1968 NCAA College Division basketball tournament

The 1968 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 36 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division college basketball as a culmination of the 1967–68 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Indiana State's Jerry Newsom named Most Outstanding Player. Uniquely, Indiana State has finished as the National Runner-up in the (1946 and 1948) NAIA Tournaments, the (1979) NCAA Division I Tournament, and the 1968 NCAA Division II Tournament.

1968 NCAA College Division
basketball tournament

Teams	36
Finals site	Evansville, Indiana
Champions	Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (2nd title)
Runner-up	Indiana State Sycamores (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Trinity (TX) Tigers (1st Final Four) Ashland Eagles (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Bob Daniels (1st title)
MOP	Jerry Newsom (Indiana State)
Attendance	33,899
NCAA Division II men's tournaments «1967 1969»

Worcester

Rochester

Ashland

Jackson

Reading

Springfield

Lake Charles

Normal

Evansville

San Diego

Springfield

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1968 NCAA Division II Men's sites - first 2 rounds (white) regionals (cyan) Elite Eight (red)

Regional participants

School	Outcome
American International	Regional Champion
Assumption	Fifth Place*
Bridgeport	Third Place*
Buffalo State	Runner-up
Le Moyne	Seventh Place*
Northeastern	Fifth Place*
Rochester	Third Place*
Springfield	Seventh Place*

School	Outcome
Bethune–Cookman	Fourth Place
Kentucky Wesleyan	Regional Champion
Oglethorpe	Third Place
Union (TN)	Runner-up

School	Outcome
Cheyney	Regional Champion
Muhlenberg	Fourth Place
Philadelphia Textile	Third Place
Wagner	Runner-up

School	Outcome
Ashland	Regional Champion
Denison	Third Place
Norfolk State	Runner-up
Roanoke	Fourth Place

School	Outcome
Evansville	Regional Champion
Lincoln (MO)	Third Place
Southern Colorado	Fourth Place
SW Missouri State	Runner-up

School	Outcome
Jackson State	Third Place
McNeese State	Fourth Place
Pan American	Runner-up
Trinity (TX)	Regional Champion

School	Outcome
DePauw	Fourth Place
Illinois State	Runner-up
Indiana State	Regional Champion
South Dakota State	Third Place

School	Outcome
Nevada Southern	Regional Champion
San Diego State	Third Place
UC Davis	Fourth Place
UC Irvine	Runner-up

*indicates a tie

Regionals

Northeast

Locations: Assumption College Gymnasium (Section A), University of Rochester Palestra (Section B) and Henry A. Butova Gymnasium (Regional final)
Hosts: Assumption College (Section A), University of Rochester (Section B) and American International College (Regional final)

	First round Round of 36 March 5					Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6					Regional Final - Butova Gymnasium, Springfield, MA Sweet 16 March 8
	Bridgeport		86
	Springfield		62
						Bridgeport		67
	Section A—Worcester, MA
						American International		77
	American International		80
	Assumption		78
											American International		79
											Buffalo State		64
	Buffalo State		83
	Le Moyne		66
						Buffalo State		79
	Section B—Rochester, NY
						Rochester		67
	Rochester		75
	Northeastern		67

• Consolation- Assumption 94, Springfield 75
• Consolation- Northeastern 67, Le Moyne 54

Notes

• The right to host the regional final was given to team emerging from the games played in Worcester, unless that team was Bridgeport, whose home court was either unavailable or deemed unsuitable to host the regional final.^[1]

South - Jackson, Tennessee

Location: unknown Host: Union University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Kentucky Wesleyan		86
	Oglethorpe		59
						Kentucky Wesleyan		66
						Union		58
	Union (TN)		81
	Bethune–Cookman		67

• Third Place - Oglethorpe 82, Bethune-Cookman 70

East - Reading, Pennsylvania

Location: Bollman Center Host: Cheyney State College

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Cheyney		94
	Muhlenberg		67
						Cheyney		72
						Wagner		57
	Wagner		98
	Philadelphia Textile		84

• Third Place -Philadelphia Textile 105, Muhlenberg 94

Mideast - Ashland, Ohio

Location: Kates Gymnasium Host: Ashland University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Norfolk State		108
	Denison		86
						Norfolk State		51
						Ashland		61
	Ashland		71
	Roanoke		46

• Third Place - Denison 90, Roanoke 77

Midwest - Springfield, Missouri

Location: McDonald Hall and Arena Host: Southwest Missouri State University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Evansville		95
	Lincoln (MO)		80
						Evansville		79
						SW Missouri State		73
	SW Missouri State		69
	Southern Colorado		68

• Third Place - Lincoln 92, Southern Colorado 77

Southwest - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Location: Memorial Gym Host: McNeese State University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Pan American		96
	Jackson State		73
						Pan American		83
						Trinity		87*
	Trinity (TX)		95
	McNeese State		78

• Third Place - Jackson State 75, McNeese State 71

Great Lakes - Normal, Illinois

Location: Horton Field House Host: Illinois State University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Indiana State		101
	South Dakota State		83
						Indiana State		98
						Illinois State		93
	Illinois State		83
	DePauw		81

• Third Place - South Dakota State 86, DePauw 84

Pacific Coast - San Diego, California

Location: Peterson Gym Host: San Diego State College

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 8					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 9
	Nevada Southern		96
	UC Davis		91
						Nevada Southern		79
						UC Irvine		74
	UC Irvine		78
	San Diego State		69

• Third Place - San Diego State 79, UC Davis 72

*denotes each overtime played

National Finals - Evansville, Indiana

Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: University of Evansville

	National Quarterfinals Elite Eight March 13					National semifinals Final Four March 14					National Championship March 15
	American International		78
	Kentucky Wesleyan		90
						Kentucky Wesleyan		45
						Ashland		32
	Cheyney		30
	Ashland		45
											Kentucky Wesleyan		63
											Indiana State		52
	Evansville		77
	Trinity (TX)		93
						Trinity		67
						Indiana State		77
	Indiana State		94
	Nevada Southern		75

• Third Place - Trinity 68, Ashland 52

*denotes each overtime played

All-tournament team

• Fred Hardman (Indiana State)
• Larry Jeffries (Trinity (TX))
• Jerry Newsom (Indiana State)
• Dallas Thornton (Kentucky Wesleyan)
• George Tinsley (Kentucky Wesleyan)

See also

• 1968 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
• 1968 NAIA Basketball Tournament

References

1. Reddy, Ed (February 29, 1968). "Dolphins Get Official Word". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. p. 29. Retrieved April 25, 2024.

Sources

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship
• 1968 NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament jonfmorse.com