Dates 7 Mar 1959 – 21 Mar 1959 Attendance 161,809 | Teams 23 Finals site Freedom Hall | |
Champions California (1st title, 1st title game,
2nd Final Four) Runner-up West Virginia (1st title game,
1st Final Four) Semifinalists Cincinnati (1st Final Four)
Louisville (1st Final Four) Winning coach Pete Newell (1st title) MOP Jerry West West Virginia Top scorer Jerry West West Virginia
(160 points) Champion California Golden Bears men's basketball Similar 1973 NCAA Men's Div, 1977 NCAA Men's Div, 2000 NCAA Division I | ||
The 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 7, 1959, and ended with the championship game on March 21 in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 27 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.
California, coached by Pete Newell, won the national title with a 71-70 victory in the final game over West Virginia, coached by Fred Schaus. Jerry West of West Virginia was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
References
1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA