1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

Men's collegiate basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1969 NCAA 70s logo.svg South Carolina GamecocksESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 846 March 7 21, 1970 Cole Field House College Park, Maryland UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins Marquette Warriors Pete Maravich, LSU Tigers (Naismith) Pete Maravich, LSU Tigers The 1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1969, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 21, 1970, at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The UCLA Bruins won their sixth NCAA national championship with an 80–69 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins. Season headlines UCLA won its fourth NCAA championship in a row, sixth overall, and sixth in seven seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its fourth of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles. The Pacific Coast Athletic Association began play. It was renamed the Big West Conference in 1988. LSU’s Pete Maravich established several NCAA records during his career. Two of the most notable came during this season — single-season scoring average (44.5 in 1969–70, besting his 44.2 average from the prior season) and career scoring (3,667 points). In addition to leading the NCAA in scoring for the third consecutive season, Maravich was named a consensus first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year for the third time. He was the first player to score 3,000 or more points in his career (1968–1970),http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 13 and his career average of 44.2 points per game made him the first player to average more than 40 points a game for his career. In a game against Alabama on February 7, 1970, Maravich scored 69 points, setting a record for points scored by a single player in a game against an NCAA University Division (later NCAA Division I) opponent;"72-Point Performance Erases Maravich's Record," The New York Times, January 7, 1991. Maravich broke the record of 68 points set by Calvin Murphy of Niagara in December 1968, and no one outscored Maravich until Kevin Bradshaw scored 72 points in a game in January 1991.https://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 Season outlook Pre-season polls 1969–70 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 PressRankingTeam1South Carolina2Kentucky3Purdue4UCLA5Davidson6New Mexico State7North Carolina8Marquette9Villanova10Colorado11Duquesne12Santa Clara13Notre Dame14St. John's15Louisville16USC17St. Bonaventure18Ohio State19Drake20Houston UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2South Carolina3Kentucky4Purdue5New Mexico State6Colorado7North Carolina8Davidson9USC10Duquesne11Santa Clara12Kansas13Marquette14St. John's15Villanova16St. Bonaventure17(tie)ArizonaNew Mexico19Louisville20La Salle Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Cal State Los Angeles Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles non-University Division Pacific Coast Athletic Association Colorado State Colorado State Rams NCAA University Division independent Western Athletic Conference Fairleigh Dickinson Fairleigh Dickinson Knights Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Fresno State Fresno Bulldogs non-University Division Pacific Coast Athletic Association Hofstra Hofstra Flying Dutchmen Metropolitan Collegiate Conference Middle Atlantic Conference Iona Iona Gaels Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Long Beach State Long Beach State 49ers non-University Division Pacific Coast Athletic Association Long Island Long Island Blackbirds Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Manhattan Manhattan Jaspers Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Marshall Marshall Thundering Herd Mid-American Conference NCAA University Division independent Nevada Nevada Wolfpack non-University Division West Coast Athletic Conference Nevada Las Vegas UNLV Runnin' Rebels non-University Division West Coast Athletic Conference Saint Peter's Saint Peter's Peacocks Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent San Diego State San Diego State Aztecs non-University Division Pacific Coast Athletic Association San Jose State San Jose State Spartans West Coast Athletic Conference Pacific Coast Athletic Association Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Gauchos West Coast Athletic Conference Pacific Coast Athletic Association Seton Hall Seton Hall Pirates Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Texas El Paso UTEP Miners NCAA University Division independent Western Athletic Conference Wagner Wagner Seahawks Metropolitan Collegiate Conference non-NCAA University Division 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 South 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 1970 ACC men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) NC StateBig Eight Conference Kansas State Dave Robisch, Kansas2008–09 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 Iowa None selected No TournamentIvy League Penn None selected No TournamentMid-American Conference Ohio Jim Penix, Bowling Green2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference St. Joseph's (East); Lafayette, Lehigh, & Rider (West) No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Drake Jim Ard, Cincinnati No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Western Kentucky Jim McDaniels, Western Kentucky No TournamentPacific 8 Conference UCLA None selected No TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association Long Beach State George Trapp, Long Beach State 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 1970 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 Lamar Kenny Haynes, Lamar2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Rice Gene Phillips, SMU No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Santa Clara Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference UTEP None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Connecticut & Massachusetts None selected No Tournament Conference standings University Division independents A total of 61 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Jacksonville (27–2) had the best winning percentage (.931), and Jacksonville and New Mexico State (27–3) finished with the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1970.html Sports Reference 1969-70 Men's Independent Season Summary August 15, 2024 Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Penn Ken Durrett, La Salle Penn finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament Final Four National semifinals National finals Third place E St. Bonaventure 83 ME Jacksonville 91 MW New Mexico State 77 W UCLA 93 ME Jacksonville 69 W UCLA 80 E St. Bonaventure 73 MW New Mexico State 79 National Invitation tournament 1970 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals & finals no Semifinals Finals Third place   Army 59   St. John's 60   Marquette 101   LSU 79   St. John's 53   Marquette 65   Army 75   LSU 68 Awards Consensus All-American teams 1970 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Dan Issel F/C Senior Kentucky Bob Lanier C Senior St. Bonaventure Pete Maravich G/F Senior Louisiana State Rick Mount G/F Senior Purdue Calvin Murphy G Senior Niagara + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Austin Carr G Junior Notre Dame Jim Collins G Senior New Mexico State John Roche G Junior South Carolina Charlie Scott F Senior North Carolina Sidney Wicks F Junior UCLA Major player of the year awards Naismith Award: Pete Maravich, LSU Helms Player of the Year: Pete Maravich, LSU Associated Press Player of the Year: Pete Maravich, LSU UPI Player of the Year: Pete Maravich, LSU Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Pete Maravich, LSU Sporting News Player of the Year: Pete Maravich, LSU 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: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky Other major awards Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): John Rinka, Kenyon Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ken Durrett, La Salle 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. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonArkansasDuddy WallerLanny Van Eman ButlerTony HinkleGeorge Theofanis ClemsonBobby RobertsTates LockeDenverStan AlbeckJim Karabetsos FairfieldJim LynamFred Barakat FordhamEd ConlinDigger Phelps FurmanFrank SelvyJoe Williams George WashingtonWayne DobbsCarl Stone Hardin–SimmonsPaul LambertGlen Whitis Lambert left to coach Southern Illinois.IowaRalph MillerDick Schultz JacksonvilleJoe WilliamsTom Wasdin Williams left to coach Furman.Kansas StateCotton FitzsimmonsJack Hartman Fitzsimmons left to coach the Phoenix Suns.La SalleTom GolaPaul Westhead Memphis StateMoe IbaGene BartowMiami (Ohio)Tates LockeDarrell Hedric Locke left to coach Clemson.MinnesotaBill FitchGeorge Harrison Mississippi StateJoe Dan GoldKermit Davis Sr. MontanaBob CopeLou Rocheleau North Texas StateDan SpikaHarry Miller Oklahoma StateHenry IbaSam Aubrey Oregon StatePaul ValentiRalph Miller PortlandErnie SmithJoe EtzelJack Avina Saint Mary'sMike CiminoDruce Hale San FranciscoPhil VukicevichBob Baillard Santa ClaraDick GaribaldiCarroll Williams Seton HallRichie ReganBill Raftery St. John'sLou CarneseccaFrank Mulzoff Southern IllinoisJack HartmanPaul Lambert Hartman left to coach Kansas State.UNLVRolland ToddJohn Bayer Western MichiganSonny MeansEldon Miller References 2