1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament

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1971 NCAA University Division
basketball tournament

NCAA logo from 1971 to 1979
Season	1970–71
Teams	25
Finals site	Astrodome Houston, Texas
Champions	UCLA Bruins (7th title, 7th title game, 8th Final Four)
Runner-up	Villanova Wildcats (Vacated) (1st title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	Kansas Jayhawks (5th Final Four) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Vacated) (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	John Wooden (7th title)
MOP	Howard Porter (Villanova, vacated)
Attendance	207,200
Top scorer	Jim McDaniels (Western Kentucky) (147 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments «1970 1972»

The 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1971, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in Houston, Texas. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game. This was the last time the Final Four was held in Houston until 2011.

UCLA, coached by John Wooden, won its fifth consecutive national title (its seventh all-time) with a 68–62 victory in the final game over Villanova, coached by Jack Kraft. Howard Porter of Villanova was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. However, Villanova's placement in the tournament was later vacated because it was found that Porter had signed with an agent prior to the competition. Having lost to undefeated, second-ranked Penn (coached by Dick Harter) twice before, Porter did not think they would make it past the regionals where third-ranked South Carolina was also in their path. However, Penn vanquished South Carolina by 15 points, then had their worst game of the year against Villanova in the East Regional final, losing 90–47. Villanova's first-place finish in the East Regional was relinquished to Penn, with the regional consolation game winner, Fordham (coached by Digger Phelps, a former Penn assistant coach), receiving second place.