# 1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

The 1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1962, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 23, 1963, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers won their first NCAA national championship with a 60–58 victory in overtime over the Cincinnati Bearcats.

## Season headlines

* The Western Athletic Conference began play, with six charter members.
* While playing Wyoming in the All-City Tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on December 28, 1962, Loyola of Illinois replaced starter John Egan with Pablo Robertson during the second half, becoming the first team ever to have five African American players on the floor at the same time.
* Terry Baker of Oregon State became the first college football Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NCAA tournament's Final Four.
* The Metropolitan New York Conference disbanded at the end of the season after 24 seasons of competition.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The Top 10 from the AP Poll and the Top 20 from the UPI Coaches Poll during the pre-season.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Cincinnati |
| 2 | Duke |
| 3 | Kentucky |
| 4 | Loyola (Ill.) |
| 5 | West Virginia |
| 6 | Mississippi State |
| 7 | Oregon State |
| 8 | Illinois |
| 9 | St. Bonaventure |
| 10 | Wisconsin |
UPI Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Cincinnati |
| 2 | Duke |
| 3 | Kentucky |
| 4 | West Virginia |
| 5 | Loyola (Ill.) |
| 6 | Oregon State |
| 7 | Mississippi State |
| 8 | St. Bonaventure |
| 9 | Wisconsin |
| 10 (tie) | Bowling Green |
| 10 (tie) | Stanford |
| 12 | Dayton |
| 13 | Illinois |
| 14 | Kansas State |
| 15 | Arizona State |
| 16 | NYU |
| 17 | UCLA |
| 18 | Colorado State |
| 19 | Creighton |
| 20 | Indiana |

## Conference membership changes

| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Arizona Wildcats | NCAA University Division independent | Western Athletic Conference |
| Arizona State Sun Devils | Border Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| BYU Cougars | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Colorado State Rams | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Denver Pioneers | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Hardin–Simmons Cowboys | Border Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Montana Grizzlies | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| New Mexico Lobos | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| New Mexico State Aggies | Border Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Texas Western Miners | Border Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Utah Utes | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Utah State Aggies | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| West Texas State Buffaloes | Border Conference | NCAA University Division independent |
| Wyoming Cowboys | Mountain States (Skyline) Conference | Western Athletic Conference |

## Regular season
### Conferences
#### Conference winners and tournaments

| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| Athletic Association of Western Universities | Stanford & UCLA | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke | Art Heyman, Duke | 1963 ACC men's basketball tournament | Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, North Carolina) | Duke |
| Big Eight Conference | Colorado & Kansas State | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Big Ten Conference | Illinois & Ohio State | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Ivy League | Princeton | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metropolitan New York Conference | Fordham | | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Mid-American Conference | Bowling Green State | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Middle Atlantic Conference | Saint Joseph's | | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Cincinnati | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Morehead State & Tennessee Tech | Harold Sergent, Morehead State | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Southeastern Conference | Mississippi State | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Southern Conference | West Virginia | Fred Hetzel, Davidson | 1963 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Richmond Arena (Richmond, Virginia) | West Virginia |
| Southwest Conference | Texas | Bennie Lenox, Texas A&M | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| West Coast Athletic Conference | San Francisco | Steve Gray, Saint Mary's | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Western Athletic Conference | Arizona State | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Yankee Conference | Connecticut | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |

