The 1965–66 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1965, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1966 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 19, 1966, at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The Texas Western Miners won their first NCAA national championship with a 72–65 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats.
Season headlines
After introducing a preseason Top 20 the previous season, the Associated Press (AP) Poll contracted its preseason poll to a Top 10, aligning with the Top 10 format for in-season polls it had used since the 1961–62 season.sports-reference.com Matchup Finder The NCAA tournament contracted from 23 to 22 teams. On March 19, 1966, Texas Western became both the first team to begin an NCAA tournament final game with an all-African American starting lineup and the first team with an all-African American starting line-up to win the NCAA championship. The players were Orsten Artis, Harry Flournoy, Bobby Joe Hill, David Lattin, and Willie Worsley. The Metropolitan Collegiate Conference, consisting of schools in the New York City-New Jersey area, began play.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 10 from the AP Poll and Top 20 from the Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2Michigan3Duke4Saint Joseph's5Vanderbilt6Providence7Minnesota8Kansas9Bradley10Kansas State UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2Michigan3Minnesota4Saint Joseph's5Duke6Vanderbilt7Providence8Kansas9Bradley10BYU11San Francisco12Kansas State13NC State14Dayton15(tie)Boston CollegeSt. John's17(tie)LouisvilleTennesseeWest Virginia20(tie)IowaNew MexicoPrinceton
Conference membership changes
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference non-NCAA University Division Metropolitan Collegiate Conference non-NCAA University Division Metropolitan Collegiate Conference University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference non-NCAA University Division Metropolitan Collegiate Conference University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference non-NCAA University Division Metropolitan Collegiate Conference University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference Southern Conference University Division independent non-NCAA University Division Metropolitan Collegiate Conference non-NCAA University Division Middle Atlantic Conference
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAthletic Association of Western Universities Oregon State None selected No TournamentAtlantic Coast Conference Duke Steve Vacendak,Duke2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved February 14, 2009 1966 ACC men's basketball tournament Reynolds Coliseum(Raleigh, North Carolina) DukeBig Eight Conference Kansas None selected No TournamentBig Sky Conference Gonzaga & None selected No TournamentBig Ten Conference Michigan None selected No TournamentIvy League Penn None selected No TournamentMetropolitan Collegiate Conference Manhattan No TournamentMid-American Conference Miami (OH) None selected No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference Saint Joseph's No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Cincinnati None selected No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Western Kentucky State Clem Haskins, 1966 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Jefferson County Armory(Louisville, Kentucky) Western Kentucky StateSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Clyde Lee, Vanderbilt &Pat Riley, Kentucky 2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved February 6, 2009 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Dick Snyder, Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved February 9, 2009 1966 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved February 9, 2009Southwest Conference SMU John Beasley, No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Pacific Keith Swagerty, Pacific No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference Utah None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Connecticut & None selected No Tournament Conference standings
University Division independents A total of 49 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Texas Western (28–1) had both the best winning percentage (.966) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Saint Joseph's Bill Melchionni, Villanova Saint Joseph's finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
National Invitation tournament
Semi-finals and Finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Dave Bing G Senior Syracuse Clyde Lee F Senior Vanderbilt Cazzie Russell F Senior Michigan Dave Schellhase G/F Senior Purdue Jimmy Walker G Junior Providence
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Louie Dampier G Junior Kentucky Matt Guokas G Junior St. Joseph's Jack Marin F Senior Duke Dick Snyder F Senior Davidson Bob Verga G Senior Duke Walt Wesley C Senior Kansas
Major player of the year awards
Helms Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan Associated Press Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan UPI Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Cazzie Russell, Michigan Sporting News Player of the Year: Cazzie Russell, Michigan
Major coach of the year awards
Henry Iba Award: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky NABC Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky UPI Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky Sporting News Coach of the Year: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky
Other major awards
Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Bill Melchionni, Villanova NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Albie Grant, LIU Brooklyn
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonArkansasGlen RoseDuddy WallerBoston UniversityJohn H. Burke Jr.Charlie LuceDelawareIrv WisniewskiDan PetersonEast CarolinaWendell CarrTom QuinnFairleigh DickinsonDick HolubJack DevineFloridaNorm SloanTommy BartlettSloan left to coach NC State. Florida hired Tennessee assistant coach Bartlett.Florida StateJ. K. KennedyHugh DurhamFurmanLyles AlleyFrank SelvyGeorge WashingtonBill ReinhartBabe McCarthyGeorgetownTommy O'KeefeJack MageeAble to sustain himself financially only by working outside of basketball to supplement the low salary of Georgetown's head coaching position, and lacking the time to recruit players properly while coaching only part-time, O'Keefe — Georgetown's head coach for six seasons — resigned after the season to devote himself full-time to his business concerns. His resignation prompted Georgetown to commit to hiring a full-time coach beginning with the following season.Hardin–SimmonsLou HensonPaul Lambert IdahoJim GoddardWayne AndersonKent StateRobert F. DollFrank TruittLehighTony PackerPete CarrilLoyola (LA)Bill GardinerRon Greene LSUFrank TruittPress MaravichTruitt left to coach Kent State. Maravich was hired from NC State.MassachusettsJohnny OrrJack LeamanMemphis StateDean EhlersMoe IbaMiami (OH)Dick ShriderTates LockeNavyBen CarnevaleDave SmalleyNC StatePress MaravichNorm Sloan Maravich left to coach LSU. Sloan was hired from Florida.New HampshireBill OlsonBill HaubrichNew Mexico StateJim McGregorLou HensonPennsylvaniaJack McCloskeyDick HarterMcCoskey left to coach Wake Forest.RiceGeorge CarlisleDon KnodelSaint FrancisSkip HughesJohn ClarkSaint Joseph'sJack RamsayJack McKinneySan FranciscoPete PelettaPhil VukicevichUC Santa BarbaraArt GallonRalph BarkeyUSCForrest TwogoodBob BoydWake ForestJack MurdockJack McCloskeyWestern MichiganDon BovenSonny MeansWilliam & MaryBill ChambersWarren Mitchell
References