1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

The 1963 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 in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game.

1963 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Cover from the official program
Season1962–63
Teams25
Finals siteFreedom Hall
Louisville, Kentucky
ChampionsLoyola Ramblers (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Runner-upCincinnati Bearcats (3rd title game,
5th Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachGeorge Ireland (1st title)
MOPArt Heyman (Duke)
Attendance153,065
Top scorerMel Counts (Oregon State)
(123 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«19621964»

Loyola University Chicago, coached by George Ireland, won the national title with a 60–58 overtime victory in the final game, over the University of Cincinnati, coached by Ed Jucker. Art Heyman, of Duke University, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. This tournament marked the last time that a city was host to two straight Final Fours.

Locations

Philadelphia
Evanston
Lubbock
Eugene
College Park
East Lansing
Lawrence
Provo
Louisville
First round (green), Regionals (blue), and Final Four (red)
RoundRegionLocationVenue
First RoundEastPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Palestra
MideastEvanston, IllinoisMcGaw Memorial Hall
MidwestLubbock, TexasLubbock Municipal Coliseum
WestEugene, OregonMcArthur Court
RegionalsEastCollege Park, MarylandCole Field House
MideastEast Lansing, MichiganJenison Fieldhouse
MidwestLawrence, KansasAllen Fieldhouse
WestProvo, UtahSmith Fieldhouse
Final FourLouisville, KentuckyFreedom Hall

Teams

RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal OpponentScoreQualification
East
EastConnecticutGeorge WigtonYankeeFirst roundWest VirginiaL 77–71Yankee Conference champion[1]
EastDukeVic BubasAtlantic CoastThird PlaceOregon StateW 85–63ACC tournament champion[1]
EastNYULou RossiniMetro NYRegional Fourth PlaceWest VirginiaL 83–73At-large bid[2]
EastPittsburghBob TimmonsIndependentFirst roundNYUL 93–83At-large bid
EastPrincetonButch van Breda KolffIvy LeagueFirst roundSaint Joseph'sL 82–81Ivy League co-champion[a][3]
EastSaint Joseph'sJack RamsayMiddle AtlanticRegional Runner-upDukeL 73–59MAC champion[4]
EastWest VirginiaGeorge KingSouthernRegional third placeNYUW 83–73SoCon tournament champion[1]
Mideast
MideastBowling GreenHarold AndersonMid-AmericanRegional Fourth PlaceMississippi StateL 65–60MAC champion[4]
MideastIllinoisHarry CombesBig TenRegional Runner-upLoyola–ChicagoL 79–64Big Ten co-champion[b][3]
MideastLoyola–ChicagoGeorge IrelandIndependentChampionCincinnatiW 60–58At-large bid[2]
MideastMississippi StateBabe McCarthySoutheasternRegional third placeBowling GreenW 65–60SEC champion[3]
MideastNotre DameJohn JordanIndependentFirst roundBowling GreenL 77–72At-large bid
MideastTennessee TechJohnny OldhamOhio ValleyFirst roundLoyola–ChicagoL 111–42OVC champion[4]
Midwest
MidwestCincinnatiEd JuckerMissouri ValleyRunner UpLoyola–ChicagoL 60–58MVC champion[5]
MidwestColoradoSox WalsethBig EightRegional Runner-upCincinnatiL 67–60Big Eight co-champion[c][3]
MidwestColorado StateJim WilliamsIndependentFirst roundOklahoma CityL 70–67At-large bid[2]
MidwestOklahoma CityAbe LemonsIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceTexasL 90–83At-large bid[2]
MidwestTexasHarold BradleySouthwestRegional third placeOklahoma CityW 90–83SWC champion[5]
MidwestTexas WesternDon HaskinsIndependentFirst roundTexasL 65–47At-large bid[2]
West
WestArizona StateNed WulkWestern AthleticRegional Runner-upOregon StateL 83–65WAC champion[4]
WestOregon StateSlats GillIndependentFourth PlaceDukeL 85–63At-large bid[2]
WestSan FranciscoPete PelettaWest Coast AthleticRegional third placeUCLAW 76–75WCAC champion[3]
WestSeattleClair MarkeyIndependentFirst roundOregon StateL 70–66At-large bid[2]
WestUCLAJohn WoodenAAWURegional Fourth PlaceSan FranciscoL 76–75Big Six co-champion[d][3][6]
WestUtah StateLaDell AndersenIndependentFirst roundArizona StateL 79–75At-large bid[2]

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

East region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
      
Duke81
NYU76
NYU93
Pittsburgh83
Duke73
Saint Joseph's59
West Virginia77
Connecticut71
West Virginia88Third place
Saint Joseph's97
Saint Joseph's82West Virginia83
Princeton81*NYU73

Mideast region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
      
Illinois70
Bowling Green67
Bowling Green77
Notre Dame72
Illinois64
Loyola–Chicago79
Mississippi State51Third place
Loyola–Chicago61
Loyola–Chicago111Mississippi State65
Tennessee Tech42Bowling Green60

Midwest region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
      
Colorado78
Oklahoma City72
Oklahoma City70
Colorado State67
Colorado60
Cincinnati67
Cincinnati73Third place
Texas68
Texas65Texas90
Texas Western47Oklahoma City83

West region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
      
UCLA79
Arizona State93
Arizona State79
Utah State75*
Arizona State65
Oregon State83
San Francisco61Third place
Oregon State65
Oregon State70San Francisco76
Seattle66UCLA75

Final Four

National SemifinalsNational Championship Game
      
EDuke75
MELoyola–Chicago94
MELoyola–Chicago60(OT)
MWCincinnati58
MWCincinnati80
WOregon State46Third place[7]
EDuke85
WOregon State63

See also

Notes

The Loyola Ramblers show off their championship trophy as they arrive home at O'Hare International Airport.
  • In the Loyola vs. Mississippi State game at East Lansing, Michigan in a Mideast regional semifinal, Mississippi State, an all-white team, played despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi. Mississippi State overcame a state prohibition against playing integrated teams. Loyola beat Mississippi State and went on to the Mideast Region Championship game. The Loyola–Mississippi State has since been dubbed the "Game of Change".
  • In the National Championship game, Loyola started four African-Americans and Cincinnati started three, marking the first time that a majority of African-Americans participated in the championship game.
  • Loyola was the tenth and, as of 2022, most recent team to win the tournament in their first appearance, joining Oregon (1939), Indiana (1940), Wisconsin (1941), Stanford (1942), Utah (1944), Oklahoma State (1945), Holy Cross (1947), La Salle (1954) and San Francisco (1955).
  • Loyola's first-round regional victory over Tennessee Tech, 111–42, continues to be a record margin of victory for an NCAA men's basketball tournament game. That game also remains Tennessee Tech's most recent tournament game, as the Golden Eagles have not been back since. Tennessee Tech's 59-year drought is the second longest active drought after Dartmouth, who has not made the tournament since 1959, and third all-time behind Dartmouth and Harvard, who went 66 years (1946–2012) between tournament appearances.
  • In addition to Loyola, two other teams - Mississippi State and Texas Western - both made their tournament debuts. The Bulldogs had been eligible three times before (in 1959, 1961 and 1962, the last year being tied with Kentucky), but all three times had been prohibited by the state due to its prohibition against playing integrated teams. Texas Western, who were an independent team following the disbandment of the Border Conference the year prior, lost their first tournament game to in-state rival Texas, whom they had beaten 45–40 on December 29 at home. They would also make history three years later when they won the 1966 tournament with an all-black starting five.

References