1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

Infobox NCAA Basketball Tournament
Year=1966


ImageSize=
Caption=
Teams=22
FinalFourArena=Cole Field House
FinalFourCity=College Park, Maryland
Champions=Texas Western
TitleCount=1st
RunnerUp=Kentucky
GameCount=5th
Semifinal1=Duke
FinalFourCount=3rd
Semifinal2=Utah
FinalFourCount2=3rd
Coach=Don Haskins
CoachCount=1st
MOP=Jerry Chambers
MOPTeam=Utah
Attendance=140,925
OneTopScorer=*
TwoTopScorers=
TopScorer=Jerry Chambers
TopScorerTeam=Utah
Points=143

The 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 22 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 7, 1966, and ended with the championship game on March 19 in College Park, Maryland. A total of 26 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.

Texas Western, coached by Don Haskins, won the national title with a 72-65 victory in the final game over Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp. Coach Haskins started five black players for the first time in NCAA Championship history. Jerry Chambers of Utah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The 2006 film Glory Road is based on the story of the 1966 Texas Western team.

Locations

balls

Teams

Bracket

East region

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1-seed3=
RD1-team3=St. Joseph's
RD1-score3=65
RD1-seed4=
RD1-team4=Providence
RD1-score4=48
RD1-seed7=
RD1-team7=Davidson
RD1-score7=95
RD1-seed8=
RD1-team8=Rhode Island
RD1-score8=65
RD2-team1=Duke
RD2-score1=76
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=St. Joseph's
RD2-score2=74
RD2-team3=Syracuse
RD2-score3=94
RD2-seed4=
RD2-team4=Davidson
RD2-score4=78
RD3-seed1=
RD3-team1=Duke
RD3-score1=91
RD3-seed2=
RD3-team2=Syracuse
RD3-score2=81

Mideast region

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1-seed3=
RD1-team3=Dayton
RD1-score3=58
RD1-seed4=
RD1-team4=Miami-OH
RD1-score4=51
RD1-seed7=
RD1-team7=Western Kentucky
RD1-score7=105
RD1-seed8=
RD1-team8=Loyola-IL
RD1-score8=86
RD2-seed1=
RD2-team1=Kentucky
RD2-score1=86
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=Dayton
RD2-score2=79
RD2-seed3=
RD2-team3=Michigan
RD2-score3=80
RD2-seed4=
RD2-team4=Western Kentucky
RD2-score4=79
RD3-seed1=
RD3-team1=Kentucky
RD3-score1=84
RD3-seed2=
RD3-team2=Michigan
RD3-score2=77

Midwest region

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1-seed7=
RD1-team7=Texas Western
RD1-score7=89
RD1-seed8=
RD1-team8=Oklahoma City
RD1-1000000-0
RD2-seed1=
RD2-team1=Kansas
RD2-score1=76
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=SMU
RD2-score2=70
RD2-seed3=
RD2-team3=Cincinnati
RD2-score3=76
RD2-seed4=
RD2-team4=Texas Western
RD2-score4=78
RD3-seed1=
RD3-team1=Kansas
RD3-score1=80

RD3-seed2=
RD3-team2=Texas Western
RD3-score2=81

West region

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1-seed7=
RD1-team7=Houston
RD1-score7=82
RD1-seed8=
RD1-team8=Colorado State
RD1-score8=76
RD2-seed1=
RD2-team1=Utah
RD2-score1=83
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=Pacific
RD2-score2=51
RD2-seed3=
RD2-team3=Oregon State
RD2-score3=63
RD2-seed4=
RD2-team4=Houston
RD2-score4=60
RD3-seed1=
RD3-team1=Utah
RD3-score1=119
RD3-seed2=
RD3-team2=Oregon State
RD3-score2=64

Final Four

4TeamBracket | RD1=National Semifinals | RD2=National Finals | RD1-seed1=
RD1-team1=Duke
RD1-score1=79
RD1-seed2=
RD1-team2=Kentucky
RD1-score2=83
RD1-seed3=
RD1-team3=Texas Western
RD1-score3=85
RD1-seed4=
RD1-team4=Utah
RD1-score4=78
RD2-seed1=
RD2-team1=Kentucky
RD2-score1=65
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=Texas Western
RD2-score2=72

Game Summaries

The Tournament is most remembered for the all-black starting five of Texas Western defeating an all-white Kentucky team in the championship game. [Fitzpatrick, Frank - [http://espn.go.com/classic/s/013101_texas_western_fitzpatrick.html Texas Western's 1966 title left lasting legacy.] ESPN Classic, November 19, 2003] In the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Loyola started four African-Americans and Cincinnati started three. That was the first time that a majority of African-Americans participated in the championship game.

Clem Haskins and Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program in the Fall of 1963. [ [http://www.hilltopperhaven.com/legends/smith.html Hilltopper Legend Dwight Smith] Hilltopper Haven] This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the Southeast. [Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem - [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/kareem/2008/03/index.html My thoughts on UCLA in the Final Four] Los Angeles Times, March 31, 2008. Western Kentucky was the forefront of the fight to integrate college basketball in the 1960s and early '70s.] The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were 2 points away from defeating Michigan and meeting the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the Mideast regional final. A controversial foul called against Smith during a jump ball put Cazzie Russell on the free throw line for Michigan, where he scored the tying and winning baskets. [O'Donnell, Chuck - Cazzie Russell: converting two free throws with no time left advanced Michigan in the 1966 NCAA Tournament - The Game I'll Never Forget - University of Michigan versus Western Kentucky University. Basketball Digest, January/February 2004 issue]

ee also

* 1966 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
* 1966 National Invitation Tournament
*Black participation in college basketball

External links

* [http://www.shrpsports.com/collbask/1966.htm 1966 NCAA Basketball Tournament] on Shrp Sports (source for the bracket)
* [http://www.hoopstournament.net/index.html HoopsTournament.Net] , source for much of the information on this page.

References