The 1952 NCAA basketball tournament involved 16 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. The 14th annual edition of the tournament began on March 21, 1952, and ended with the championship game on March 26, at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion, located on the University of Washington's campus in Seattle. A total of 20 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.
Kansas, coached by Phog Allen, won the national title with an 80–63 victory in the final game over St. John's, coached by Frank McGuire. Clyde Lovellette of Kansas was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
This tournament was the first to have a true "Final Four" format, with the winners at four regional sites advancing to the final site—although the four regionals did not receive distinct names until the 1956 tournament. It was also the first to have regional television coverage.
Locations The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1952 tournament:
Regionals
March 21 and 22 East-1 Regional, Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina (Host: North Carolina State University) East-2 Regional, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois (Hosts: Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago, DePaul University) West-1 Regional, Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference) West-2 Regional, Oregon State Coliseum, Corvallis, Oregon (Host: Oregon State University)
Final Four
March 25 and 26 Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington (Host: University of Washington)
Teams Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final Opponent Score East East Tom Blackburn Independent Regional third place PrincetonW 77–61 East Dudey Moore Independent Elite EightIllinoisL 74–68 East Illinois Harry Combes Big Ten Third PlaceSanta ClaraW 67–64 East Kentucky Adolph Rupp Southeastern Elite EightSt. John'sL 64–57 East Everett Case Southern Regional third place W 69–60 East Elmer Gross Independent Regional Fourth PlaceL 69–60 East Princeton Franklin Cappon Ivy League Regional Fourth PlaceL 77–61 East St. John's Frank McGuire Metro NY Runner-upKansasL 80–63 West West Kansas Phog Allen Big 7 ChampionSt. John'sW 80–63 West George McCarty Border Regional Fourth Place L 61–44 West Doyle Parrack Independent Regional third placeUCLAW 55–53 West Santa Clara Bob Feerick Independent Fourth PlaceIllinoisL 67–64 West Eddie Hickey Missouri Valley Elite EightKansasL 74–55 West Buster Brannon Southwest Regional third placeW 61–44 West UCLA John Wooden Pacific Coast Regional Fourth PlaceL 55–53 West Everett Shelton Mountain States Elite EightSanta ClaraL 56–53
Bracket
East-1 regional – Raleigh, North Carolina
East-2 regional – Chicago, Illinois
West-1 regional – Kansas City, Missouri
West-2 regional – Corvallis, Oregon
Final Four – Seattle, Washington
See also 1952 National Invitation Tournament 1952 NAIA Basketball Tournament
References