.
The national third place game, won by St. Joseph's
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
over Utah
Utah Utes men's basketball
The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind...
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
1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Far West Region:-Final Four:-Notes:* Canisius's first-round victory over the second-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack, considered by many to be among the top ten upsets in tournament history, set a record for most overtime periods in a Division I Men's tournament...
in a first-round game between Canisius
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
and North Carolina State
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. As of the regional finals of the 2009 tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, no NCAA Division I tournament games since then have gone to a fourth overtime period. Saint Joseph's victory was later vacated because of a gambling scandal.
Locations
| Region | Site | Other Locations |
|---|---|---|
| East | Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... |
New York City, New York |
| Mideast | Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
|
| Midwest | Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County... |
Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
| West | Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... |
|
| Finals | Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
Teams
| Region | Seed | Team | Coach | Finished | Final Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | ||||||
| East | n/a | George Washington George Washington University The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States... |
Bill Reinhart | First round | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
L 84-67 |
| East | n/a | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
Jake McCandless | Regional Fourth Place | St. Bonaventure St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students.... |
L 85-67 |
| East | n/a | Rhode Island University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West... |
Ernie Calverley Ernie Calverley Ernest A. "Ernie" Calverley was an American basketball guard for the University of Rhode Island. His famous "shot heard round the world," a midcourt shot, as time expired at Madison Square Garden in the National Invitation Tournament moved URI past Bowling Green State University into the semifinal... |
First round | St. Bonaventure St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students.... |
L 86-76 |
| East | n/a | St. Bonaventure St. Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students.... |
Eddie Donovan Eddie Donovan Eddie Donovan was a professional basketball coach and executive.He coached the New York Knickerbockers from 1961 through 1965, and was the coach on the opposing sideline when Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain had his record-setting 100-point game in Hershey, Pennsylvania on March 2,... |
Regional Third Place | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
W 85-67 |
| East | n/a | St. John's St. John's University (New York City) St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant... |
Joe Lapchick Joe Lapchick Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick was a professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 30s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overshadowed in his later years only by Tarzan Cooper... |
First round | Wake Forest Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is... |
L 97-74 |
| East | n/a | Saint Joseph's Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint... |
Jack Ramsay Jack Ramsay Jack T. Ramsay is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" . He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio... |
Third Place | Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
W 127-120 (4OT) |
| East | n/a | Wake Forest Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is... |
Bones McKinney Bones McKinney Horace Albert "Bones" McKinney was an American professional basketball player and coach.... |
Regional Runner-up | Saint Joseph's Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint... |
L 96-86 |
| Mideast | ||||||
| Mideast | n/a | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... |
Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching... |
Regional Runner-up | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
L 87-74 |
| Mideast | n/a | Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
Peck Hickman | Regional Third Place | Morehead State Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S... |
W 83-61 |
| Mideast | n/a | Morehead State Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S... |
Robert Laughlin | Regional Fourth Place | Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
L 83-61 |
| Mideast | n/a | Ohio Ohio Bobcats men's basketball The Ohio Bobcats men’s basketball team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, playing at the Division 1 level... |
James Snyder Jim Snyder Jim Snyder was head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team for 26 years . He led his teams to 7 NCAA Tournament appearances and one National Invitation Tournament appearance... |
First round | Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
L 76-70 |
| Mideast | n/a | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
Fred Taylor | Runner Up | Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference.... |
L 70-65 |
| Mideast | n/a | Xavier Xavier University (Cincinnati) Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily... |
Jim McCafferty | First round | Morehead State Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S... |
L 71-66 |
| Midwest | ||||||
| Midwest | n/a | Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference.... |
Ed Jucker Ed Jucker Edwin Louis "Ed" Jucker was an American college basketball player and coach. He was the former head basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati in the 1960s. Jucker also attended Cincinnati as an undergraduate student and played on the school's basketball teams during the 1938, 1939, and 1940... |
Champion | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
W 70-65 |
| Midwest | n/a | Houston Houston Cougars men's basketball The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA... |
Guy Lewis Guy Lewis Guy Vernon Lewis II is a former NCAA basketball coach who led the University of Houston Cougars program for 30 years from 1956-86.-Coaching career:... |
Regional Fourth Place | Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports... |
L 69-67 |
| Midwest | n/a | Kansas State Kansas State Wildcats Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in... |
Tex Winter Tex Winter Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:... |
Regional Runner-up | Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference.... |
L 69-64 |
| Midwest | n/a | Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
Eddie Hickey Eddie Hickey Edgar S. "Eddie" Hickey was a college men's basketball coach. He coached at his alma mater of Creighton University , St. Louis University and Marquette University , compiling a 436-231 record... |
First round | Houston Houston Cougars men's basketball The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA... |
L 77-61 |
| Midwest | n/a | Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob... |
Polk Robison Polk Robison Polk Robison was an American collegiate basketball and football coach and college athletics administrator who served as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team from 1942 to 1946 and again from 1947 to 1961... |
Regional Third Place | Houston Houston Cougars men's basketball The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA... |
W 69-67 |
| West | ||||||
| West | n/a | Arizona State | Ned Wulk Ned Wulk Ned W. Wulk was the men's basketball coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1982. He remains the most successful coach in the history of the men's basketball program with a record of 406 - 272 at ASU. Wells Fargo Arena's basketball court was named after him in 1999... |
Regional Runner-up | Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
L 88-80 |
| West | n/a | Loyola, Los Angeles Loyola Marymount Lions The Loyola Marymount Lions are the athletic teams that represent Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles, California. The school competes in NCAA Division I, with its primary affiliation in the West Coast Conference, an organization consisting solely of... |
William Donovan | Regional Third Place | USC | W 69-67 |
| West | n/a | Oregon Oregon Ducks men's basketball Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won... |
Steve Belko Steve Belko Steve Belko was an American college basketball coach at the University of Oregon and Idaho State University. At Idaho State, his team made the NCAA tournament four out of his six years there. His record at Idaho State was 109-51, and he was named "Rocky Mountain Coach of the Year" three times. From... |
First round | USC | L 81-79 |
| West | n/a | Seattle Seattle University Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member... |
Vince Cazzetta Vince Cazzetta Vincent "Vince" Cazzetta was head coach of the Pittsburgh Pipers during the 1967-1968 season in which they won the American Basketball Association championship. He was one of the most successful head coaches in Seattle University's men's basketball historyCazzetta was head coach at Seattle... |
First round | Arizona State | L 72-70 |
| West | n/a | USC | Forrest Twogood | Regional Fourth Place | Loyola, Los Angeles Loyola Marymount Lions The Loyola Marymount Lions are the athletic teams that represent Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles, California. The school competes in NCAA Division I, with its primary affiliation in the West Coast Conference, an organization consisting solely of... |
L 69-67 |
| West | n/a | Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
Jack Gardner Jack Gardner (basketball) -Head Coaching Record at Utah:-External links:*... |
Fourth Place | Saint Joseph's Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through... |
L 127-120 (4OT) |
East region
Mideast region
Midwest region
West region
Final Four
External links
- 1961 NCAA Basketball Tournament on Shrp Sports (source for the bracket)
- HoopsTournament.Net, source for much of the information on this page.