1961–62 NCAA University Division men's basketball season explained

The 1961–62 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1961, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1962 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 24, 1962, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cincinnati Bearcats won their second NCAA national championship with a 71–59 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Season headlines

• The Associated Press (AP) Poll changed format, abandoning the Top 20 format it had used since its inception in the 1948–49 season and becoming a Top 10 poll.^[3]
• Cincinnati's national championship was its second in a row as well as second overall, and the national championship game was a rematch from the year before between Cincinnati and Ohio State.
• The 1962 NCAA University Division basketball tournament set a new attendance record for an NCAA tournament, with a combined 177,469 fans attending its 29 games.^[4]
• The Border Conference and Mountain States (or Skyline) Conference both disbanded at the end of the season.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

See main article: 1961–62 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings.

The Top 10 from the AP Poll and the UPI Coaches Poll during the pre-season.^{[5] [6]}

Associated Press Ranking Team 1 Ohio State 2 Cincinnati 3 Wake Forest 4 USC 5 Providence 6 Purdue 7 Duke 8 Kansas State 9 St. John's 10 Seattle

UPI Coaches Ranking Team 1 Ohio State 2 Cincinnati 3 Kansas State 4 Providence 5 Duke 6 Purdue 7 USC 8 Arizona State 9 West Virginia 10 Wake Forest

Regular season

Conference

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season winner[7]	Conference player of the year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament winner
		None selected	No Tournament
		Len Chappell, Wake Forest[8]		Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, North Carolina)	Wake Forest
		None selected	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
			No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
			No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
			No Tournament
			No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
	Kentucky &	None selected	No Tournament
		Rod Thorn, [9]		Richmond Arena (Richmond, Virginia)	West Virginia[10]
	SMU &	Carroll Broussard,	No Tournament
		Harry Dinnel, Pepperdine, &,	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament

Conference standings

University Division independents

A total of 48 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Loyola of Illinois (23–4) had the best winning percentage (.852), while (24–5) and (24–6) finished with the most wins.^[11]

Informal championships

Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

Statistical leaders

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

See main article: 1962 NCAA University Division basketball tournament and 1962 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game.

Final Four

National Invitation tournament

See main article: 1962 National Invitation Tournament.

Semifinals & finals

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

See main article: 1962 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Len Chappell	C/F	Senior	Wake Forest
Terry Dischinger	F	Senior	Purdue
Jerry Lucas	F/C	Senior	Ohio State
Billy McGill	C	Senior	Utah
Chet Walker	F	Senior	Bradley

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Jack Foley	G/F	Senior	Holy Cross
John Havlicek	F	Senior	Ohio State
Art Heyman	F	Junior	Duke
Cotton Nash	F	Sophomore	Kentucky
John Rudometkin	F	Senior	USC
Rod Thorn	G/F	Junior	West Virginia

Major player of the year awards

• Helms Player of the Year: Paul Hogue, Cincinnati
• Associated Press Player of the Year:Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
• UPI Player of the Year: Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA):Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Jerry Lucas, Ohio State

Major coach of the year awards

• Henry Iba Award: Fred Taylor, Ohio State
• NABC Coach of the Year: Fred Taylor, Ohio State
• UPI Coach of the Year: Fred Taylor, Ohio State

Other major awards

• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Hubie White, Villanova
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): LeRoy Ellis, St. John's

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Notes and References

1. Book: ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia . 978-0-345-51392-2 . . 2009 . 846.
2. Web site: 1978 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll. College Poll Archive. August 8, 2020.
3. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/play-index/matchup_finder.cgi?request=1&year_min=1950&year_max=2021&school_id=georgetown&opp_id=saint-josephs&comp_school=le&rank_school=ANY&comp_opp=le&rank_opp=ANY&game_type=A&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&is_overtime=&order_by=date_game sports-reference.com Matchup Finder
4. Smith Barrier, "Unusual West Coast Watch Factory -- They Don't Make Any, Just Win Them", 1972 Official Collegiate Basketball Guide, Published by College Athletics Publishing Service
5. Book: ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia . 978-0-345-51392-2 . . 2009 . 836.
6. Web site: 1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll. College Poll Archive. August 8, 2020.
7. News: 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section. 2009. NCAA. 2009-02-14.
8. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/09mbkguide083112.pdf 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section
9. http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section
10. http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section
11. Web site: 1961-62 Men's Independent Season Summary . . August 12, 2024.