Wikipedia
1960–61 NCAA University Division men's basketball season
The 1960–61 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1960, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 25, 1961, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Cincinnati Bearcats won their first NCAA national championship with a 70–65 victory in overtime over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
| 1960–61 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| Preseason AP No. 1 | None |
| NCAA Tournament | 1961 |
| Tournament dates | March 14 – 25, 1961 |
| National Championship | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
| NCAA Champions | Cincinnati |
| Helms National Champions | Cincinnati |
| Other champions | Providence (NIT) |
| Player of the Year (Helms) | Jerry Lucas, Ohio State |
← 1959–60 1961–62 → | |
Season headlines Edit
- A gambling scandal rocked the NCAA University Division and resulted in the arrests of 37 students from 22 different colleges and universities.
- In the 1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament national third-place game, Saint Joseph's defeated Utah 127–120 in four overtimes, tying the record for the longest game in NCAA tournament history, set in 1956 in a first-round game between Canisius and North Carolina State.[1] The Saint Joseph's victory later was vacated because of the gambling scandal.[2]
Season outlook Edit
Pre-season polls Edit
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UPI Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[3][4]
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Conference membership changes Edit
| School | Former conference | New conference |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Cougars | Missouri Valley Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
Regular season Edit
Conference winners and tournaments Edit
Informal championships Edit
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Big 5 | St. Joseph's | None selected | No Tournament | ||
Statistical leaders Edit
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
Post-season tournaments Edit
NCAA tournament Edit
Final Four Edit
| National semifinals | National finals | ||||||||
| E | St. Joseph's | 69 | |||||||
| ME | Ohio State | 95 | |||||||
| ME | Ohio State | 65 | |||||||
| MW | Cincinnati | 70OT | |||||||
| MW | Cincinnati | 82 | |||||||
| W | Utah | 67 | |||||||
- Third Place – St. Joseph's 127, Utah 120 (4OT)
National Invitation tournament Edit
Semifinals & finals Edit
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| Saint Louis | 67 | ||||||||
| Dayton | 60 | ||||||||
| Saint Louis | 59 | ||||||||
| Providence | 62 | ||||||||
| Holy Cross | 83 | ||||||||
| Providence | 90 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Holy Cross 85, Dayton 67
Awards Edit
Consensus All-American teams Edit
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Dischinger | F | Junior | Purdue |
| Roger Kaiser | G | Senior | Georgia Tech |
| Jerry Lucas | F/C | Junior | Ohio State |
| Tom Stith | G/F | Senior | St. Bonaventure |
| Chet Walker | F | Junior | Bradley |
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walt Bellamy | C | Senior | Indiana |
| Frank Burgess | G | Senior | Gonzaga |
| Tony Jackson | G | Senior | St. John's |
| Billy McGill | C | Junior | Utah |
| Larry Siegfried | G | Senior | Ohio State |
Major player of the year awards Edit
- Helms Player of the Year: Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
- Associated Press Player of the Year:Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
- UPI Player of the Year: Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
- Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
- Sporting News Player of the Year: Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
Major coach of the year awards Edit
- Henry Iba Award: Fred Taylor, Ohio State
- NABC Coach of the Year: Fred Taylor, Ohio State
- UPI Coach of the Year: Fred Taylor, Ohio State
Other major awards Edit
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Bruce Drysdale, Temple
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Tony Jackson, St. John's
Coaching changes Edit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2022) |
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Fred Enke | Bruce Larson | ||
| Baylor | Bill Henderson | Bill Menefee | ||
| Holy Cross | Roy Leenig | Frank Oftring | ||
| North Carolina | Frank McGuire | Dean Smith | McGuire resigned to become head coach of the Philadelphia Warriors. 30 year-old assistant Smith was elevated to the head coaching spot.[9] | |
| Texas Western | Harold Davis | Don Haskins |
References Edit
- ^ The Sports Network. . Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ "Review of the Literature".
- ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 836. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2009-02-14
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
- ^ "'Frank McGuire resigns as basketball coach at UNC". Asheville Citizen-Times. August 3, 1961. p. 28. Retrieved May 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.