1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

The 1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1970, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 27, 1971, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The UCLA Bruins won their seventh NCAA national championship with a 68–62 victory over the Villanova Wildcats.

Season headlines

  • The NCAA introduced a new rule prohibiting any team which turned down an invitation to the NCAA tournament from playing in any other postseason tournament. The effect of the rule is to prevent NCAA Tournament invitees from accepting a National Invitation Tournament instead, diminishing the quality of the pool of teams eligible to play in the NIT.[3]
  • UCLA won its fifth NCAA championship in a row, seventh overall, and seventh in eight seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its fifth of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[4][5]

Associated Press
Ranking Team
1 UCLA
2 South Carolina
3 Kentucky
4 Jacksonville
5 Notre Dame
6 Marquette
7 USC
8 Villanova
9 Western Kentucky
10 Drake
11 Penn
12 Utah State
13 Duke
14 Kansas
15 New Mexico State
16 Indiana
17 Houston
18 Long Beach State
19 NC State
20 St. Bonaventure
UPI Coaches
Ranking Team
1 UCLA
2 South Carolina
3 Jacksonville
4 Kentucky
5 Marquette
6 Notre Dame
7 Penn
8 Western Kentucky
9 Utah State
10 USC
11 Kansas
12 Indiana
13 Villanova
14 Florida State
15 Long Beach State
16 (tie) Drake
Utah
18 Kansas State
19 Duke
20 Illinois

Conference membership changes

School Former conference New conference
Cincinnati Bearcats Missouri Valley Conference University Division independent
George Washington Colonials Southern Conference University Division independent
New Mexico State Aggies University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference
West Texas State Buffaloes University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference

Regular season

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference Regular
season winner[6]
Conference
player of the year
Conference
tournament
Tournament
venue (City)
Tournament
winner
Atlantic Coast ConferenceNorth CarolinaCharlie Davis,
Wake Forest[7]
1971 ACC men's basketball tournamentGreensboro Coliseum
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
South Carolina
Big Eight ConferenceKansasCliff Meely, Colorado, & Dave Robisch, Kansas[8]No Tournament
Big Sky ConferenceWeber StateNone selectedNo Tournament
Big Ten ConferenceOhio StateNone selectedNo Tournament
Ivy LeaguePennNone selectedNo Tournament
Mid-American ConferenceOhioKen Kowall, Ohio[9]No Tournament
Middle Atlantic ConferenceSaint Joseph's (East); Lafayette (West)No Tournament
Missouri Valley ConferenceDrake, Louisville, & Saint LouisJeff Halliburton, DrakeNo Tournament
Ohio Valley ConferenceWestern KentuckyJim McDaniels, Western KentuckyNo Tournament
Pacific 8 ConferenceUCLANone selectedNo Tournament
Pacific Coast Athletic AssociationLong Beach StateGeorge Trapp, Long Beach StateNo Tournament
Southeastern ConferenceKentuckyJohnny Neumann, Mississippi[10]No Tournament
Southern ConferenceDavidsonJim Gregory, East Carolina, & Tom Jasper, William & Mary[11]1971 Southern Conference men's basketball tournamentCharlotte Coliseum
(Charlotte, North Carolina)
East Carolina[12]
Southland ConferenceArkansas StateLuke Adams, Lamar, & Allan Pruett, Arkansas State[13]No Tournament
Southwest ConferenceTCUGoo Kennedy, TCUNo Tournament
West Coast Athletic ConferencePacificJohn Gianelli, PacificNo Tournament
Western Athletic ConferenceBYUNone selectedNo Tournament
Yankee ConferenceMassachusettsNone selectedNo Tournament

Informal championships

Affiliation Regular
season winner
Big 5 MVP Affiliation
Tournament
Tournament
venue (City)
Tournament
winner
Philadelphia Big 5Penn (4–0)Ken Durrett, La SalleNo official tournament

Statistical leaders

Postseason tournaments

NCAA tournament

Final Four

National semifinals National finals
      
E Villanova 92
ME Western Kentucky 89
E Villanova 62
W UCLA 68
MW Kansas 60
W UCLA 68
  • Third Place – Western Kentucky 77, Kansas 75

National Invitation tournament

Semifinals & finals

Semifinals Finals
      
  North Carolina 73
  Duke 69
  North Carolina 84
  Georgia Tech 66
  Georgia Tech 76
  St. Bonaventure 71
  • Third Place – St. Bonaventure 92, Duke 88

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

Consensus First Team
Player Position Class Team
Austin Carr G Senior Notre Dame
Artis Gilmore C Senior Jacksonville
Jim McDaniels C Senior Western Kentucky
Dean Meminger G Senior Marquette
Sidney Wicks F Senior UCLA


Consensus Second Team
Player Position Class Team
Ken Durrett F Senior La Salle
Johnny Neumann F Sophomore Mississippi
Howard Porter F Senior Villanova
John Roche G Senior South Carolina
Curtis Rowe F Senior UCLA

Major player of the year awards

Major coach of the year awards

Other major awards

Coaching changes

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

Team Former
Coach
Interim
Coach
New
Coach
Reason
Army Bob Knight Dan Dougherty
Boston College Chuck Daly Bob Zuffelato
Indiana Lou Watson Bob Knight
Louisville John Dromo Howard Stacey Denny Crum
Marshall Stewart Way Carl Tacy
Oregon Steve Belko Dick Harter
Penn Dick Harter Chuck Daly
Rutgers Bill Foster Dick Lloyd
Utah Jack Gardner Bill Foster
Washington Tex Winter Marv Harshman
Washington State Marv Harshman Bob Greenwood

References

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