#### Conference standings

1962–63 AAWU Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1962–63 AAWU Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UCLA †7–5 .58320–9  .690 Stanford7–5 .58316–9  .640 USC6–6 .50020–9  .690 Washington6–6 .50013–13  .500 California4–8 .33313–11  .542 † Conference playoff game winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Duke †14–0 1.00027–3  .900 Wake Forest11–3 .78616–10  .615 North Carolina10–4 .71415–6  .714 Clemson5–9 .35712–13  .480 NC State5–9 .35710–11  .476 South Carolina4–10 .2869–15  .375 Maryland4–10 .2868–13  .381 Virginia3–11 .2145–20  .200 † 1963 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 10 Colorado11–3 .78619–7  .731 Kansas State11–3 .78616–9  .640 Iowa State8–6 .57114–11  .560 Oklahoma8–6 .57112–13  .480 Oklahoma State7–7 .50016–9  .640 Kansas5–9 .35712–13  .480 Missouri5–9 .35710–15  .400 Nebraska1–13 .0716–19  .240 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1962–63 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 7 Ohio State11–3 .78620–4  .833 No. 8 Illinois11–3 .78620–6  .769 Indiana9–5 .64313–11  .542 Michigan8–6 .57116–8  .667 Minnesota8–6 .57112–12  .500 Wisconsin7–7 .50014–10  .583 Northwestern6–8 .4299–15  .375 Iowa5–9 .3579–15  .375 Michigan State3–11 .2144–16  .200 Purdue2–12 .1437–17  .292 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Princeton†11–3 .78619–6  .760 Yale11–3 .78613–10  .565 Pennsylvania10–4 .71419–6  .760 Brown6–8 .42911–13  .458 Cornell6–7 .46212–12  .500 Harvard5–9 .3576–15  .286 Columbia4–9 .30810–12  .455 Dartmouth2–12 .1437–18  .280 † Regular-season championship winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Metropolitan New York Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Fordham4–1 .80018–8  .692 No. 9 NYU3–1 .75018–5  .783 St. Francis (NY)4–2 .66716–7  .696 St. John's2–2 .5009–15  .375 CCNY1–2 .3338–10  .444 Brooklyn0–2 .0006–12  .333 Manhattan0–4 .0009–14  .391 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1962–63 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bowling Green State9–3 .75019–8  .704 Ohio8–4 .66713–11  .542 Toledo8–4 .66713–11  .542 Miami (Ohio)8–4 .66712–12  .500 Western Michigan7–5 .58312–12  .500 Marshall1–11 .0837–16  .304 Kent State1–11 .0833–18  .143 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 MAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Saint Joseph's†8–0 1.00023–5  .821 La Salle7–1 .87516–8  .667 Delaware7–3 .70014–8  .636 Temple6–3 .66715–7  .682 Lafayette6–4 .60013–11  .542 Gettysburg6–5 .54516–9  .640 Lehigh3–10 .2316–19  .240 Bucknell2–8 .2007–16  .304 Muhlenberg0–11 .0004–17  .190 † Regular-season championship winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Cincinnati11–1 .91726–2  .929 No. 5 Wichita Municipal7–5 .58319–8  .704 Bradley6–6 .50017–9  .654 Saint Louis6–6 .50016–12  .571 Tulsa5–7 .41717–8  .680 North Texas State4–8 .33310–14  .417 Drake3–9 .25011–14  .440 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1962–63 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Tennessee Tech8–4 .66716–8  .667 Morehead State8–4 .66713–7  .650 East Tennessee State7–5 .58314–8  .636 Murray State6–6 .50013–9  .591 Eastern Kentucky State6–6 .5009–12  .429 Middle Tennessee4–8 .3339–15  .375 Western Kentucky State3–9 .2505–16  .238 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Mississippi State12–2 .85722–6  .786 Auburn10–4 .71418–4  .818 Georgia Tech10–4 .71421–5  .808 Vanderbilt9–5 .64316–7  .696 Kentucky8–6 .57116–9  .640 Alabama7–7 .50014–11  .560 Tennessee6–8 .42913–11  .542 LSU5–9 .35712–12  .500 Florida5–9 .35712–14  .462 Georgia4–10 .2869–17  .346 Ole Miss4–10 .2867–17  .292 Tulane4–10 .2866–16  .273 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT West Virginia †11–2 .84623–8  .742 Davidson8–3 .72720–7  .741 William & Mary10–5 .66715–9  .625 Furman9–6 .60014–14  .500 George Washington6–6 .5008–15  .348 Virginia Tech6–6 .50012–12  .500 VMI6–10 .3756–15  .286 Richmond3–13 .1887–18  .280 The Citadel2–10 .1673–20  .130 † Southern Conference Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1962–63 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Texas13–1 .92920–7  .741 Texas A&M9–5 .64316–8  .667 Rice9–5 .64312–11  .522 Arkansas8–6 .57113–11  .542 SMU6–8 .42912–12  .500 Texas Tech6–8 .4296–17  .261 Baylor4–10 .2867–17  .292 TCU1–13 .0714–20  .167 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT San Francisco10–2 .83318–9  .667 Santa Clara9–3 .75016–9  .640 Saint Mary's8–4 .66714–11  .560 Pepperdine6–6 .50014–11  .560 San Jose State– –14–10  .583 Loyola (Calif.)3–9 .2509–17  .346 Pacific0–12 .0004–22  .154 † Regular-season championship winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1962–63 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Arizona State9–1 .90026–3  .897 BYU6–4 .60012–14  .462 Utah5–5 .50012–14  .462 New Mexico4–6 .40016–9  .640 Arizona3–7 .30013–13  .500 Wyoming3–7 .30011–15  .423 Rankings from AP Poll | 1962–63 Yankee Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Connecticut 9–1 .90018–7  .720 Rhode Island 8–2 .80015–11  .577 Massachusetts 6–4 .60012–12  .500 Maine 3–7 .3008–15  .348 Vermont 2–8 .20010–13  .435 New Hampshire 2–8 .2007–17  .292 |

