1972 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament

Last updated
1972 NCAA University Division
Basketball Tournament
NCAA 70s logo.svg
NCAA logo from 1971 to 1979
Teams25
Finals site Memorial Sports Arena
Los Angeles, California
Champions UCLA Bruins (8th title, 8th title game,
9th Final Four)
Runner-up Florida State Seminoles (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coach John Wooden (8th title)
MOP Bill Walton (UCLA)
Attendance147,304
Top scorer Jim Price Louisville
(103 points)
NCAA Division I Men's Tournaments
« 1971 1973 »

The 1972 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of NCAA University Division (now Division I) college basketball. It began on Saturday, March 11, and ended with the championship game in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 25. A total of 29 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.

Contents

Led by longtime head coach John Wooden, the undefeated UCLA Bruins won the national title with an 8176 victory in the final game over Florida State, coached by Hugh Durham. Sophomore center Bill Walton of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player; [1] [2] [3] the first of two consecutive.

In a historically significant note, the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns made the tournament in their first season of eligibility for postseason play; the next to achieve this feat was North Dakota State in 2009. [4] SW Louisiana also made the tournament in 1973, but due to major infractions that resulted in the basketball program receiving the NCAA death penalty (and very nearly expelled from the NCAA altogether), both appearances have since been vacated and the records expunged.

This was the last year in which the championship game was played on Saturday; it moved to Monday night in 1973.

Schedule and venues

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1972 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)

For the second time, the city of Los Angeles and the LA Memorial Sports Arena hosted the Final Four. To date, this is the last Final Four to be held in the city, although the city and region continue to host games to this day. The tournament saw five new venues and three new host cities used for the first time. For the first time, the tournament came to the campus of Iowa State University and the Hilton Coliseum, then in its first year of operation. The first games held in the state of Tennessee were held this year at the Stokely Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. For the third time, games were held in the state of Virginia, this time at William & Mary Hall on the campus of the College of William & Mary.

Games were held at the brand-new Marriott Center, then the largest basketball arena in the country, on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, replacing the Smith Fieldhouse. And at Idaho State University in Pocatello, games were held in the two-year-old Minidome, having previously been played at Reed Gym in 1957. To date, this is the last time games were held at either the Hilton Coliseum or at Jadwin Gymnasium on the campus of Princeton University, the only Ivy League gymnasium other than the Palestra used in the tournament.

Teams

RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal OpponentScore
East
East East Carolina Tom Quinn SouthernFirst round Villanova L 85–70
East North Carolina Dean Smith Atlantic CoastThird Place Louisville W 105–91
East Penn Chuck Daly Ivy LeagueRegional Runner-up North Carolina L 73–59
East Providence Dave Gavitt IndependentFirst round Penn L 76–60
East South Carolina Frank McGuire IndependentRegional third place Villanova W 90–78
East Temple Harry Litwack Middle AtlanticFirst round South Carolina L 53–51
East Villanova Jack Kraft IndependentRegional Fourth Place South Carolina L 90–78
Mideast
Mideast Eastern Kentucky Guy Strong Ohio ValleyFirst round Florida State L 83–81
Mideast Florida State Hugh Durham IndependentRunner Up UCLA L 81–76
Mideast Kentucky Adolph Rupp SoutheasternRegional Runner-up Florida State L 73–54
Mideast Marquette Al McGuire IndependentRegional Fourth Place Minnesota L 77–72
Mideast Minnesota Bill Musselman Big TenRegional third place Marquette W 77–72
Mideast Ohio James Snyder Mid-AmericanFirst round Marquette L 73–49
Midwest
Midwest Houston Guy Lewis IndependentFirst round Texas L 85–74
Midwest Kansas State Jack Hartman Big EightRegional Runner-up Louisville L 72–65
Midwest Southwestern Louisiana (Vacated) Beryl Shipley SouthlandRegional third place Texas W 100–70
Midwest Louisville Denny Crum Missouri ValleyFourth Place North Carolina L 105–91
Midwest Marshall Carl Tacy IndependentFirst round Southwestern Louisiana L 112–101
Midwest Texas Leon Black SouthwestRegional Fourth Place Southwestern Louisiana L 100–70
West
West BYU Stan Watts Western AthleticFirst round Long Beach State L 95–90
West Hawaii Red Rocha IndependentFirst round Weber State L 91–64
West Long Beach State Jerry Tarkanian Pacific CoastRegional Runner-up UCLA L 73–57
West San Francisco Bob Gaillard West CoastRegional third place Weber State W 74–64
West UCLA John Wooden Pacific-8Champion Florida State W 81–76
West Weber State Gene VisscherBig SkyRegional Fourth Place San Francisco L 74–64

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

East region

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
 North Carolina92
 South Carolina 69
 South Carolina53
 Temple 51
 North Carolina73
 Penn 59
 Penn76
 Providence 60
 Penn78
 Villanova 67
 Villanova85
 East Carolina 70
East Regional third place
   
South Carolina90
Villanova 78

Mideast region

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
 Minnesota 56
 Florida State70
 Florida State83
 Eastern Kentucky 81
 Florida State73
 Kentucky 54
 Kentucky85
 Marquette 69
 Marquette73
 Ohio 49
Mideast Regional third place
   
Minnesota77
Marquette 72

Midwest region

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
 Louisville88
 Southwest Louisiana 84
 Southwest Louisiana112
 Marshall 101
 Louisville72
 Kansas State 65
 Kansas State66
 Texas 55
 Texas85
 Houston 74
Midwest Regional third place
   
Southwestern Louisiana100
Texas 70

West region

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
 UCLA90
 Weber State 58
 Weber State91
 Hawaii 64
 UCLA73
 Long Beach State 57
 San Francisco 55
 Long Beach State75
 Long Beach State95
 BYU 90*
West Regional third place
   
Weber State 64
San Francisco74

Final Four

National Semifinals
Thursday, March 23
National Championship Game
Saturday, March 25
      
E North Carolina 75
ME Florida State79
ME Florida State 76
W UCLA81
MW Louisville 77
W UCLA96National Third Place Game
Saturday, March 25
E North Carolina105
MW Louisville 91

See also

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References

  1. Kirkpatrick, Curry (April 3, 1972). "Oh, Johnny, Oh, Johnny Oh!". Sports Illustrated. p. 30.
  2. "Super soph Bill Walton sparkles; Bruins earn another NCAA title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 26, 1972. p. 1, sports.
  3. "It was the same old story-- Bruins win NCAA crown". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 26, 1972. p. 1D.
  4. "Woodside hits jumper with 3 seconds left to push N. Dakota St. to Summit title". ESPN. Associated Press. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-03-11.