GetWiki

{{Short description|Edition of USA college basketball tournament}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}{{More citations needed|date=January 2022}}

factoids

The 1975 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men’s NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 at the San Diego Sports Arena, now known as Pechanga Arena San Diego, in San Diego, California. A total of 36 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game. This was the first 32-team tournament.UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won his 10th national title and last with a 92–85 victory in the final game over Kentucky, coached by Joe B. Hall. Richard Washington of UCLA was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.The Bruins again had an advantage by playing the Final Four in their home state. It was the last time a team won the national championship playing in its home state.

Tournament notes

• The bracket expanded to 32 teams;NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=pZZfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5733%2C4835935, Lewiston Morning Tribune, (Idaho), Associated Press, ‘At large’ spots set in NCAA cage playoffs, August 21, 1974, 13, the previous six editions had 25 teams, and had varied between 22 and 25 from 1953 through 1974.
• With the expanded bracket, seven teams made their NCAA tournament debuts: Alabama, Central Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Montana, UNLV, Rutgers, and San Diego State. This was the most new teams since a then-record eleven new teams made the 25-team bracket in 1956.
• Alabama had previously won the Southeastern Conference in 1956, but were deemed ineligible for the tournament due to their entire starting lineup having played as freshmen, which was not allowed at the time. They had also tied Vanderbilt for the 1974 SEC title, but lost the bid because Vanderbilt was ranked higher.
• It was the last time until 2021 that Oregon State officially won an NCAA tournament game. (The Beavers won two tournament games in 1982, but those were later vacated by the NCAA.) Of the major conferences, only Nebraska, which has never won an NCAA tournament game, had a longer active winning drought.
• This was the last tournament in which third-place games were contested in each regional; the national third-place game continued through 1981.
• This was also the first NCAA tournament to allow more than one team per conference; previously, only one team from each conference was allowed. This change was in response to a number of factors:
  • The USC Trojans were ranked fifth in both major polls in 1971,NEWS,news.google.com/newspapers?id=JDNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3130%2C3174900, Eugene Register-Guard, (Oregon), Associated Press, Both wire service polls agree-- UCLA is best club in country, March 16, 1971, 2B, their only two losses were to Pac-8 rival and top-ranked UCLA (the defending and eventual national champion), but were excluded from the 25-team NCAA tournament due to being runner-up in the conference.
  • The 1974 ACC tournament final pitted two of the three best teams in the country: North Carolina State and Maryland.Bill Free – This Overtime Lasts 25 Years {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912060326umterps.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022199aab.html |date=2008-09-12 }} The 1974 team left it all out on the floor. Baltimore Sun, hosted at University of Maryland Terrapins athletic site, February 20, 1999
  • In 1974, the Collegiate Commissioners’ Association held a tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. They invited the second-place teams from eight conferences to participate.
• The new selection criteria threatened to exclude Northeastern teams, which did not belong to conferences. To address this problem, this was the first NCAA Tournament to grant automatic bids to the winners of ECAC regional tournaments for Northeastern Division I independents organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference, a loose sports federation of Northeastern colleges and universities; this practice continued through 1982.Varsity Pride: ECAC Men’s Basketball TournamentsWEB,www.hoyabasketball.com/history/hist15.htm, The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Beginnings of the Big East, 2014-03-22,www.hoyabasketball.com/history/hist15.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20131217044717www.hoyabasketball.com/history/hist15.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20131217044717www.hoyabasketball.com/history/hist15.htm, 2013-12-17, dead,
• Finally, the national final was the last game for UCLA coaching legend John Wooden, who had announced his retirement at the press conference following the Saturday semifinal win over Louisville. Two days later, he won his tenth and final NCAA championship.NEWS, John, Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, U-T San Diego, MLIM Holdings, Sports site No. 3: San Diego Sports Arena,www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/06/travel-top-50-sites-sports-arena-john-ooden/, July 6, 2013, July 8, 2013,
• Bob Wortman became the first person to officiate championship games in college basketball and the National Football League when he worked the UCLA-Kentucky final alongside Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame referee Hank Nichols. Wortman was the field judge for Super Bowl VI in January 1972, and later for Super Bowl XII at the same position.
  • The UCLA-Kentucky matchup was the first of six championship games officiated by Nichols (1979, ‘80, 82, ‘83, ‘86), who later became the NCAA’s national coordinator of officiating.

