The 1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1970, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 27, 1971, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The UCLA Bruins won their seventh NCAA national championship with a 68–62 victory over the Villanova Wildcats.
Season headlines
The NCAA introduced a new rule prohibiting any team which turned down an invitation to the NCAA tournament from playing in any other postseason tournament. The effect of the rule is to prevent NCAA Tournament invitees from accepting a National Invitation Tournament instead, diminishing the quality of the pool of teams eligible to play in the NIT. UCLA won its fifth NCAA championship in a row, seventh overall, and seventh in eight seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its fifth of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2South Carolina3Kentucky4Jacksonville5Notre Dame6Marquette7USC8Villanova9Western Kentucky10Drake11Penn12Utah State13Duke14Kansas15New Mexico State16Indiana17Houston18Long Beach State19NC State20St. Bonaventure UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2South Carolina3Jacksonville4Kentucky5Marquette6Notre Dame7Penn8Western Kentucky9Utah State10USC11Kansas12Indiana13Villanova14Florida State15Long Beach State16 (tie)DrakeUtah18Kansas State19Duke20Illinois
Conference membership changes
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference non-University Division Big Sky Conference Missouri Valley Conference University Division independent non-University Division Middle Atlantic Conference Southern Conference University Division independent non-University Division University Division independent University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference non-University Division Big Sky Conference University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Charlie Davis,Wake Forest2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-02-14 1971 ACC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) South CarolinaBig Eight Conference Kansas Cliff Meely, Colorado, & Kansas2008–09 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 Ohio State None selected No TournamentIvy League Penn None selected No TournamentMid-American Conference Ohio Ken Kowall, Ohio2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference Lafayette (West) No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Drake, Louisville, & Saint Louis Jeff Halliburton, Drake DrakeOhio Valley Conference Western Kentucky Jim McDaniels, No TournamentPacific 8 Conference UCLA None selected No TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association Long Beach State George Trapp, No TournamentSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Johnny Neumann, Mississippi2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Jim Gregory, East Carolina, & Tom Jasper, 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1971 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) East Carolina2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southland Conference Arkansas State Luke Adams, Lamar, & 2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference TCU Goo Kennedy, TCU No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Pacific John Gianelli, Pacific No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference BYU None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts None selected No Tournament
Conference standings
University Division independents A total of 62 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Marquette (28–1) had both the best winning percentage (.966) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Penn Ken Durrett, La Salle Penn finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Postseason tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Austin Carr G Senior Notre Dame Artis Gilmore C Senior Jacksonville Jim McDaniels C Senior Western Kentucky Dean Meminger G Senior Marquette Sidney Wicks F Senior UCLA
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Ken Durrett F Senior La Salle Johnny Neumann F Sophomore Mississippi Howard Porter F Senior Villanova John Roche G Senior South Carolina Curtis Rowe F Senior UCLA
Major player of the year awards
Naismith Award: Austin Carr, Notre Dame Helms Player of the Year: Austin Carr, Notre Dame, & Sidney Wicks, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Austin Carr, Notre Dame UPI Player of the Year: Austin Carr, Notre Dame Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Sidney Wicks, UCLA Sporting News Player of the Year: Sidney Wicks, UCLA
Major coach of the year awards
Associated Press Coach of the Year: Al McGuire, Marquette Henry Iba Award (USBWA): John Wooden, UCLA NABC Coach of the Year: Jack Kraft, Villanova UPI Coach of the Year: Al McGuire, Marquette Sporting News Coach of the Year: Al McGuire, Marquette
Other major awards
Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Charles Johnson, California Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ken Durrett, La Salle NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Charlie Yelverton, Fordham
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAir ForceBob Spear Hank Egan Egan was an assistant under Spear.ArmyBob KnightDan Dougherty Knight left to coach Indiana.Austin Peay StateGeorge Fisher Lake KellyBoston CollegeChuck DalyBob Zuffelato Daly left to coach Penn.Boston UniversityCharlie Luce Ron Mitchell Luce left to be athletic director.Bowling Green StateBob Conibear Pat HaleyThe CitadelDick Campbell George HillDelawareDan Peterson Donal HarnumDrakeMaury John Howard tacey Maury left to coach at Iowa State.DrexelFrank Szymanski Ray HaeslerFordhamDigger Phelps Hal Wissel Phelps left to coach Notre Dame.Idaho StateDan MillerJim KillingworthIndianaLou WatsonBob KnightIowa StateGlen Anderson Maury JohnLafayetteHal Wissel Tom Davis Wissel left to coach Fordham.LouisvilleJohn DromoHoward StaceyDenny CrumMaineGil Philbrick Skip Chappelle MarshallStewart WayCarl TacyMinnesotaGeorge Hanson Bill Musselman Hanson resigned after one season going 11–13.MontanaLou RocheleauJud HeathcoteNorth Texas StateHarry Miller Gene Robbins Miller left to coach at Wichita State.Notre DameJohn Dee Digger PhelpsOregonSteve BelkoDick HarterPennDick HarterChuck Daly Harter left to coach Florida.RutgersBill FosterDick LloydSaint Francis (PA)John Hiller Dick ConoverSan Jose StateDan Glines Ivan Guevara Texas TechBob BassGerald MyersTulaneRalph Pedersen Dick LongoUtahJack GardnerBill Foster Utah StateLadell Anderson T. L. PlainVirginia TechHowie Shannon Don DeVoeWashingtonTex Winter Marv HarshmanWashington StateMarv Harshman Bob GreenwoodWeber StatePhil Johnson Gene Visscher Johnson left to be an assistant with the Chicago Bulls. Visscher was an assistant under Johnson.Western KentuckyJohn Oldman Jim RichardsWichita StateGary Thompson Harry MillerXavierGeorge KrajackDick Campbell
References