1959 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament

The 1959 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's basketball in the NCAA College Division, predecessor to today's NCAA Divisions II and III, as a culmination of the 1958–59 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by the University of Evansville, and Evansville's Hugh Ahlering was named Most Outstanding Player.

1959 NCAA Division II
Basketball Tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Evansville, Indiana
Champions	Evansville Purple Aces (1st title)
Runner-up	Missouri State Bears (1st title game)
Semifinalists	North Carolina A&T Aggies (1st Final Four) Los Angeles State Golden Eagles (2nd Final Four)
Winning coach	Arad McCutchan (1st title)
MOP	Hugh Ahlering, Evansville
Attendance	22,287

Regional participants

School Outcome Florida A&M Runner-up Lincoln (MO) Third Place North Carolina A&T Regional Champion Tuskegee Fourth Place

School Outcome Adelphi Third Place American Regional Champion Hofstra Runner-up Wesleyan (CT) Fourth Place

School Outcome Buffalo Third Place Le Moyne Runner-up St. Michaels Regional Champion Williams Fourth Place

School Outcome Belmont Abbey Third Place Evansville Regional Champion Southern Illinois Fourth Place Wittenberg Runner-up

School Outcome Hope Regional Champion Loras Fourth Place Wabash Third Place Wheaton (IL) Runner-up

School Outcome Abilene Christian Third Place Centenary (LA) Runner-up SW Missouri State Regional Champion Western Illinois Fourth Place

School Outcome Augustana (IL) Fourth Place Knox Runner-up South Dakota State Regional Champion Wartburg Third Place

School Outcome Cal State Los Angeles Regional Champion Chapman Runner-up Sacramento State Fourth Place Willamette Third Place

Regionals

South Central - Tuskegee, Alabama

Location: Logan Hall

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	North Carolina A&T		107
	Tuskegee		87
						North Carolina A&T		98
						Florida A&M		75
	Florida A&M		90
	Lincoln (MO)		73

• Third Place - Lincoln 88, Tuskegee 64

East - Garden City, New York

Location: Woodruff Hall

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	American		80
	Adelphi		73
						American		66
						Hofstra		65
	Hofstra		67
	Wesleyan (CT)		48

• Third Place - Adelphi 69, Wesleyan 63

Northeast - Winooski, Vermont

Location:

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	St. Michael's		53
	Buffalo		51
						St. Michael's		71
						Le Moyne		70
	Le Moyne		72
	Williams		66

• Third Place - Buffalo 78, Williams 53

Mideast - Evansville, Indiana

Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Evansville		66
	Belmont Abbey		54
						Evansville		56
						Wittenberg		50
	Wittenberg		80
	Southern Illinois		70

• Third Place - Belmont Abbey 79, Southern Illinois 70

Great Lakes - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Location: Glenbard High School Gym

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Wheaton (IL)		102
	Wabash		83
						Wheaton		76
						Hope		93
	Hope		102
	Loras		73

• Third Place - Wabash 100, Loras 79

Southwest - Springfield, Missouri

Location: McDonald Hall and Arena

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	SW Missouri State		87
	Abilene Christian		67
						SW Missouri State		65
						Centenary		62
	Centenary (LA)		84
	Western Illinois		76

• Third Place - Abilene Christian 85, Western Illinois 81*

Midwest - Brookings, South Dakota

Location: The Barn

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	South Dakota State		73
	Augustana (IL)		56
						South Dakota State		106
						Knox		80
	Knox		88
	Wartburg		84

• Third Place - Wartburg 69, Augustana 66*

Pacific Coast - Los Angeles, California

Location: Eagle's Nest

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Cal State Los Angeles		83
	Sacramento State		57
						Cal State Los Angeles		86
						Chapman		82
	Chapman		73
	Willamette		52

• Third Place - Willamette 76, Sacramento State 57

*denotes each overtime played

National Finals - Evansville, Indiana

Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium

	Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Final
	North Carolina A&T		87
	American		70
						North Carolina A&T		92
						Evansville		110
	St. Michael's		63
	Evansville		82
											Evansville		83
											SW Missouri State		67
	Hope		74
	SW Missouri State		76
						SW Missouri State		72
						Cal State Los Angeles		59
	South Dakota State		67
	Cal State Los Angeles		92

• Third Place - North Carolina A&T 101, Cal State Los Angeles 84

*denotes each overtime played

All-tournament team

• Hugh Ahlering (Evansville)
• Paul Benes (Hope)
• Joe Cotton (North Carolina A&T)
• Leo Hill (Cal State-Los Angeles)
• Jack Israel (Southwest Missouri State)

References

Sources

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship
• 1959 NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament jonfmorse.com