1969 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

1969 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament
Season1968–69
Teams25
Finals siteFreedom Hall
Louisville, Kentucky
ChampionsUCLA Bruins (5th title, 5th title game,
6th Final Four)
Runner-upPurdue Boilermakers (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachJohn Wooden (5th title)
MOPLew Alcindor (UCLA)
Attendance165,712
Top scorerRick Mount (Purdue)
(122 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1968 1970»

The 1969 NCAA University Division men's basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1969, and ended with the championship game on March 22 in Louisville, Kentucky. Including consolation games in each of the regions and an overall consolation game, a total of 29 games were played.

UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won the national title with a 92–72 victory in the final game over Purdue, coached by George King. Lew Alcindor of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

In the game, John Vallely, the "Money Man", scored 22 points and Alcindor had 37 points, to give UCLA a win over Purdue, which is Wooden's alma mater. Purdue was hampered due to injuries to starting point guard Billy Keller and forward Herm Gilliam; Purdue had also lost 7'0" center Chuck Bavis to a broken collarbone during the Mideast Regionals against Miami, (OH). In earlier matchups, Bavis had provided an ample challenge to Alcindor. Wooden was an All-American guard for the Boilermakers from 1928 to 1932.


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