# 1961 NCAA College Division basketball tournament

The 1961 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division college basketball as a culmination of the 1960-61 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Wittenberg University and South Dakota State's Don Jacobson was the Most Outstanding Player.

## Regional participants

Outcome :
| Austin Peay | Regional Champion |
| Belmont Abbey | Runner-up |
| Chattanooga | Fourth Place |
| Kentucky Wesleyan | Third Place |
Outcome :
| Albright | Runner-up |
| Fairfield | Fourth Place |
| Mount St. Mary's | Regional Champion |
| Virginia Union | Third Place |
Outcome :
| Bates | Runner-up |
| Rochester | Third Place |
| Springfield | Fourth Place |
| Williams | Regional Champion |
Outcome :
| South Carolina State | Fourth Place |
| Wabash | Runner-up |
| Wittenberg | Regional Champion |
| Youngstown State | Third Place |
Outcome :
| Chicago | Regional Champion |
| Evansville | Third Place |
| Lincoln (MO) | Runner-up |
| MacMurray | Fourth Place |
Outcome :
| Colorado College | Fourth Place |
| SE Missouri State | Regional Champion |
| Southern Illinois | Runner-up |
| Trinity (TX) | Third Place |
Outcome :
| Cornell (IA) | Third Place |
| Prairie View | Runner-up |
| South Dakota State | Regional Champion |
| Wisconsin–Superior | Fourth Place |
Outcome :
| Chapman | Third Place |
| Long Beach State | Runner-up |
| Nevada | Fourth Place |
| UC Santa Barbara | Regional Champion |

## Regionals
### South – Clarksville, Tennessee

Location: Memorial Health Building Host: Austin Peay State College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Belmont Abbey | Belmont Abbey | 74 | | | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan | Kentucky Wesleyan | 62 | | | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan | Kentucky Wesleyan | 62 | Belmont Abbey | Belmont Abbey | 63 |
| | | | Austin Peay | Austin Peay | 70 |
| Austin Peay | Austin Peay | 77 | Austin Peay | Austin Peay | 70 |
| Chattanooga | Chattanooga | 69 | | | |
* Third place – Kentucky Wesleyan 111, Chattanooga 80

### East – Reading, Pennsylvania

Location: Bollman Center Host: Albright College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 83 | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 80 | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 80 | Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 82 |
| | | | Albright | Albright | 76 |
| Albright | Albright | 85 | Albright | Albright | 76 |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | 67 | | | |
* Third place – Virginia Union 70, Fairfield 66

### Northeast – Springfield, Massachusetts

Location: Judd Gymnasia Host: Springfield College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Williams | Williams | 74 | | | |
| Rochester | Rochester | 72 | | | |
| Rochester | Rochester | 72 | Williams | Williams | 75 |
| | | | Bates | Bates | 68 |
| Bates | Bates | 75 | Bates | Bates | 68 |
| Springfield | Springfield | 63 | | | |
* Third place – Rochester 82, Springfield 68

### Mideast – Crawfordsville, Indiana

Location: Chadwick Court Host: Wabash College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 43 | | | |
| Youngstown State | Youngstown State | 28 | | | |
| Youngstown State | Youngstown State | 28 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 48 |
| | | | Wabash | Wabash | 42 |
| Wabash | Wabash | 94 | Wabash | Wabash | 42 |
| South Carolina State | South Carolina State | 83 | | | |
* Third place – Youngstown State 96, South Carolina State 82

### Great Lakes – Chicago, Illinois

Location: Henry Crown Field House Host: University of Chicago
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Lincoln (MO) | Lincoln (MO) | 90 | | | |
| Evansville | Evansville | 77 | | | |
| Evansville | Evansville | 77 | Lincoln | Lincoln | 42 |
| | | | Chicago | Chicago | 55 |
| Chicago | Chicago | 64 | Chicago | Chicago | 55 |
| MacMurray | MacMurray | 59 | | | |
* Third place – Evansville 98, MacMurray 97*

### Southwest – Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Location: Houck Field House Host: Southeast Missouri State College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 99 | | | |
| Colorado College | Colorado College | 68 | | | |
| Colorado College | Colorado College | 68 | SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 88 |
| | | | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 84 |
| Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 96 | Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | 84 |
| Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 82 | | | |
* Third place – Trinity 75, Colorado College 58

### Midwest – Brookings, South Dakota

Location: The Barn Host: South Dakota State College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Prairie View | Prairie View | 79 | | | |
| Wisconsin–Superior | Wisconsin–Superior | 68 | | | |
| Wisconsin–Superior | Wisconsin–Superior | 68 | Prairie View | Prairie View | 84 |
| | | | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 88 |
| South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 90 | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 88 |
| Cornell (IA) | Cornell (IA) | 71 | | | |
* Third place – Cornell 83, Wisconsin–Superior 72

### Pacific Coast – Santa Barbara, California

Location: Robertson Gymnasium Host: University of California, Santa Barbara
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 | Regional final Sweet 16 March 11 |
| Long Beach State | Long Beach State | 70 | | | |
| Chapman | Chapman | 66 | | | |
| Chapman | Chapman | 66 | Long Beach State | Long Beach State | 54 |
| | | | UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 58 |
| UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 78 | UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 58 |
| Nevada | Nevada | 57 | | | |
* Third place – Chapman 68, Nevada 63
*denotes each overtime played

## National finals – Evansville, Indiana

Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: Evansville College
| National quarterfinals Elite Eight March 16 | National quarterfinals Elite Eight March 16 | National quarterfinals Elite Eight March 16 | National semifinals Final Four March 17 | National semifinals Final Four March 17 | National semifinals Final Four March 17 | National championship March 18 | National championship March 18 | National championship March 18 |
| Austin Peay | Austin Peay | 78 | | | | | | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 96 | | | | | | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 96 | Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 49 | | | |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 65 | | | |
| Williams | Williams | 51 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 65 | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 64 | | | | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 64 | | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 42 |
| | | | | | | SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 38 |
| Chicago | Chicago | 41 | | | | | | | SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 38 |
| SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 67 | | | | | | |
| SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 67 | SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 81 | | | |
| | | | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 69 | | | |
| South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 79 | South Dakota State | South Dakota State | 69 | | | |
| UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 65 | | | | | | |
* Third place – South Dakota State 77, Mount St. Mary's 76
*denotes each overtime played

## All-tournament team

* George Fisher (Wittenberg)
* Don Jacobsen (South Dakota State)
* John O'Reilly (Mount Saint Mary's)
* Vivian Reed (Southeast Missouri State)
* Carl Ritter (Southeast Missouri State)