Memorable games

There were two memorable games in the 1975 tournament. Number 2 ranked Kentucky upset previously unbeaten Indiana 92–90 in their regional final. The Hoosiers, coached by Bob Knight, were undefeated and the number one team in the nation, when leading scorer Scott May suffered a broken arm in a win over arch-rival Purdue. This was the only loss Indiana would suffer between March 1974 and December 1976. In the national semifinals, UCLA defeated Louisville, coached by former Wooden assistant Denny Crum, 75–74 in overtime, rallying late in regulation to force overtime and coming from behind in overtime to win on a last second shot by Richard Washington.Both games made USA Today’s 2002 list of the greatest NCAA tournament games of all time, with the former at #8 and the latter at #28.Mike Douchant – Greatest 63 games in NCAA Tournament history. The Sports Xchange, published in USA Today, March 25, 2002

Schedule and venues

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1975 tournament:First round

• March 15
  • East Region
    • Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina (Host: University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
    • The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Hosts: University of Pennsylvania, Ivy League)
  • Mideast Region
    • Memorial Coliseum, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky)
    • Memorial Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Host: University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa)
  • Midwest Region
    • Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, Lubbock, Texas (Host: Texas Tech University)
    • Mabee Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma (Host: Oral Roberts University)
  • West Region
    • WSU Performing Arts Coliseum, Pullman, Washington (Host: Washington State University)
    • ASU Activity Center, Tempe, Arizona (Host: Arizona State University)

Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

• March 20 and 22
  • East Regional, Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island (Host: Providence College)
  • Mideast Regional, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)
  • Midwest Regional, Pan American Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico (Host: New Mexico State University)
  • West Regional, Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon (Hosts: University of Portland, West Coast Athletic Conference)

National semifinals, 3rd-place game, and championship (Final Four and championship)

• March 29 and 31
  • San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California (Host: San Diego State University)

