1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

Men's collegiate basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1968 UCLA BruinsESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 846 March 8 22, 1969 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins Temple Owls Lew Alcindor, UCLA Bruins (Naismith) Lew Alcindor, UCLA Bruins The 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1968, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1969 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 22, 1969, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The UCLA Bruins won their fifth NCAA national championship with a 92–72 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers. Season headlines The Associated Press (AP) Poll returned to a Top 20 format, expanding from the Top 10 format it used from the 1961–62 season through the 1967–68 season. It previously had used a Top 20 format from its inception in the 1948–49 season through the 1960–61 season.sports-reference.com Matchup Finder On December 7, 1968, Calvin Murphy of Niagara scored 68 points in a game against Syracuse, setting the record for points scored by a single player against an NCAA University Division (later NCAA Division I) opponent. His record stood until February 1970, when Pete Maravich of LSU scored 69 points in a game against Alabama.https://www.allsportswny.com/wny-legends/calvin-murphy-niagara-all-american/ Calvin Murphy Niagara All American allsportswny All Sports WNY August 30, 2024https://www.espn.com/classic/s/add_Maravich_Pete.html#:~:text=Feb.,against%20a%20Division%20I%20opponent Maravich scored at will Carter Bob November 19, 2003 espn.com ESPN Classic August 30, 2024 The NCAA tournament expanded from 23 to 25 teams. UCLA won its third NCAA championship in a row, fifth overall, and fifth in six seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its third of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles. The Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), informally known as the "Pacific 8," formally renamed itself the Pacific 8 Conference. It became the Pacific 10 Conference in 1978 and the Pac-12 Conference in 2011. The Southland Conference, founded in 1963, began NCAA University Division-level play. The NCAA tournament's Final Four games were played on Thursday and Saturday for the first time.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 11 Lew Alcindor of UCLA became the first three-time NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player. He previously had been the tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1967 and 1968. The Metropolitan Collegiate Conference was dissolved at the end of the season. Pre-season polls 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 836 Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2North Carolina3Kentucky4Notre Dame5Kansas6Davidson7St. Bonaventure8Houston9New Mexico10Purdue11Villanova12Ohio State13Vanderbilt14Cincinnati15Marquette16Western Kentucky17Duke18Detroit19Florida20Tennessee UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2North Carolina3Kentucky4Notre Dame5Kansas6Houston7Davidson8New Mexico9Villanova10Cincinnati11Purdue12St. Bonaventure13New Mexico State14Ohio State15(tie)DukeWestern Kentucky17Santa Clara18USC19Florida20California Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Pan American Pan American Broncs non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Saint Francis St. Francis Terriers Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent West Virginia West Virginia Mountaineers Southern Conference NCAA University Division independent Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments ConferenceRegular season winnerhttp://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2009/Standings.pdf 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section 2009 NCAA 2009-02-14Conference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina John Roche,South Carolina2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192652/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/09mbkguide083112.pdf 2016-03-03 , retrieved 2009-02-14 1969 ACC men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) North CarolinaBig Eight Conference Colorado Cliff Meely, Colorado2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 No TournamentBig Sky Conference Weber State None selected No TournamentBig Ten Conference Purdue None selected No TournamentIvy League Princeton None selected No TournamentMetropolitan Collegiate Conference Manhattan & St. Peter's No TournamentMid-American Conference Ohio Steve Mix, Toledo2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference Temple No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Drake & Louisville Bingo Smith, Tulsa No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Morehead State & Murray State Claude Virden, Murray State No TournamentPacific 8 Conference UCLA None selected No TournamentSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Pete Maravich, LSU2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Mike Maloy, Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110723151437/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 July 23, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1969 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110930163611/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 September 30, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southland Conference Trinity Larry Jeffries, Trinity2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Texas A&M Ronnie Peret, Texas A&M & Greg Williams, Rice No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Santa Clara Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference BYU, New Mexico, & Wyoming None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts None selected No Tournament Conference standings University Division independents A total of 56 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, 1968 men Boston College Eagles Boston College (24–4) had the best winning percentage (.857). Boston College, Marquette (24–5), and 1968 men New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State (24–5) finished with the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1969.html Sports Reference 1968-69 Men's Independent Season Summary August 15, 2024 Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 La Salle Ken Durrett, La Salle, & Howard Porter, Villanova La Salle finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1969 NCAA University Division basketball tournament Final Four National semifinals National finals Third place E North Carolina 65 ME Purdue 92 MW Drake 82 W UCLA 85 ME Purdue 72 W UCLA 92 E North Carolina 84 MW Drake 104 National Invitation tournament 1969 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals & finals no Semifinals Finals Third place   Temple 63   Tennessee 58   Army 61   Boston College 73   Temple 89   Boston College 76   Tennessee 64   Army 52 Awards Consensus All-American teams 1969 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Lew Alcindor C Senior UCLA Spencer Haywood F Sophomore Detroit Pete Maravich G/F Junior Louisiana State Rick Mount G/F Junior Purdue Calvin Murphy G Junior Niagara + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Dan Issel F/C Junior Kentucky Mike Maloy F Junior Davidson Bud Ogden F Senior Santa Clara Charlie Scott F Senior North Carolina Jo Jo White G Senior Kansas Major player of the year awards Naismith Award: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Helms Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA UPI Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Pete Maravich, LSU Sporting News Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Major coach of the year awards Associated Press Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA Henry Iba Award (USBWA): John Wooden, UCLA NABC Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA UPI Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA Sporting News Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA Other major awards Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Billy Keller, Purdue Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ken Durrett, La Salle, & Howard Porter, Villanova NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Jim McMillian, Columbia Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAbilene ChristianDee NutGarnie HatchAmericanAlan KyberTom YoungArkansas StateMarvin SpeightJohn RoseBoston CollegeBob CousyChuck DalyBrownL. Stanley WardGerry AlaimoConnecticutBurr CarlsonDee RoweCreightonRed McManusEddie SuttonDartmouthDave GavittGeorge BlaneyDavidsonLefty DriesellTerry HollandDriesell left to coach Maryland.DetroitBob CalihanJim HardingDukeVic BubasBucky WatersFairleigh DickinsonJack DevineAl LoBalboMarshallEllis T. JohnsonStewart WayJohnson resigned at the end of the season. He was replaced by his assistant coach, Stewart Way.MarylandFrank FellowsLefty DriesellSuccessful Davidson coach Driesell was hired and proclaimed his intention to turn Maryland into the “UCLA of the East.” Michigan StateJohn BeningtonGus GanakasMiddle TennesseeKen TrickeyJimmy EarleMontana StateRoger CraftGary HulstMorehead StateBob WrightBill HarrellNew HampshireBill HaubrichGerry FrielNorthwesternLarry GlassBrad SnyderPortlandBill TurnerErnie SmithProvidenceJoe MullaneyDave GavittSaint Francis (PA)John ClarkJohn HillerSaint LouisBuddy BrehmerBob PolkSt. FrancisDaniel LynchLester YellinTennessee TechKen SidwellConnie InmanTexas TechGene GibsonBob BassVMIGary McPhersonMike SchulerWest VirginiaBucky WatersSonny Moran References 2