The 1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in November 1972, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1973 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 26, 1973, at St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The UCLA Bruins won their ninth NCAA national championship with an 87–66 victory over the Memphis State Tigers.
Rule changes Freshmen became eligible to play on varsity teams.orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes Previously, they had played on separate freshman teams. The free throw on a common foul for the first six personal fouls in a half was eliminated. Instead, the team that was fouled threw the ball in from out of bounds after each such foul. A "flop" — an unnecessary fall to the floor to get a charging call against a player dribbling the ball — was deemed a form of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Season headlines
UCLA went undefeated (30–0) for the second straight season and won its seventh NCAA championship in a row, ninth overall, and ninth in 10 seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its seventh of what would ultimately be 13 consecutive conference titles. This was the last season for the NCAA University Division as the subdivision of the NCAA made up of colleges and universities competing at the highest level of college sports, as well as for the NCAA College Division for colleges and universities competing at a lower level. After the season, the NCAA replaced the University Division with Division I and the College Division with Division II for schools awarding limited athletic scholarships and Division III for schools offering no athletic scholarships. The Final Four was played on Saturday and Monday for the first time. The NCAA title game was televised during prime time for the first time. NBC aired the game on March 26, 1973. For the first time, television broadcast rights fees for an NCAA tournament totaled more than $1 million.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2Florida State3Maryland4Minnesota5Marquette6Long Beach State7Southwestern Louisiana8NC State9Penn10Ohio State11Memphis State12BYU13Kentucky14Tennessee15Houston16South Carolina17Kansas State18Oral Roberts19Michigan20(tie)LouisvilleUSC UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2Florida State3Maryland4Minnesota5Marquette6Ohio State7Kentucky8Long Beach State9Penn10NC State11Houston12North Carolina13Southwestern Louisiana14Memphis State15(tie)BYUKansas State17USC18Providence19Oral Roberts20UTEP
Conference membership changes
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference non-University Division Southern Conference University Division independent Yankee Conference non-University Division Mid-American Conference non-University Division University Division independent non-University Division University Division independent University Division independent None (dropped athletics) non-University Division Southland Conference non-University Division University Division independent non-University Division University Division independent non-University Division University Division independent non-University Division University Division independent Southland Conference University Division independent
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference NC State David Thompson, NC State2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-02-14 1973 ACC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) NC StateBig Eight Conference Kansas State Lon Kruger, Kansas 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 Indiana None selected No TournamentIvy League Penn None selected No TournamentMid-American Conference Ohio Tom Kozelko, Toledo2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference & Lafayette No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Memphis State Larry Kenon, Memphis State No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Austin Peay State Les Taylor, Murray State No TournamentPacific 8 Conference UCLA None selected No TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association Long Beach State Ed Ratleff, Long Beach State No TournamentSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Kevin Grevey, Kentucky, & Wendell Hudson, Alabama2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Aron Stewart, Richmond2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1973 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Richmond Coliseum(Richmond, Virginia)(Semifinals and Finals) Furman2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southland Conference Louisiana Tech Mike Green, Louisiana Tech2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Texas Tech Martin Terry, Arkansas No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference San Francisco Bird Averitt, Pepperdine No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference Arizona State None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts None selected No Tournament Conference standings
University Division independents A total of 72 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Providence (27–4) and (27–4) had both the best winning percentage (.871) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Penn Tom Ingelsby, Villanova Penn 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
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Doug Collins G Senior Illinois State Ernie DiGregorio G Senior Providence Dwight Lamar G Senior Southwestern Louisiana Ed Ratleff F Senior Long Beach State David Thompson G/F Sophomore North Carolina State Bill Walton C Junior UCLA Keith Wilkes G/F Junior UCLA
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Jim Brewer F/C Senior Minnesota Tom Burleson C Junior North Carolina State Larry Finch G Senior Memphis State Kevin Joyce G Senior South Carolina Tom McMillen F Junior Maryland Kermit Washington C Senior American
Major player of the year awards
Naismith Award: Bill Walton, UCLA Helms Player of the Year: Bill Walton, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Bill Walton, UCLA UPI Player of the Year: Bill Walton, UCLA Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Bill Walton, UCLA Adolph Rupp Trophy: Bill Walton, UCLA Sporting News Player of the Year: Bill Walton, UCLA
Major coach of the year awards
Associated Press Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA Henry Iba Award (USBWA): John Wooden, UCLA NABC Coach of the Year: Gene Bartow, Memphis State UPI Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA Sporting News Coach of the Year: John Wooden, UCLA
Other major awards
Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Robert Sherwin, Army Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Tom Ingelsby, Villanova NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Billy Schaeffer, St. John's
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAbilene ChristianGarnie HatchWillard Tate AmericanTom YoungJim Lynam Young left to coach Rutgers.AuburnBill LynnBob Davis BaylorBill MenefeeCarroll Dawson Boise StateMurray SatterfieldBus Connor DetroitJim HardingDick Vitale DukeBucky WatersNeil McGeachy Est Tennessee StateMadison BrooksLeroy Fisher Eastern KentuckyGuy R. StrongBob Mulcahy Strong left to coach Oklahoma State.FloridaTommy BartlettJohn Lotz GeorgiaKen RosemondJohn Guthrie Georgia TechJohn HyderDwane Morrison HarvardBob HarrisonSatch Sanders HawaiiRed RochaBruce O'Neil IonaJim McDermottGene Roberti JacksonvilleTom WasdinBob Gottlieb Long Beach StateJerry TarkanianLute Olson Tarkanian left to coach UNLV.Loyola (Calif.)Richard BakerDave Benaderet Northern IllinoisTom JorgensenEmory Luck NorthwesternBrad SnyderTex Winter OklahomaJohn MacLeodJoe Ramsey Oklahoma CityAbe LemonsPaul Hansen Oklahoma StateSam AubreyGuy R. Strong Rhode IslandTom CarmodyJack Kraft RutgersDick FloydTom Young Saint Francis (PA)Dick ConoverPete Lonergan Saint Mary'sBruce HaleFrank LaPorte St. BonaventureLarry WeiseJim Satalin St. Francis (NY)Lester YellinJohn M. Prenderville St. John'sFrank MulzoffLou Carnesecca Southwestern LouisianaBeryl ShipleyNoneThe NCAA shut down the Ragin' Cajun program for the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons due to over 100 rules violations.TempleHarry LitwackDon CaseyTulaneDick LongoCharles Moir UNLVJohn BayerJerry Tarkanian Utah StateT. L. PlainDutch Belnap VillanovaJack KraftRollie Massimino West Texas StateDennis WallingRon Ekker WyomingBill StranniganMoe Radovich XavierDick CampbellTay Baker
References