The 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. The 25th annual edition of the tournament began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game.
Loyola University Chicago, coached by George Ireland, won the national title with a 60–58 overtime victory in the final game, over the University of Cincinnati, coached by Ed Jucker. Art Heyman, of Duke University, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. This tournament marked the last time that a city was host to two straight Final Fours.
Locations
Round Region Location Venue First Round East Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Palestra Mideast Evanston, Illinois McGaw Memorial Hall Midwest Lubbock, Texas Lubbock Municipal Coliseum West Eugene, Oregon McArthur Court Regionals East College Park, Maryland Cole Field House Mideast East Lansing, Michigan Jenison Fieldhouse Midwest Lawrence, Kansas Allen Fieldhouse West Provo, Utah Smith FieldhouseFinal Four Louisville, Kentucky Freedom Hall
Teams Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final Opponent Score Qualification East East Connecticut George Wigton Yankee First roundWest VirginiaL 77–71Yankee Conference champion East Duke Vic Bubas Atlantic Coast Third PlaceOregon StateW 85–63ACC tournament champion East NYU Lou Rossini Metro NY Regional Fourth PlaceWest VirginiaL 83–73 At-large bid East Pittsburgh Bob Timmons Independent First roundNYUL 93–83 At-large bid East Princeton Butch van Breda Kolff Ivy League First roundSaint Joseph'sL 82–81 Ivy League co-champion East Saint Joseph's Jack Ramsay Middle Atlantic Regional Runner-upDukeL 73–59MAC champion East West Virginia George King Southern Regional third placeNYUW 83–73SoCon tournament champion Mideast Mideast Bowling Green Harold Anderson Mid-American Regional Fourth PlaceMississippi StateL 65–60 MAC champion Mideast Illinois Harry Combes Big Ten Regional Runner-upLoyola–ChicagoL 79–64 Big Ten co-champion Mideast Loyola–Chicago George Ireland Independent ChampionCincinnatiW 60–58 At-large bid Mideast Mississippi State Babe McCarthy Southeastern Regional third placeBowling GreenW 65–60 SEC champion Mideast Notre Dame John Jordan Independent First roundBowling GreenL 77–72 At-large bid Mideast Tennessee Tech Johnny Oldham Ohio Valley First roundLoyola–ChicagoL 111–42OVC champion Midwest Midwest Cincinnati Ed Jucker Missouri Valley Runner UpLoyola–ChicagoL 60–58 MVC champion Midwest Colorado Sox Walseth Big Eight Regional Runner-upCincinnatiL 67–60Big Eight co-champion Midwest Colorado State Jim Williams Independent First roundOklahoma CityL 70–67 At-large bid Midwest Oklahoma City Abe Lemons Independent Regional Fourth PlaceTexasL 90–83 At-large bid Midwest Texas Harold Bradley Southwest Regional third placeOklahoma CityW 90–83 SWC champion Midwest Texas Western Don Haskins Independent First roundTexasL 65–47 At-large bid West West Arizona State Ned Wulk Western Athletic Regional Runner-upOregon StateL 83–65 WAC champion West Oregon State Slats Gill Independent Fourth PlaceDukeL 85–63 At-large bid West San Francisco Pete Peletta West Coast Athletic Regional third placeUCLAW 76–75 WCAC champion West Seattle Clair Markey Independent First roundOregon StateL 70–66 At-large bid West UCLA John Wooden AAWU Regional Fourth PlaceSan FranciscoL 76–75 Big Six co-champion West Utah State LaDell Andersen Independent First roundArizona StateL 79–75 At-large bid
Bracket * – Denotes overtime period
East region
Mideast region
Midwest region
West region
Final Four
See also 1963 NCAA College Division basketball tournament 1963 National Invitation Tournament 1963 NAIA basketball tournament Black participation in college basketball
Notes
In the Loyola vs. Mississippi State game at East Lansing, Michigan in a Mideast regional semifinal, Mississippi State, an all-white team, played despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi. Mississippi State overcame a state prohibition against playing integrated teams. Loyola beat Mississippi State and went on to the Mideast Region Championship game. The Loyola–Mississippi State has since been dubbed the "Game of Change". In the National Championship game, Loyola started four African-Americans and Cincinnati started three, marking the first time that a majority of African-Americans participated in the championship game. Loyola was the tenth and, as of 2022, most recent team to win the tournament in their first appearance, joining Oregon (1939), Indiana (1940), Wisconsin (1941), Stanford (1942), Utah (1944), Oklahoma State (1945), Holy Cross (1947), La Salle (1954) and San Francisco (1955). Loyola's first-round regional victory over Tennessee Tech, 111–42, continues to be a record margin of victory for an NCAA men's basketball tournament game. That game also remains Tennessee Tech's most recent tournament game, as the Golden Eagles have not been back since. Tennessee Tech's 59-year drought is the second longest active drought after Dartmouth, who has not made the tournament since 1959, and third all-time behind Dartmouth and Harvard, who went 66 years (1946–2012) between tournament appearances. In addition to Loyola, two other teams - Mississippi State and Texas Western - both made their tournament debuts. The Bulldogs had been eligible three times before (in 1959, 1961 and 1962, the last year being tied with Kentucky), but all three times had been prohibited by the state due to its prohibition against playing integrated teams. Texas Western, who were an independent team following the disbandment of the Border Conference the year prior, lost their first tournament game to in-state rival Texas, whom they had beaten 45–40 on December 29 at home. They would also make history three years later when they won the 1966 tournament with an all-black starting five.
References