The 1970 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. The 32nd annual edition of the tournament began on March 7, 1970, and ended with the championship game on March 21, at Cole Field House, located on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game. This tournament was notable for the number of small schools that reached the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and championship Game. Another notable aspect of the tournament was that Marquette became the first team to turn down an announced NCAA Tournament bid for the National Invitation Tournament. Coach Al McGuire took issue with being seeded in the Midwest regional instead of the geographically closer Mideast. They were replaced in the field by Dayton. As a result of this action, the NCAA now forbids its members from playing in other postseason tournaments if offered an NCAA bid.
There were three first time participants in the Final Four: New Mexico State, St. Bonaventure, and Jacksonville, a feat not repeated until the 2023 tournament. UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won their 6th national title with an 80–69 victory in the final game over Jacksonville, coached by Joe Williams. Sidney Wicks of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Schedule and venues The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1970 tournament:
First round March 7 East Region Alumni Hall, Jamaica, New York (Host: St. John's University) The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Host: University of Pennsylvania) Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton, New Jersey (Host: Princeton University) Mideast Region University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton) Midwest Region Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas (Host: Texas Christian University) West Region Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah (Host: Brigham Young University)
Regional semifinals, 3rd-place games, and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) March 12 and 14 East Regional, Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, South Carolina (Host: University of South Carolina) Mideast Regional, St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Host: Ohio State University) Midwest Regional, Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas (Host: University of Kansas) West Regional, Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington (Host: University of Washington)
National semifinals, 3rd-place game, and championship (Final Four and championship) March 19 and 21 Cole Field House, College Park, Maryland (Host: University of Maryland, College Park)
Teams Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final opponent Score East East Terry Holland Southern First roundSt. BonaventureL 85–72 East Frank Layden Independent Regional Fourth PlaceNC StateL 108–88 East Norm Sloan Atlantic Coast Regional third placeNiagaraW 108–88 East Dick Harter Ivy League First roundNiagaraL 79–69 East St. Bonaventure Larry Weise Independent Fourth PlaceNew Mexico StateL 79–73 East Harry Litwack Middle Atlantic First roundVillanovaL 77–69 East Jack Kraft Independent Regional Runner-upSt. BonaventureL 97–74 Mideast Mideast Iowa Ralph Miller Big Ten Regional third placeNotre DameW 121–106 Mideast Jacksonville Joe Williams Independent Runner UpUCLAL 80–69 Mideast Kentucky Adolph Rupp Southeastern Regional Runner-upJacksonvilleL 106–100 Mideast Notre Dame John Dee Independent Regional Fourth PlaceIowaL 121–106 Mideast Ohio James Snyder Mid-American First roundNotre DameL 112–82 Mideast Western Kentucky Johnny Oldham Ohio Valley First roundJacksonvilleL 109–96 Midwest Midwest Don Donoher Independent First roundHoustonL 71–64 Midwest Drake Maury John Missouri Valley Regional Runner-upNew Mexico StateL 87–78 Midwest Houston Guy Lewis Independent Regional Fourth PlaceKansas StateL 107–98 Midwest Kansas State Cotton Fitzsimmons Big Eight Regional third placeHoustonW 107–98 Midwest New Mexico State Lou Henson Independent Third PlaceSt. BonaventureW 79–73 Midwest Don Knodel Southwest First roundNew Mexico StateL 101–77 West West Jerry Tarkanian Pacific Coast Regional Fourth PlaceSanta ClaraL 89–86 West Dick Garibaldi West Coast Regional third placeLong Beach StateW 89–86 West Don Haskins Western Athletic First roundUtah StateL 91–81 West UCLA John Wooden Pacific-8 ChampionJacksonvilleW 80–69 West LaDell Andersen Independent Regional Runner-upUCLAL 101–79 West Weber State Phil Johnson Big Sky First roundLong Beach StateL 92–73
Bracket
East region
Mideast region
Midwest region
West region
Final Four
See also 1970 NCAA College Division basketball tournament 1970 National Invitation Tournament 1970 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 1970 National Women's Invitation Tournament
Tournament notes
In Iowa's 121–106 win over Notre Dame, the two teams set a tournament record for most combined points (227). Every game in the Mideast Regional saw at least one of the two teams score 100 points or more. For the second straight year, a first-time tournament participant, in this case Jacksonville, made the national championship game. Niagara and Long Beach State also made their tournament debuts this year, both of whom placed as their respective regional fourth place teams. This was the first of eighteen tournament appearances for Long Beach coach Jerry Tarkanian, who would go on to coach the 49ers to four straight tournament appearances, as well as the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to a national championship (1990) and four Final Fours, and Fresno State to two tournament appearances. The 1970 tournament is, to date, the most recent tournament appearance for Rice University. They currently hold the fifth longest active drought after Dartmouth (1959), Tennessee Tech (1963), Bowling Green and Columbia (1968) and Seattle (1969). Three of the Final Four teams had dominant centers that would go on to successful NBA careers: Jacksonville with Artis Gilmore, St. Bonaventure with Bob Lanier (who was injured in the East Regional final and did not play in the Final Four), and New Mexico State with Sam Lacey; Gilmore and Lanier have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. However, UCLA would win the tournament despite losing their dominant center from the previous season (Lew Alcindor). Announcers Curt Gowdy, Charlie Jones, and Jim Simpson - First Round at Dayton, Ohio (Jacksonville-Western Kentucky, Notre Dame-Ohio State);
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