1963 College Basketball Recap
Since the beginning of the NCAA tournament in 1939, no team had won three straight titles. In fact, no team had reached three straight championship games. Until Cincinnati.
The Bearcats were on as impressive a roll as any college team had ever been. Over the last six years, they had won the tough Missouri Valley Conference six times, finished the regular season ranked either No.1 or No.2 five times, and reached the Final Four five years running.
Too bad they had to play Cinderella for the title in 1963.
Despite its No.3 ranking and a scoring average of 91.8, nobody expected Loyola of Chicago to beat Cincinnati, especially when the Ramblers fell behind by 15 in the second half. But Loyola rallied to send the game into OT and won the title on a last second rebound and basket by Vic Rouse.
A footnote: SEC champ Mississippi State finally agreed to play in the integrated NCAA tourney and lost its opening game to Loyola, the first nationally prominent college team to start four black players.
Trending
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
