1969 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament

The 1969 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 1968–69 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Kentucky Wesleyan's George Tinsley named the Most Outstanding Player.

1969 NCAA Division II
Basketball Tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Evansville, Indiana
Champions	Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (3rd title)
Runner-up	SW Missouri State Bears (3rd title game)
Semifinalists	American International Yellow Jackets* (1st Final Four) Ashland Eagles (2nd Final Four)
Winning coach	Bob Daniels (2nd title)
MOP	George Tinsley, Kentucky Wesleyan
Attendance	30,003

American International College's tournament and semifinal appearances were later vacated due to NCAA rules violations.

Regional participants

School Outcome Mount St. Mary's Runner-up Norfolk State Third Place Oglethorpe Regional Champion Old Dominion Fourth Place

School Outcome Alcorn State Runner-up Bellarmine Fourth Place Kentucky Wesleyan Regional Champion Transylvania Third Place

School Outcome San Francisco State Regional Champion UC Davis Fourth Place UC Irvine Third Place UNLV Runner-up

School Outcome American International* Regional Champion Assumption Third Place Central Connecticut State Fourth Place Springfield Runner-up

School Outcome Albany Third Place Le Moyne Fourth Place Montclair State Regional Champion Wagner Runner-up

School Outcome Lincoln (MO) Third Place South Dakota State Runner-up SW Missouri State Regional Champion St. Olaf Fourth Place

School Outcome Concordia (IL) Fourth Place Illinois State Regional Champion North Park Third Place Valparaiso Runner-up

School Outcome Ashland Regional Champion Cheyney Runner-up Philadelphia Textile Third Place Wittenberg Fourth Place

*tournament appearance vacated

Regionals

South Atlantic - Norfolk, Virginia

Location:

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Oglethorpe		68
	Old Dominion		60
						Oglethorpe		74
						Mount St. Mary's		56
	Mount St. Mary's		95
	Norfolk State		80

• Third Place - Norfolk State 113, Old Dominion 102

South - Owensboro, Kentucky

Location: Owensboro Sportscenter

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Alcorn State		76
	Bellarmine		75
						Alcorn State		79
						Kentucky Wesleyan		83
	Kentucky Wesleyan		77
	Transylvania		61

• Third Place - Transylvania 65, Bellarmine 64

Far West - Las Vegas, Nevada

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	San Francisco State		81
	UC Irvine		55
						San Francisco State		77
						UNLV		72
	UNLV		84
	UC Davis		81

• Third Place -UC Irvine 82, UC Davis 70

New England - Springfield, Massachusetts

Location: Butova Gymnasium

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Springfield		91
	Central Connecticut State		80
						Springfield		68
						American International		91
	American International		79
	Assumption		77

• Third Place - Assumption 98, Central Connecticut State 77

East - Syracuse, New York

Location: Henninger Athletic Center

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Wagner		109
	Albany		64
						Wagner		78
						Montclair State		101
	Montclair State		79
	Le Moyne		75

• Third Place - Albany 71, Le Moyne 70

Midwest - Springfield, Missouri

Location: McDonald Hall and Arena

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	South Dakota State		79
	Lincoln (MO)		77
						South Dakota State		74
						SW Missouri State		87
	SW Missouri State		75
	St. Olaf		47

• Third Place - Lincoln 77, St. Olaf 72

Great Lakes - Valparaiso, Indiana

Location: Hilltop Gym [1]

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Illinois State		87
	North Park		82
						Illinois State		103
						Valparaiso		87
	Valparaiso		91
	Concordia (IL)		81

• Third Place - North Park 90, Concordia 73

Mideast - Ashland, Ohio

Location: Kates Gymnasium

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	Cheyney		84
	Wittenberg		70
						Cheyney		56
						Ashland		66
	Ashland		43
	Philadelphia Textile		40

• Third Place - Philadelphia Textile 76, Wittenberg 74

*denotes each overtime played

National Finals - Evansville, Indiana

Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium

	Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Final
	Oglethorpe		68
	Kentucky Wesleyan		82
						Kentucky Wesleyan		83*
						American International		82
	San Francisco State		75
	American International		80
											Kentucky Weslayan		75
											SW Missouri State		71
	Montcair State		76
	SW Missouri State		92
						SW Missouri State		58
						Ashland		48
	Illinois State		35
	Ashland		41

• Third Place - American International 53, Ashland 51

*denotes each overtime played

All-Tournament team

• Mert Bancroft (Southwest Missouri State)
• Tommy Hobgood (Kentucky Wesleyan)
• Curtis Perry (Southwest Missouri State)
• Bob Rutherford (American International)
• George Tinsley (Kentucky Wesleyan)

References

1. Kretchmar, Dick (March 10, 1969). "Crusaders Lose To Redbitds In NCAA Finals". Valparaiso Vidette Messenger.

Sources

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship
• 1969 NCAA College Division Men's Basketball Tournament jonfmorse.com