1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

The 1970 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. It began on March 7, 1970, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in College Park, Maryland. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game. This tournament was notable for the number of small schools that reached the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and championship Game. Another notable aspect of the tournament was that Marquette became the first team to turn down an announced NCAA Tournament bid for the National Invitation Tournament. Coach Al McGuire took issue with being seeded in the Midwest regional instead of the geographically closer Mideast. They were replaced in the field by Dayton.[1] As a result of this action, the NCAA now forbids its members from playing in other postseason tournaments if offered an NCAA bid.

1970 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Teams25
Finals siteCole Field House
College Park, Maryland
ChampionsUCLA Bruins (6th title, 6th title game,
7th Final Four)
Runner-upJacksonville Dolphins (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachJohn Wooden (6th title)
MOPSidney Wicks (UCLA)
Attendance146,794
Top scorerAustin Carr (Notre Dame)
(158 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«19691971»

There were three first-time participants in the Final Four: New Mexico State, St. Bonaventure, and Jacksonville, a feat not repeated until the 2023 tournament. UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won the national title with an 80–69 victory in the final game over Jacksonville, coached by Joe Williams. Sidney Wicks of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Schedule and venues

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1970 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)

Teams

RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal opponentScore
East
EastDavidsonTerry HollandSouthernFirst roundSt. BonaventureL 85–72
EastNiagaraFrank LaydenIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceNC StateL 108–88
EastNC StateNorm SloanAtlantic CoastRegional third placeNiagaraW 108–88
EastPennDick HarterIvy LeagueFirst roundNiagaraL 79–69
EastSt. BonaventureLarry WeiseIndependentFourth PlaceNew Mexico StateL 79–73
EastTempleHarry LitwackMiddle AtlanticFirst roundVillanovaL 77–69
EastVillanovaJack KraftIndependentRegional Runner-upSt. BonaventureL 97–74
Mideast
MideastIowaRalph MillerBig TenRegional third placeNotre DameW 121–106
MideastJacksonvilleJoe WilliamsIndependentRunner UpUCLAL 80–69
MideastKentuckyAdolph RuppSoutheasternRegional Runner-upJacksonvilleL 106–100
MideastNotre DameJohn DeeIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceIowaL 121–106
MideastOhioJames SnyderMid-AmericanFirst roundNotre DameL 112–82
MideastWestern KentuckyJohnny OldhamOhio ValleyFirst roundJacksonvilleL 109–96
Midwest
MidwestDaytonDon DonoherIndependentFirst roundHoustonL 71–64
MidwestDrakeMaury JohnMissouri ValleyRegional Runner-upNew Mexico StateL 87–78
MidwestHoustonGuy LewisIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceKansas StateL 107–98
MidwestKansas StateCotton FitzsimmonsBig EightRegional third placeHoustonW 107–98
MidwestNew Mexico StateLou HensonIndependentThird PlaceSt. BonaventureW 79–73
MidwestRiceDon KnodelSouthwestFirst roundNew Mexico StateL 101–77
West
WestLong Beach StateJerry TarkanianPacific CoastRegional Fourth PlaceSanta ClaraL 89–86
WestSanta ClaraDick GaribaldiWest CoastRegional third placeLong Beach StateW 89–86
WestUTEPDon HaskinsWestern AthleticFirst roundUtah StateL 91–81
WestUCLAJohn WoodenPacific-8ChampionJacksonvilleW 80–69
WestUtah StateLaDell AndersenIndependentRegional Runner-upUCLAL 101–79
WestWeber StatePhil JohnsonBig SkyFirst roundLong Beach StateL 92–73

Bracket

East region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
         
 NC State68
 St. Bonaventure80
 St. Bonaventure85
 Davidson72
 St. Bonaventure97
 Villanova74
 Villanova77
 Temple69
 Villanova98
 Niagara73
 Niagara79
 Penn69
East Regional third place
   
NC State108
Niagara88

Mideast region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
         
 Iowa103
 Jacksonville104
 Jacksonville109
 Western Kentucky96
 Jacksonville106
 Kentucky100
 Kentucky109
 Notre Dame99
 Notre Dame112
 Ohio82
Mideast Regional third place
   
Iowa121
Notre Dame106

Midwest region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
         
 Kansas State66
 New Mexico State70
 New Mexico State101
 Rice77
 New Mexico State87
 Drake78
 Drake92
 Houston87
 Houston71
 Dayton64
Midwest Regional third place
   
Kansas State107
Houston98

West region

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinals
         
 UCLA88
 Long Beach State65
 Long Beach State92
 Weber State73
 UCLA101
 Utah State79
 Santa Clara68
 Utah State69
 Utah State91
 UTEP81
West Regional third place
   
Long Beach State86
Santa Clara89

Final Four

National semifinalsNational Championship Game
      
ESt. Bonaventure83
MEJacksonville91
MEJacksonville69
WUCLA80
MWNew Mexico State77
WUCLA93National third-place game
ESt. Bonaventure73
MWNew Mexico State79

See also

Tournament notes

  • In Iowa's 121–106 win over Notre Dame, the two teams set a tournament record for most combined points (227).
  • Every game in the Mideast Regional saw at least one of the two teams score 100 points or more.
  • For the second straight year, a first-time tournament participant, in this case Jacksonville, made the national championship game. Niagara and Long Beach State also made their tournament debuts this year, both of whom placed as their respective regional fourth place teams.
  • This was the first of eighteen tournament appearances for Long Beach coach Jerry Tarkanian, who would go on to coach the 49ers to four straight tournament appearances, as well as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to a national championship (1990) and four Final Fours, and Fresno State to two tournament appearances.
  • The 1970 tournament is, to date, the most recent tournament appearance for Rice University. They currently hold the fifth longest active drought after Dartmouth (1959), Tennessee Tech (1963), Bowling Green and Columbia (1968) and Seattle (1969).
  • Three of the Final Four teams had dominant centers that would go on to successful NBA careers; Jacksonville with Artis Gilmore, St. Bonaventure with Bob Lanier, and New Mexico State with Sam Lacey. However, UCLA would win the tournament despite losing their dominant center from the previous season (Lew Alcindor).

Announcers

Curt Gowdy, Charlie Jones, and Jim Simpson - First Round at Dayton, Ohio (Jacksonville-Western Kentucky, Notre Dame-Ohio State);

References