1951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

1951 NCAA Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Teams 16
Finals site Williams Arena
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Champions Kentucky Wildcats (3rd title, 3rd title game,
4th Final Four)
Runner-up Kansas State (1st title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coach Adolph Rupp (3rd title)
MOP Bill Spivey Kentucky
Attendance 110,645
Top scorer Don Sunderlage Illinois
(83 points)
NCAA Men's Division I Tournaments
«1950 1952»

The 1951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 16 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 20, 1951, and ended with the championship game on March 27 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A total of 18 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.

Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp, won the national title with a 68-58 victory in the final game over Kansas State, coached by Jack Gardner.

The tournament was the first to introduce a 16-team field. Only the championship and third place games were held in Minneapolis, while the semifinals were held in the respective regional sites. In this sense, the 1951 tournament did not feature a true "Final Four." This would have to wait until the 1952 tournament.

Locations

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1951 tournament:

First round

March 20
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina
March 21 and 22
Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri

Regionals

March 22 and 24
East Regional, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
March 23 and 24
West Regional, Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri

Championship Game

March 27
Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Teams

Region Seed Team Coach Finished Final Opponent Score
East
East n/a Columbia Lou Rossini Sweet SixteenIllinoisL 79-71
East n/a Connecticut Hugh Greer Sweet SixteenSt. John'sL 63-52
East n/a Illinois Harry Combes Third PlaceOklahoma A&MW 61-46
East n/a Kentucky Adolph Rupp ChampionKansas StateW 68-58
East n/a Louisville Peck Hickman Sweet SixteenKentuckyL 79-68
East n/a North Carolina State Everett Case Regional Fourth PlaceSt. John'sL 71-59
East n/a St. John's Frank McGuire Regional Third PlaceNorth Carolina StateW 71-59
East n/a Villanova Alex Severance Sweet SixteenNorth Carolina StateL 67-62
West
West n/a Arizona Fred Enke Sweet SixteenKansas StateL 61-59
West n/a BYU Stan Watts Regional Fourth PlaceWashingtonL 80-67
West n/a Kansas State Jack Gardner Runner-upKentuckyL 68-58
West n/a Montana State Brick Breeden Sweet SixteenOklahoma A&ML 50-46
West n/a Oklahoma A&M Henry Iba Fourth PlaceIllinoisL 61-46
West n/a San José State Walt McPherson Sweet SixteenBYUL 68-61
West n/a Texas A&M John Floyd Sweet SixteenWashingtonL 62-40
West n/a Washington Tippy Dye Regional Third PlaceBYUW 80-67

Bracket

First round Second round National Semifinals National Final
            
  Illinois 79
  Columbia 71
  Illinois 84
  N.C. State 70
  N.C. State 67
  Villanova 62
  Illinois 74
EAST REGION
  Kentucky 76
  Kentucky 79
  Louisville 68
  Kentucky 59
  St John's 43
  St John's 63
  Connecticut 52
  Kentucky 68
  Kansas State 58
  Kansas State 61
  Arizona 59
  Kansas State 64
  BYU 54
  BYU 68
  San Jose State 61
  Kansas State 68
WEST REGION
  Oklahoma A&M 44
  Oklahoma A&M 50
  Montana State 46
  Oklahoma A&M 61
  Washington 57
  Washington 62
  Texas A&M 40

National Third Place Game

National Third Place
   
Illinois 61
Oklahoma A&M 46

Regional Third Place Games

East Regional Third Place
   
St John's 71
N.C. State 59

West Regional Third Place
   
Washington 80
BYU 67

See also

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