The 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1968, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1969 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 22, 1969, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The UCLA Bruins won their fifth NCAA national championship with a 92–72 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers.
Season headlines The Associated Press (AP) Poll returned to a Top 20 format, expanding from the Top 10 format it used from the 1961–62 season through the 1967–68 season. It previously had used a Top 20 format from its inception in the 1948–49 season through the 1960–61 season.sports-reference.com Matchup Finder On December 7, 1968, Calvin Murphy of Niagara scored 68 points in a game against Syracuse, setting the record for points scored by a single player against an NCAA University Division (later NCAA Division I) opponent. His record stood until February 1970, when Pete Maravich of LSU scored 69 points in a game against Alabama. The NCAA tournament expanded from 23 to 25 teams. UCLA won its third NCAA championship in a row, fifth overall, and fifth in six seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its third of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles. The Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), informally known as the "Pacific 8," formally renamed itself the Pacific 8 Conference. It became the Pacific 10 Conference in 1978 and the Pac-12 Conference in 2011. The Southland Conference, founded in 1963, began NCAA University Division-level play. The NCAA tournament's Final Four games were played on Thursday and Saturday for the first time. Lew Alcindor of UCLA became the first three-time NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player. He previously had been the tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1967 and 1968. The Metropolitan Collegiate Conference was dissolved at the end of the season.
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated PressRankingTeam1UCLA2North Carolina3Kentucky4Notre Dame5Kansas6Davidson7St. Bonaventure8Houston9New Mexico10Purdue11Villanova12Ohio State13Vanderbilt14Cincinnati15Marquette16Western Kentucky17Duke18Detroit19Florida20Tennessee UPI CoachesRankingTeam1UCLA2North Carolina3Kentucky4Notre Dame5Kansas6Houston7Davidson8New Mexico9Villanova10Cincinnati11Purdue12St. Bonaventure13New Mexico State14Ohio State15(tie)DukeWestern Kentucky17Santa Clara18USC19Florida20California
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Metropolitan Collegiate Conference NCAA University Division independent Southern Conference NCAA University Division independent
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina John Roche,South Carolina2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-02-14 1969 ACC men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) North CarolinaBig Eight Conference Colorado Cliff Meely, Colorado2008–09 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 Purdue None selected No TournamentIvy League Princeton None selected No TournamentMetropolitan Collegiate Conference Manhattan & No TournamentMid-American Conference Ohio Steve Mix, Toledo2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14 No TournamentMiddle Atlantic Conference Temple No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Drake & Louisville Bingo Smith, Tulsa No TournamentOhio Valley Conference & Claude Virden, Murray State No TournamentPacific 8 Conference UCLA None selected No TournamentSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Pete Maravich, LSU2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06 No TournamentSouthern Conference Davidson Mike Maloy, Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1969 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Charlotte Coliseum(Charlotte, North Carolina) Davidson2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southland Conference Trinity Larry Jeffries, Trinity2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentSouthwest Conference Texas A&M Ronnie Peret, Texas A&M & Rice No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference Santa Clara Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference BYU, & Wyoming None selected No TournamentYankee Conference Massachusetts None selected No Tournament Conference standings
University Division independents A total of 56 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, (24–4) had the best winning percentage (.857). Boston College, Marquette (24–5), and (24–5) finished with the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 La Salle Ken Durrett, La Salle, & Howard Porter, Villanova La Salle 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 Lew Alcindor C Senior UCLA Spencer Haywood F Sophomore Detroit Pete Maravich G/F Junior Louisiana State Rick Mount G/F Junior Purdue Calvin Murphy G Junior Niagara
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Dan Issel F/C Junior Kentucky Mike Maloy F Junior Davidson Bud Ogden F Senior Santa Clara Charlie Scott F Senior North Carolina Jo Jo White G Senior Kansas
Major player of the year awards
Naismith Award: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Helms Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Associated Press Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA UPI Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Pete Maravich, LSU Sporting News Player of the Year: Lew Alcindor, 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: John Wooden, UCLA 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): Billy Keller, Purdue Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ken Durrett, La Salle, & Howard Porter, Villanova NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Jim McMillian, Columbia
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonAbilene ChristianDee NutGarnie HatchAmericanAlan KyberTom YoungArkansas StateMarvin SpeightJohn RoseBoston CollegeBob CousyChuck DalyBrownL. Stanley WardGerry AlaimoConnecticutBurr CarlsonDee RoweCreightonRed McManusEddie SuttonDartmouthDave GavittGeorge BlaneyDavidsonLefty DriesellTerry HollandDriesell left to coach Maryland.DetroitBob CalihanJim HardingDukeVic BubasBucky WatersFairleigh DickinsonJack DevineAl LoBalboMarshallEllis T. JohnsonStewart WayJohnson resigned at the end of the season. He was replaced by his assistant coach, Stewart Way.MarylandFrank FellowsLefty DriesellSuccessful Davidson coach Driesell was hired and proclaimed his intention to turn Maryland into the “UCLA of the East.” Michigan StateJohn BeningtonGus GanakasMiddle TennesseeKen TrickeyJimmy EarleMontana StateRoger CraftGary HulstMorehead StateBob WrightBill HarrellNew HampshireBill HaubrichGerry FrielNorthwesternLarry GlassBrad SnyderPortlandBill TurnerErnie SmithProvidenceJoe MullaneyDave GavittSaint Francis (PA)John ClarkJohn HillerSaint LouisBuddy BrehmerBob PolkSt. FrancisDaniel LynchLester YellinTennessee TechKen SidwellConnie InmanTexas TechGene GibsonBob BassVMIGary McPhersonMike SchulerWest VirginiaBucky WatersSonny Moran
References