Dates 17 Mar 1939 – 27 Mar 1939 Teams 8 MOP Jimmy Hull | Top scorer Jimmy Hull Attendance 15,025 | |
Finals site Patten Gymnasium
Evanston, Illinois Champions Oregon (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four) Runner-up Ohio State (1st title game,
1st Final Four) Semifinalists Oklahoma (1st Final Four)
Villanova (1st Final Four) Winning coach Howard Hobson (1st title) Champion Oregon Ducks men's basketball Similar 1992 NCAA Division I, 1981 NCAA Men's Div, 1973 NCAA Men's Div, 1977 NCAA Men's Div | ||
The 1939 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. It was the first NCAA basketball national championship tournament, although it was operated by the NABC at the time.
Contents
The tournament began on March 17 and ended with the championship game on March 27 on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois. A total of 8 games were played, including a single third place game in the West region. The East region did not hold a third place game until 1941, and there was no national third place game until 1947.
Oregon, coached by Howard Hobson, won the national title with a 46–33 victory in the final game over Ohio State, coached by Harold Olsen. Jimmy Hull of Ohio State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Locations
The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1939 tournament: