The 1965–66 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1965, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1966 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 19, 1966, at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The Texas Western Miners won their first NCAA national championship with a 72–65 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats.
| 1965–66 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| Preseason AP No. 1 | UCLA[1][2] |
| NCAA Tournament | 1966 |
| Tournament dates | March 7–19, 1966 – |
| National Championship | Cole Field House College Park, Maryland |
| NCAA Champions | Texas Western |
| Helms National Champions | Texas Western |
| Other champions | BYU (NIT) |
| Player of the Year (Helms) | Cazzie Russell, Michigan |
Season headlines
- After introducing a preseason Top 20 the previous season, the Associated Press (AP) Poll contracted its preseason poll to a Top 10, aligning with the Top 10 format for in-season polls it had used since the 1961–62 season.[3]
- The NCAA tournament contracted from 23 to 22 teams.
- Texas Western became the first team to begin an NCAA tournament final game with an all-African American starting lineup, and the first team with an all-African American starting line-up to win the NCAA championship.
- The Metropolitan Collegiate Conference, consisting of schools in the New York City-New Jersey area, began play.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 10 from the AP Poll and Top 20 from the Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[4][5]
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Conference membership changes
NOTES:
- East Carolina did not begin University Division play until the 1966–1967 season.
- Fairleigh Dickinson did not begin University Division play until the 1967–1968 season.
- Hofstra did not begin University Division play until the 1966–1967 season.
- Long Island did not begin University Division play until the 1968–1969 season.
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Informal championships
| 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
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
| National Semi-finals | National finals | ||||||||
| E | Duke | 79 | |||||||
| ME | Kentucky | 83 | |||||||
| ME | Kentucky | 65 | |||||||
| MW | Texas Western | 72 | |||||||
| MW | Texas Western | 85 | |||||||
| W | Utah | 78 | |||||||
- Third place – Duke 79, Utah 77
National Invitation tournament
Semi-finals and Finals
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| BYU | 66 | ||||||||
| Army | 60 | ||||||||
| BYU | 97 | ||||||||
| NYU | 84 | ||||||||
| NYU | 69 | ||||||||
| Villanova | 63 | ||||||||
- Third place – Villanova 76, Army 65
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Bing | G | Senior | Syracuse |
| Clyde Lee | F | Senior | Vanderbilt |
| Cazzie Russell | F | Senior | Michigan |
| Dave Schellhase | G/F | Senior | Purdue |
| Jimmy Walker | G | Junior | Providence |
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louie Dampier | G | Junior | Kentucky |
| Matt Guokas | G | Junior | St. Joseph's |
| Jack Marin | F | Senior | Duke |
| Dick Snyder | F | Senior | Davidson |
| Bob Verga | G | Senior | Duke |
| Walt Wesley | C | Senior | Kansas |
Major player of the year awards
- Helms Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan
- Associated Press Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan
- UPI Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan
- Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Cazzie Russell, Michigan
- Sporting News Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan
Major coach of the year awards
- Henry Iba Award: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky
- NABC Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky
- UPI Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky
Other major awards
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Bill Melchionni, Villanova
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Albie Grant, LIU Brooklyn
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | Tommy O'Keefe | Jack Magee | Able to sustain himself financially only by working outside of basketball to supplement the low salary of Georgetown's head coaching position, and lacking the time to recruit players properly while coaching only part-time, O'Keefe resigned after the season to devote himself full-time to his business concerns. His resignation prompted Georgetown to commit to hiring a full-time coach beginning with the following season.[11][12] | |
| Hardin–Simmons | Lou Henson | Paul Lambert | ||
| Loyola (LA) | Bill Gardiner | Ron Greene | ||
| New Mexico State | Lou Henson | Jim McGregor |
References
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