Teams{| classwikitable

! Region !! Team !! Coach !! Conference || Finished !! Final Opponent !! Score! colspan=7 | EastBoston College Eagles men’s basketball>Boston College Bob Zuffelato Independent Regional Fourth Place1974–75 North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team>|L 110–90Furman Paladins men’s basketball>Furman Joe Williams (basketball) >Boston College Eagles men’s basketball>Boston CollegeL 82–76Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball>Kansas State Jack Hartman Big Eight Regional Runner-up1974–75 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team>|L 95–87La Salle Explorers men’s basketball>La Salle Paul Westhead East Coast Round of 321974–75 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team>|L 87–83New Mexico State Aggies men’s basketball>New Mexico State Lou Henson Missouri Valley Round of 321974–75 North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team>|L 93–691974–75 North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team>North Carolina Dean Smith Atlantic Coast Regional third placeBoston College Eagles men’s basketball>|W 110–90Penn Quakers men’s basketball>Penn Chuck Daly Ivy League Round of 32Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball>|L 69–621974–75 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team>Syracuse Roy Danforth Independent Fourth Place1974–75 Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team>|L 96–88! colspan=7 | MideastCentral Michigan Chippewas men’s basketball>Central Michigan Dick Parfitt Mid-American Regional third placeOregon State Beavers men’s basketball>|W 88–871974–75 Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team>Georgetown John Thompson (basketball) >Central Michigan Chippewas men’s basketball>Central MichiganL 77–751974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team>Indiana Bob Knight Big Ten Regional Runner-up1974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team>|L 92–901974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team>Kentucky Joe B. Hall Southeastern Runner-up1974–75 UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team>|L 92–851974–75 Marquette Warriors men’s basketball team>Marquette Al McGuire Independent Round of 321974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team>|L 76–54Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders men’s basketball>Middle Tennessee State Jimmy Earle Ohio Valley Round of 32Oregon State Beavers men’s basketball>|L 78–67Oregon State Beavers men’s basketball>Oregon State Ralph Miller Pacific-8 Regional Fourth PlaceCentral Michigan Chippewas men’s basketball>|L 88–87UTEP Miners men’s basketball>UTEP Don Haskins Western Athletic Round of 321974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team>|L 78–53! colspan=7 | MidwestCincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball>Cincinnati Gale Catlett Independent Regional third placeNotre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball>|W 95–87Creighton Bluejays men’s basketball>Creighton Tom Apke Independent Round of 32 1974–75 Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team >|L 83–791974–75 Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team>Kansas Ted Owens (basketball coach) >Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball>Notre DameL 77–711974–75 Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team>Louisville Denny Crum Missouri Valley Third Place1974–75 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team>|W 96–881974–75 Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team>Maryland Lefty Driesell Atlantic Coast Regional Runner-up1974–75 Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team>|L 96–82Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball>Notre Dame Digger Phelps Independent Regional Fourth PlaceCincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball>|L 95–87Rutgers Scarlet Knights men’s basketball>Rutgers Tom Young (basketball coach) >1974–75 Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team>LouisvilleL 91–78Texas A&M Aggies men’s basketball>Texas A&M Shelby Metcalf Southwest Round of 32Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball>|L 87–79! colspan=7 | WestAlabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball>Alabama C. M. Newton Southeastern Round of 32Arizona State Sun Devils men’s basketball>|L 97–94Arizona State Sun Devils men’s basketball>Arizona State Ned Wulk Western Athletic Regional Runner-up1974–75 UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team>|L 89–751974–75 Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team>Michigan Johnny Orr (basketball, born 1927) >1974–75 UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team>UCLAL 103–911974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team>Montana Jud Heathcote Big Sky Regional Fourth PlaceUNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball>|L 75–67UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball>UNLV Jerry Tarkanian West Coast Regional third place1974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team>|W 75–67San Diego State Aztecs men’s basketball>San Diego State Tim Vezie Pacific Coast Round of 32UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball>|L 90–801974–75 UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team>UCLA John Wooden Pacific-8 Champion1974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team>|W 92–85Utah State Aggies men’s basketball>Utah State Dutch Belnap Independent Round of 321974–75 Montana Grizzlies basketball team>|L 69–63

Bracket

• – Denotes overtime period

East region

{hide}8TeamBracket }}

Mideast region

{hide}8TeamBracket }}

Midwest region

{hide}8TeamBracket }}

West region

{hide}8TeamBracket }}

Final Four

{{4TeamBracket| RD1 = National semifinalsSaturday, March 29| RD2 = National Championship GameMonday, March 31| RD1-seed1 = E| RD1-team1 = Syracuse| RD1-score1 = 79| RD1-seed2 = ME| RD1-team2 = Kentucky| RD1-score2 = 95| RD1-seed3 = MW| RD1-team3 = Louisville| RD1-score3 = 74*| RD1-seed4 = W| RD1-team4 = UCLA| RD1-score4 = 75| RD2-seed1 = ME| RD2-team1 = Kentucky| RD2-score1 = 85| RD2-seed2 = W| RD2-team2 = UCLA| RD2-score2 = 92| RD2b = National third-place game| RD2b-seed1 = E| RD2b-team1 = Syracuse| RD2b-score1 = 88*| RD2b-seed2 = MW| RD2b-team2 = Louisville| RD2b-score2 = 96}}

Announcers

Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer, Jim Simpson and Jerry Lucas (Final Four only) - First Round at Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Marquette-Kentucky); West Regional Final at Portland, Oregon; Final Four in San Diego, California

• Jim Simpson and Tom Hawkins- First Round at Tempe, Arizona (Arizona State-Alabama); East Regional Final in Providence, Rhode Island
• Charlie Jones and Jerry Lucas- First Round at Lexington, Kentucky (Indiana-UTEP)
• Jay Randolph and Ross Porter - Midwest Regional Final at Las Cruces, New Mexico

See also

• 1975 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
• 1975 NCAA Division III basketball tournament
• 1975 National Invitation Tournament
• 1975 NAIA Division I men’s basketball tournament
• 1975 National Women’s Invitation Tournament

References

{{Reflist}}{{NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament navbox}}{{1975 UCLA Bruins men’s basketball navbox}}{{1974–75 NCAA Division I championships navbox}}