The 1961 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division college basketball as a culmination of the 1960-61 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Wittenberg University and South Dakota State's Don Jacobson was the Most Outstanding Player.
Regional participants SchoolOutcomeAustin PeayRegional ChampionBelmont AbbeyRunner-upChattanoogaFourth PlaceKentucky WesleyanThird Place SchoolOutcomeAlbrightRunner-upFairfieldFourth PlaceMount St. Mary'sRegional ChampionVirginia UnionThird Place SchoolOutcomeBatesRunner-upRochesterThird PlaceSpringfieldFourth PlaceWilliamsRegional Champion SchoolOutcomeSouth Carolina StateFourth PlaceWabashRunner-upWittenbergRegional ChampionYoungstown StateThird Place SchoolOutcomeChicagoRegional ChampionEvansvilleThird PlaceLincoln (MO)Runner-upMacMurrayFourth Place SchoolOutcomeColorado CollegeFourth PlaceSE Missouri StateRegional ChampionSouthern IllinoisRunner-upTrinity (TX)Third Place SchoolOutcomeCornell (IA)Third PlacePrairie ViewRunner-upSouth Dakota StateRegional ChampionWisconsin–SuperiorFourth Place SchoolOutcomeChapmanThird PlaceLong Beach StateRunner-upNevadaFourth PlaceUC Santa BarbaraRegional Champion
Regionals
South – Clarksville, Tennessee Location: Memorial Health Building Host: Austin Peay State College
Third place – Kentucky Wesleyan 111, Chattanooga 80
East – Reading, Pennsylvania Location: Bollman Center Host: Albright College
Third place – Virginia Union 70, Fairfield 66
Northeast – Springfield, Massachusetts Location: Judd Gymnasia Host: Springfield College
Third place – Rochester 82, Springfield 68
Mideast – Crawfordsville, Indiana Location: Chadwick Court Host: Wabash College
Third place – Youngstown State 96, South Carolina State 82
Great Lakes – Chicago, Illinois Location: Henry Crown Field House Host: University of Chicago
Third place – Evansville 98, MacMurray 97*
Southwest – Cape Girardeau, Missouri Location: Houck Field House Host: Southeast Missouri State College
Third place – Trinity 75, Colorado College 58
Midwest – Brookings, South Dakota Location: The Barn Host: South Dakota State College
Third place – Cornell 83, Wisconsin–Superior 72
Pacific Coast – Santa Barbara, California Location: Robertson Gymnasium Host: University of California, Santa Barbara
Third place – Chapman 68, Nevada 63
*denotes each overtime played
National finals – Evansville, Indiana Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: Evansville College
Third place – South Dakota State 77, Mount St. Mary's 76
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team George Fisher (Wittenberg) Don Jacobsen (South Dakota State) John O'Reilly (Mount Saint Mary's) Vivian Reed (Southeast Missouri State) Carl Ritter (Southeast Missouri State)
See also 1961 NCAA University Division basketball tournament 1961 NAIA Basketball Tournament
References
Sources 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship 1961 NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament jonfmorse.com