The 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1967, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1968 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 23, 1968, at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins won their fourth NCAA national championship with a 78–55 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Rule changes The slam dunk — criticized as a move that rewards height rather than skill — is prohibited in NCAA basketball both during games and during pre-game warm-ups.orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule ChangesFitzpatrick, Frank, "When college basketball outlawed the dunk," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 23, 2014 Accessed April 6, 2021 It will not become legal again until the 1976–77 season.
Season headlines
Marketed as the "Game of the Century," a meeting of the Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins on January 20, 1968, was the first college basketball game televised nationwide in prime time in the United States. Syndicated by the TVS Television Network with Dick Enberg as play-by-play announcer and Bob Pettit providing color commentary, the broadcast established college basketball as a sports commodity on American television and paved the way for the television coverage of the NCAA tournament known today.Nguyen, Thuc Nhi - UCLA-Houston ‘Game of the Century’ still leaves impression 50 years later. Los Angeles Daily News, January 20, 2018 UCLA won its second NCAA championship in a row, fourth overall, and fourth in five seasons. In the Athletic Association of Western Universities, it also won its second of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles. The National Invitation Tournament expanded from 14 to 16 teams.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 10 from the AP Poll and Top 20 from the Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2Houston3Louisville4North Carolina5Kansas6Dayton7Boston College8Princeton9Vanderbilt10Davidson UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2Houston3Kansas4Louisville5North Carolina6Dayton7Boston College8Princeton9Vanderbilt10Tennessee11Indiana12Davidson13Cincinnati14UTEP15(tie)Loyola-ChicagoSt. John'sWyoming18Marquette19(tie)DukeNiagara
Conference membership changes
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference NCAA University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent
Regular season Conference Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAthletic Association of Western Universities UCLA None selected No TournamentAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Larry Miller,North Carolina2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-02-14 1968 ACC men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) North CarolinaBig Eight Conference Kansas State Donald Smith, Iowa State2008–09 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 Columbia None selected No TournamentMetropolitan Collegiate Conference No TournamentMid-American Conference Bowling Green State Fred Foster, Miami (OH)2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference La Salle No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Drake & Louisville None selected No TournamentOhio Valley Conference & Murray State Wayne Chapman, & No TournamentSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Pete Maravich, LSU2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Ron Williams, West Virginia2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1968 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southwest Conference TCU Billy Arnold, Texas No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Santa Clara Rick Adelman, No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference New Mexico None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts & Rhode Island None selected No Tournament Conference standings
University Division independents A total of 53 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Houston (31–2) had both the best winning percentage (.939) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Saint Joseph's Johnny Jones, Villanova Saint Joseph's finished with a 3–1 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Lew Alcindor C Junior UCLA Elvin Hayes F/C Senior Houston Pete Maravich G/F Sophomore Louisiana State Larry Miller F Senior North Carolina Wes Unseld C Senior Louisville
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Lucius Allen G Junior UCLA Bob Lanier C Sophomore St. Bonaventure Don May G/F Senior Dayton Calvin Murphy G Sophomore Niagara Jo Jo White G Junior Kansas
Major player of the year awards
Helms Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Elvin Hayes, Houston UPI Player of the Year: Elvin Hayes, Houston Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Lew Alcindor, UCLA Sporting News Player of the Year: Elvin Hayes, Houston
Major coach of the year awards
Associated Press Coach of the Year: Guy Lewis, Houston Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Guy Lewis, Houston NABC Coach of the Year: Guy Lewis, Houston UPI Coach of the Year: Guy Lewis, Houston Sporting News Coach of the Year: Guy Lewis, Houston
Other major awards
Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Johnny Jones, Villanova NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Jim McMillian, Columbia
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAlabamaHayden RileyC. M. NewtonBowling Green StateBill FitchBob Conibear CaliforniaRene HerreriasJim PadgettCornellSam MacNeilJerry LaceDenverTroy BledsoeStan AlbeckFairfieldGeorge BisaccaJim LynamFordhamJohnny BachEd ConlinBach left to coach Penn State.HarvardFloyd WilsonBob HarrisonKansas StateTex WinterCotton Fitzsimmons Winter left to coach Washington.La SalleJim HardingTom GolaLoyola (Calif.)John ArndtRichard BakerLoyola (LA)Ron GreeneBob Luksta MaineBrian McCallGil PhilbrickManhattanKen NortonJohn PowersMichiganDave StrackJohnny OrrMinnesotaJohn KundlaBill FitchMontanaRon NordBob Cope NiagaraJames MaloneyFrank LaydenOle MissEddie CrawfordCob JarvisPepperdineDuck DowellGary GolsonPenn StateJohn EgliJohnny BachPittsburghBob TimmonsCharles RidlRhode IslandErnie CalverleyTom CarmodySyracuseFred LewisRoy DanforthTennessee StateHarold HunterEdward MartinTulsaJoe SwankKen HayesHayes was an assistant coach under Swank.WashingtonMac DuckworthTex Winter Weber StateDick MottaPhil Johnson
References