The 1969–70 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1969, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1970 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 21, 1970, at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The UCLA Bruins won their sixth NCAA national championship with an 80–69 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins.
Season headlines
- UCLA won its fourth NCAA championship in a row, sixth overall, and sixth in seven seasons. In the Pacific 8 Conference, it also won its fourth of what ultimately would be 13 consecutive conference titles.
- The Pacific Coast Athletic Association began play. It was renamed the Big West Conference in 1988.
- LSU’s Pete Maravich established several NCAA records during his career. Two of the most notable came during this season — single-season scoring average (44.5 in 1969–70, besting his 44.2 average from the prior season) and career scoring (3,667 points). In addition to leading the NCAA in scoring for the third consecutive season, Maravich was named a consensus first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year for the third time. He was the first player to score 3,000 or more points in his career (1968–1970),[3] and his career average of 44.2 points per game made him the first player to average more than 40 points a game for his career.[3] In a game against Alabama on February 7, 1970, Maravich scored 69 points, setting a record for points scored by a single player in a game against an NCAA University Division (later NCAA Division I) opponent;[4] Maravich broke the record of 68 points set by Calvin Murphy of Niagara in December 1968, and no one outscored Maravich until Kevin Bradshaw scored 72 points in a game in January 1991.[5]
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[6][7]
Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conferences
Conference winners and tournaments
Conference
|
Regular season winner[8]
|
Conference player of the year
|
Conference tournament
|
Tournament venue (City)
|
Tournament winner
|
Atlantic Coast Conference |
South Carolina |
John Roche, South Carolina[9] |
1970 ACC men's basketball tournament |
Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
NC State
|
Big Eight Conference |
Kansas State |
Dave Robisch, Kansas[10] |
No Tournament
|
Big Sky Conference |
Weber State |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Big Ten Conference |
Iowa |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Ivy League |
Penn |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Mid-American Conference |
Ohio |
Jim Penix, Bowling Green[11] |
No Tournament
|
Middle Atlantic Conference |
St. Joseph's (East); Lafayette, Lehigh, & Rider (West) |
|
No Tournament
|
Missouri Valley Conference |
Drake |
Jim Ard, Cincinnati |
No Tournament
|
Ohio Valley Conference |
Western Kentucky |
Jim McDaniels, Western Kentucky |
No Tournament
|
Pacific 8 Conference |
UCLA |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Pacific Coast Athletic Association |
Long Beach State |
George Trapp, Long Beach State |
No Tournament
|
Southeastern Conference |
Kentucky |
Pete Maravich, LSU[12] |
No Tournament
|
Southern Conference |
Davidson |
Mike Maloy, Davidson[13] |
1970 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament |
Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
Davidson[14]
|
Southland Conference |
Lamar |
Kenny Haynes, Lamar[15] |
No Tournament
|
Southwest Conference |
Rice |
Gene Phillips, SMU |
No Tournament
|
West Coast Athletic Conference |
Santa Clara |
Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara |
No Tournament
|
Western Athletic Conference |
UTEP |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Yankee Conference |
Connecticut & Massachusetts |
None selected |
No Tournament
|
Conference standings
|
|
1969–70 Big Sky men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
Weber State |
12 |
– |
3 |
|
.800 |
|
|
19 |
– |
8
|
|
.704
|
Idaho State |
11 |
– |
4 |
|
.733 |
|
|
14 |
– |
11
|
|
.560
|
Gonzaga |
7 |
– |
8 |
|
.467 |
|
|
10 |
– |
16
|
|
.385
|
Idaho |
6 |
– |
9 |
|
.400 |
|
|
10 |
– |
15
|
|
.400
|
Montana |
5 |
– |
10 |
|
.333 |
|
|
8 |
– |
18
|
|
.308
|
Montana State |
4 |
– |
11 |
|
.267 |
|
|
4 |
– |
22
|
|
.154
|
|
|
|
|
1969–70 Ivy League men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
No. 13 Pennsylvania |
14 |
– |
0 |
|
1.000 |
|
|
25 |
– |
2
|
|
.926
|
Columbia |
11 |
– |
3 |
|
.786 |
|
|
20 |
– |
5
|
|
.800
|
Princeton |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
16 |
– |
9
|
|
.640
|
Dartmouth |
7 |
– |
7 |
|
.500 |
|
|
13 |
– |
12
|
|
.520
|
Yale |
7 |
– |
7 |
|
.500 |
|
|
11 |
– |
13
|
|
.458
|
Cornell |
4 |
– |
10 |
