# 1961–62 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team

The 1961–62 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented University of Cincinnati. Cincinnati won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and defended its national championship with a 71–59 defeat of top-ranked in-state foe Ohio State again before 18,469 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The head coach was Ed Jucker.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| December 2, 1961* | No. 2 | Indiana State | W 63–30 | 1–0 | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| December 5, 1961* | No. 2 | Miami (OH) | W 63–30 | 2–0 | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH |
| December 6, 1960* | No. 2 | at Wisconsin | W 86–67 | 3–0 | Wisconsin Field House Madison, WI |
| December 11, 1961 | No. 2 | at Drake | W 60–59 | 4–0 (1–0) | Veterans Memorial Auditorium Des Moines, IA |
| December 16, 1961* | No. 2 | Marshall | W 77–49 | 5–0 | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| December 18, 1961 | No. 2 | at Wichita State | L 51–52 | 5–1 (1–1) | Levitt Arena Wichita, KS |
| December 21, 1961* | No. 2 | Colorado | W 84–67 | 6–1 | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| December 26, 1961* | No. 2 | vs. St. John's Holiday Festival | W 97–68 | 7–1 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| December 28, 1961* | No. 2 | vs. La Salle Holiday Festival | W 64–56 | 8–1 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| December 30, 1961* | No. 2 | vs. Wisconsin Holiday Festival | W 101–71 | 9–1 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| January 4, 1962 | No. 2 | Saint Louis | W 62–47 | 10–1 (2–1) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| January 6, 1962 | No. 2 | Tulsa | W 72–43 | 11–1 (3–1) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| January 10, 1962 | No. 2 | at Bradley | L 68–70 $^{OT}$ | 11–2 (3–2) | Robertson Memorial Field House Peoria, IL |
| January 16, 1962* | No. 3 | Dayton | W 80–61 | 12–2 | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH |
| January 18, 1962* | No. 3 | at No. 5 Duquesne | W 62–54 | 13–2 | Duquesne Gymnasium Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 25, 1962 | No. 3 | North Texas | W 89–61 | 14–2 (4–2) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| January 30, 1962 | No. 3 | Drake | W 73–52 | 15–2 (5–2) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| February 1, 1962* | No. 3 | at Houston | W 60–52 | 16–2 | Jeppesen Field House Houston, TX |
| February 3, 1962 | No. 3 | at North Texas | W 77–50 | 17–2 (6–2) | North Texas Men's Gym Denton, TX |
| February 8, 1962 | No. 3 | at Saint Louis | W 54–48 | 18–2 (7–2) | Kiel Auditorium Saint Louis, MO |
| February 10, 1962 | No. 3 | at Tulsa | W 70–52 | 19–2 (8–2) | Expo Square Pavilion Tulsa, OK |
| February 12, 1962* | No. 3 | George Washington | W 83–43 | 20–2 | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| February 16, 1962* | No. 3 | Houston | W 59–47 | 21–2 | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| February 19, 1962 | No. 3 | No. 5 Bradley | W 72–57 | 22–2 (9–2) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| February 24, 1962 | No. 2 | Wichita State | W 84–63 | 23–2 (10–2) | Armory Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| March 1, 1962* | No. 2 | Xavier Crosstown Shootout | W 61–58 | 24–2 | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH |
| March 12, 1962 | No. 2 | vs. No. 6 Bradley Missouri Valley Conference Playoff | W 61–46 | 25–2 (11–2) | Roberts Memorial Fieldhouse Evansville, IN |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||
| March 16* | No. 2 | vs. Creighton Midwest Region Semifinals | W 66–46 | 26–2 | Ahearn Field House Manhattan, KS |
| March 17* | No. 2 | vs. No. 9 Colorado Midwest Region Finals | W 73–46 | 27–2 | Ahearn Field House Manhattan, KS |
| March 23* | No. 2 | vs. UCLA Final Four | W 72–70 | 28–2 | Freedom Hall Louisville, KY |
| March 24* | No. 2 | vs. No. 1 Ohio State National Championship | W 71–59 | 29–2 | Freedom Hall Louisville, KY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||

## Awards and honors
### All-American

* USBWA First Team: Paul Hogue
* NABC, NEA Second Team: Paul Hogue
* AP, NEA Third Team: Paul Hogue

### National honors

Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year: Paul Hogue

### Missouri Valley Conference honors
#### All-MVC

* Paul Hogue
* Tom Thacker
* Ron Bonham
Source

## NBA draft

| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 1 | 2 | Paul Hogue | New York Knicks |
* In the spring of 1962, Cleveland Pipers owner George Steinbrenner signed Jerry Lucas to a player-management contract worth forty thousand dollars. With the Lucas signing, Steinbrenner had a secret deal with NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff. The Pipers would merge with the Kansas City Steers and join the NBA. A schedule was printed for the 1963–64 NBA season with the Pipers playing the New York Knicks in the first game. Steinbrenner and partner George McKean fell behind in payments to the NBA and the deal was cancelled.