1959 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
Season | 1958–59 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 23 | ||||
Finals site | Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky | ||||
Champions | California Golden Bears (1st title, 1st title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
Runner-up | West Virginia Mountaineers (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
Third place | Cincinnati Bearcats (1st Final Four) | ||||
Fourth place | Louisville Cardinals (1st Final Four) | ||||
Winning coach | Pete Newell (1st title) | ||||
MOP | Jerry West (West Virginia) | ||||
Attendance | 161,809 | ||||
Top scorer | Jerry West (West Virginia) (160 points) | ||||
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The 1959 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 23 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 7, 1959, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 27 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.
California, coached by Pete Newell, won the national title with a 71–70 victory in the final game over West Virginia, coached by Fred Schaus. Jerry West of West Virginia was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Locations
Round | Region | Site | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
First Round | East | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden |
Mideast | Lexington, Kentucky | Memorial Coliseum | |
Midwest | Portland, Oregon | Pacific International Livestock Exposition | |
West | Las Cruces, New Mexico | Las Cruces High School Gym | |
Regionals | East | Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte Coliseum |
Mideast | Evanston, Illinois | McGaw Memorial Hall | |
Midwest | Lawrence, Kansas | Allen Fieldhouse | |
West | San Francisco, California | Cow Palace | |
Final Four | Louisville, Kentucky | Freedom Hall |
Teams
Region | Team | Coach | Conference | Finished | Final Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East | ||||||
East | Boston University | Matt Zunic | Independent | Regional Runner-up | West Virginia | L 86–82 |
East | Connecticut | Hugh Greer | Yankee | First round | Boston University | L 60–58 |
East | Dartmouth | Doggie Julian | Ivy League | First round | West Virginia | L 82–68 |
East | Navy | Ben Carnevale | Independent | Regional third place | Saint Joseph's | W 70–56 |
East | North Carolina | Frank McGuire | Atlantic Coast | First round | Navy | L 76–63 |
East | Saint Joseph's | Jack Ramsay | Middle Atlantic | Regional Fourth Place | Navy | L 70–56 |
East | West Virginia | Fred Schaus | Southern | Runner Up | California | L 71–70 |
Mideast | ||||||
Mideast | Bowling Green | Harold Anderson | Mid-American | First round | Marquette | L 89–71 |
Mideast | Eastern Kentucky | Paul McBrayer | Ohio Valley | First round | Louisville | L 77–63 |
Mideast | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | Southeastern | Regional third place | Marquette | W 98–69 |
Mideast | Louisville | Peck Hickman | Independent | Fourth Place | Cincinnati | L 98–85 |
Mideast | Marquette | Eddie Hickey | Independent | Regional Fourth Place | Kentucky | L 98–69 |
Mideast | Michigan State | Forddy Anderson | Big Ten | Regional Runner-up | Louisville | L 88–81 |
Midwest | ||||||
Midwest | Cincinnati | George Smith | Missouri Valley | Third Place | Louisville | W 98–85 |
Midwest | DePaul | Ray Meyer | Independent | Regional Fourth Place | TCU | L 71–65 |
Midwest | Kansas State | Tex Winter | Big 8 | Regional Runner-up | Cincinnati | L 85–75 |
Midwest | Portland | Al Negratti | Independent | First round | DePaul | L 57–56 |
Midwest | TCU | Buster Brannon | Southwest | Regional third place | DePaul | W 71–65 |
West | ||||||
West | California | Pete Newell | Pacific Coast | Champion | West Virginia | W 71–70 |
West | Idaho State | John Grayson | Independent | Regional third place | Utah | W 71–65 |
West | New Mexico State | Presley Askew | Border | First round | Idaho State | L 62–61 |
West | Saint Mary's | James Weaver | West Coast Athletic | Regional Runner-up | California | L 66–46 |
West | Utah | Jack Gardner | Mountain States | Regional Fourth Place | Idaho State | L 71–65 |
Bracket
East region
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
Saint Joseph's | 92 | |||||||||||||
West Virginia | 95 | |||||||||||||
West Virginia | 82 | |||||||||||||
Dartmouth | 68 | |||||||||||||
West Virginia | 86 | |||||||||||||
Boston University | 82 | |||||||||||||
Boston University | 60 | |||||||||||||
Connecticut | 58 | |||||||||||||
Boston University | 62 | |||||||||||||
Navy | 55 | |||||||||||||
Navy | 76 | |||||||||||||
North Carolina | 63 |
Mideast region
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
Kentucky | 61 | |||||||||||||
Louisville | 76 | |||||||||||||
Louisville | 77 | |||||||||||||
Eastern Kentucky | 63 | |||||||||||||
Louisville | 88 | |||||||||||||
Michigan State | 81 | |||||||||||||
Michigan State | 74 | |||||||||||||
Marquette | 69 | |||||||||||||
Marquette | 89 | |||||||||||||
Bowling Green | 71 |
Midwest region
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
Kansas State | 102 | |||||||||||||
DePaul | 70 | |||||||||||||
DePaul | 57 | |||||||||||||
Portland | 56 | |||||||||||||
Kansas State | 75 | |||||||||||||
Cincinnati | 85 | |||||||||||||
Cincinnati | 77 | |||||||||||||
TCU | 73 |
West region
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
Saint Mary's | 80 | |||||||||||||
Idaho State | 71 | |||||||||||||
Idaho State | 62 | |||||||||||||
New Mexico State | 61 | |||||||||||||
Saint Mary's | 46 | |||||||||||||
California | 66 | |||||||||||||
California | 71 | |||||||||||||
Utah | 53 |
Final Four
National Semifinals | National Finals | ||||||||
E | West Virginia | 94 | |||||||
ME | Louisville | 79 | |||||||
E | West Virginia | 70 | |||||||
W | California | 71 | |||||||
MW | Cincinnati | 58 | |||||||
W | California | 64 |
National Third Place Game
National Third Place Game[1] | ||||
MW | Cincinnati | 98 | ||
ME | Louisville | 85 |
Regional third place games
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See also
- 1959 NCAA College Division basketball tournament
- 1959 National Invitation Tournament
- 1959 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
Notes
- Mississippi State qualified for the tournament but university president Benjamin F. Hilbun supported the social degradation of African-American citizens and would not permit the team to participate in the tournament where they would face African-American players.[2]
- Five teams - Boston University, Bowling Green, Portland, Saint Joseph's, and Saint Mary's - made their tournament debut.
- This would be the most recent tournament appearance, as of 2024, for Dartmouth College. Their 65-year drought is the longest active drought in the NCAA among active Division I schools, and the second longest overall after Harvard's 66-year drought from 1946 to 2012.
References
- ^ "1954 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^ "Mississippi State Can't Go To Tourney". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, Florida. March 1, 1959. p. 13.