### University Division independents

A total of 56 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Loyola of Illinois (29–2) had both the best winning percentage (.935) and the most wins.
1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball independents standings :
* 1962–63 NCAA University Division men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* No. 3 Loyola (Ill.)– –29–2
* .935
* Providence– –24–4
* .857
* Miami (FL)– –23–5
* .821
* Colorado State– –18–5
* .783
* Seattle– –21–6
* .778
* Niagara– –14–4
* .778
* Idaho– –20–6
* .769
* Pittsburgh– –19–6
* .760
* Penn State– –15–5
* .750
* Utah State– –20–7
* .741
* Canisius– –19–7
* .731
* Memphis– –19–7
* .731
* Texas Western– –19–7
* .731
* Oregon State– –22–9
* .710
* Seton Hall– –16–7
* .696
* Marquette– –20–9
* .690
* Oklahoma City– –19–10
* .655
* Villanova– –19–10
* .655
* Notre Dame– –17–9
* .654
* DePaul– –15–8
* .652
* Holy Cross– –16–9
* .640
* Iona– –12–7
* .632
* Regis– –15–9
* .625
* Butler– –16–10
* .615
* Dayton– –16–10
* .615
* Florida State– –15–10
* .600
* Duquesne– –13–9
* .591
* Houston– –15–11
* .577
* Louisville– –14–11
* .560
* Detroit– –14–12
* .538
* Gonzaga– –14–12
* .538
* Boston University– –10–9
* .526
* St. Bonaventure– –13–12
* .520
* Creighton– –14–13
* .519
* Georgetown– –13–13
* .500
* Montana State– –13–13
* .500
* Loyola (LA)– –12–12
* .500
* Navy– –9–9
* .500
* Centenary– –12–14
* .462
* Air Force– –10–12
* .455
* Saint Francis (PA)– –10–13
* .435
* Xavier– –12–16
* .429
* Oregon– –11–15
* .423
* Army– –8–11
* .421
* Boston College– –10–16
* .385
* Hardin–Simmons– –10–16
* .385
* Syracuse– –8–13
* .381
* Idaho State– –9–15
* .375
* Portland– –8–18
* .308
* Rutgers– –7–16
* .304
* Colgate– –5–13
* .278
* Montana– –6–18
* .250
* West Texas State– –6–18
* .250
* Denver– –6–19
* .240
* Washington State– –5–20
* .200
* New Mexico State– –4–17
* .190
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Penn & Villanova | Wali Jones, Villanova, & Jim Lynam, Saint Joseph's |
Penn and Villanova both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders
## Post-season tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National finals | National finals | National finals |
| E | Duke | 75 | | | |
| ME | Loyola (Ill.) | 94 | | | |
| ME | Loyola (Ill.) | 94 | ME | Loyola (Ill.) | 60$^{OT}$ |
| | | | MW | Cincinnati | 58 |
| MW | Cincinnati | 80 | MW | Cincinnati | 58 |
| W | Oregon State | 46 | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | E | Duke | 85 |
| | | | W | Oregon State | 63 |

### National Invitation tournament
#### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Villanova | 46 | | |
| Canisius | 61 | | |
| Canisius | 61 | Canisius | 66 |
| | | Providence | 81 |
| Providence | 70 | Providence | 81 |
| Marquette | 64 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Villanova | 58 |
| | | Marquette | 66 |

## Awards
### Consensus All-American teams

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Ron Bonham | F | Junior | Cincinnati |
| Jerry Harkness | G | Senior | Loyola (IL) |
| Art Heyman | F | Senior | Duke |
| Barry Kramer | G/F | Junior | NYU |
| Tom Thacker | G | Senior | Cincinnati |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Gary Bradds | F | Junior | Ohio State |
| Bill Green | F | Senior | Colorado State |
| Cotton Nash | F | Junior | Kentucky |
| Rod Thorn | G/F | Senior | West Virginia |
| Nate Thurmond | C | Senior | Bowling Green |

### Major player of the year awards

* Helms Player of the Year: Art Heyman, Duke
* Associated Press Player of the Year:Art Heyman, Duke
* UPI Player of the Year: Art Heyman, Duke
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Art Heyman, Duke
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Art Heyman, Duke

### Major coach of the year awards

* Henry Iba Award: Ed Jucker, Cincinnati
* NABC Coach of the Year: Ed Jucker, Cincinnati
* UPI Coach of the Year: Ed Jucker, Cincinnati

### Other major awards

* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Wali Jones, Villanova, & Jim Lynam, Saint Joseph's
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Barry Kramer, NYU

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Bowling Green | Harold Anderson | | Warren Scholler | |
| West Texas A&M | Metz LaFollette | | Jimmy Viramontes | |