|
.286 |
|
|
7 |
– |
16
|
|
.304
|
Brown |
3 |
– |
11 |
|
.214 |
|
|
6 |
– |
20
|
|
.231
|
Harvard |
1 |
– |
13 |
|
.071 |
|
|
7 |
– |
19
|
|
.269
|
|
Rankings from AP Poll
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969–70 Pacific–8 Conference men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
No. 2 UCLA |
12 |
– |
2 |
|
.857 |
|
|
28 |
– |
2
|
|
.933
|
Washington State |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
19 |
– |
7
|
|
.731
|
No. 20 USC |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
18 |
– |
8
|
|
.692
|
Oregon |
8 |
– |
6 |
|
.571 |
|
|
17 |
– |
9
|
|
.654
|
Washington |
7 |
– |
7 |
|
.500 |
|
|
17 |
– |
9
|
|
.654
|
California |
5 |
– |
9 |
|
.357 |
|
|
11 |
– |
15
|
|
.423
|
Oregon State |
4 |
– |
10 |
|
.286 |
|
|
10 |
– |
16
|
|
.385
|
Stanford |
2 |
– |
12 |
|
.143 |
|
|
5 |
– |
20
|
|
.200
|
|
Rankings from AP Poll
|
|
|
1969–70 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
No. 1 Kentucky |
17 |
– |
1 |
|
.944 |
|
|
26 |
– |
2
|
|
.929
|
LSU |
13 |
– |
5 |
|
.722 |
|
|
22 |
– |
10
|
|
.688
|
Auburn |
11 |
– |
7 |
|
.611 |
|
|
15 |
– |
11
|
|
.577
|
Georgia |
11 |
– |
7 |
|
.611 |
|
|
13 |
– |
12
|
|
.520
|
Tennessee |
10 |
– |
8 |
|
.556 |
|
|
16 |
– |
9
|
|
.640
|
Vanderbilt |
8 |
– |
10 |
|
.444 |
|
|
12 |
– |
14
|
|
.462
|
Ole Miss |
6 |
– |
12 |
|
.333 |
|
|
10 |
– |
15
|
|
.400
|
Florida |
6 |
– |
12 |
|
.333 |
|
|
9 |
– |
17
|
|
.346
|
Alabama |
5 |
– |
13 |
|
.278 |
|
|
8 |
– |
18
|
|
.308
|
Mississippi State |
3 |
– |
15 |
|
.167 |
|
|
6 |
– |
18
|
|
.250
|
|
Rankings from AP Poll
|
|
|
|
1969–70 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
Rice |
10 |
– |
4 |
|
.714 |
|
|
14 |
– |
11
|
|
.560
|
Texas A&M |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
14 |
– |
10
|
|
.583
|
Baylor |
8 |
– |
6 |
|
.571 |
|
|
15 |
– |
9
|
|
.625
|
Texas Tech |
8 |
– |
6 |
|
.571 |
|
|
14 |
– |
10
|
|
.583
|
TCU |
8 |
– |
6 |
|
.571 |
|
|
10 |
– |
14
|
|
.417
|
Texas |
6 |
– |
8 |
|
.429 |
|
|
11 |
– |
13
|
|
.458
|
SMU |
4 |
– |
10 |
|
.286 |
|
|
5 |
– |
19
|
|
.208
|
Arkansas |
3 |
– |
11 |
|
.214 |
|
|
5 |
– |
19
|
|
.208
|
|
Rankings from AP Poll
|
|
1969–70 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
|
Conf. |
|
|
Overall
|
Team |
W |
|
L |
|
PCT |
|
|
W |
|
L |
|
PCT
|
Santa Clara† |
11 |
– |
3 |
|
.786 |
|
|
23 |
– |
6
|
|
.793
|
Pacific |
11 |
– |
3 |
|
.786 |
|
|
21 |
– |
6
|
|
.778
|
UNLV |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
17 |
– |
9
|
|
.654
|
San Francisco |
9 |
– |
5 |
|
.643 |
|
|
15 |
– |
11
|
|
.577
|
Pepperdine |
7 |
– |
7 |
|
.500 |
|
|
14 |
– |
12
|
|
.538
|
Loyola (Calif.) |
7 |
– |
7 |
|
.500 |
|
|
13 |
– |
13
|
|
.500
|
Nevada |
2 |
– |
12 |
|
.143 |
|
|
5 |
– |
17
|
|
.227
|
Saint Mary's |
0 |
– |
14 |
|
.000 |
|
|
3 |
– |
22
|
|
.120
|
|
† Regular-season championship winner Rankings from AP poll
|
|
|
|
University Division independents
A total of 61 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Jacksonville (27–2) had the best winning percentage (.931), and Jacksonville and New Mexico State (27–3) finished with the most wins.[21]
Penn finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
Major player of the year awards
Major coach of the year awards
Other major awards
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
References
- ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 846. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "1978 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. p. 13. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "72-Point Performance Erases Maravich's Record," The New York Times, January 7, 1991.
- ^ Carter, Bob (November 19, 2003). "Maravich scored at will". espn.com. ESPN Classic. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 836. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2009-02-14
- ^ 2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04
- ^ 2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-02-14
- ^ 2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book, Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-06
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
- ^ 2008–09 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07
- ^ sports-reference.com 1969-70 Big Eight Conference Season Summary
- ^ "1969-70 Missouri Valley Conference Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "1969-70 Pacific Coast Athletic Association Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ "1969-70 Men's Southland Conference Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ sports-reference.com 1969-70 Western Athletic Conference Season Summary
- ^ "1969-70 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 15, 2024.