1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament

1981 NCAA Division I
Basketball Tournament
Season 1980–81
Teams 48
Finals site The Spectrum
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Champions Indiana (4th title, 4th title game,
5th Final Four)
Runner-up North Carolina (5th title game,
8th Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coach Bob Knight (2nd title)
MOP Isiah Thomas Indiana
Attendance 347,414
Top scorer Al Wood North Carolina
(109 points)
NCAA Division I Men's Tournaments
«1980 1982»

The 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia. A total of 48 games were played, including a national third place game (the last in the NCAA Tournament). It was also the last tournament to be televised on NBC, before CBS took over the following year. Additionally, it was the last season in which the NCAA sponsored championships only in men's sports; the first Division I Women's Tournament would be played the following year.

Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title with a 63–50 victory over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Isiah Thomas of Indiana was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The March 14 upsets

The date of Saturday, March 14, 1981, was noteworthy in that it resulted in three major second round tournament upsets which were decided by last-second baskets.

St. Joseph's trailed No. 1 seed DePaul by seven at about the midway point of the second half, in an early afternoon Mideast Region game from Dayton, Ohio. However, with 48 seconds left, the Hawks had rallied to within 48–47. Blue Demons guard Skip Dillard was fouled with 13 seconds left. Dillard was known as 'Money' for his superb free throw shooting, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, and St. Joseph's got the rebound, then quickly passed the ball to the front court without calling a timeout. Guard Bryan Warrick got the ball to freshman Lonnie McFarlan who was wide open in the right corner. McFarlan began to shoot until forward John Smith yelled "Please!" to him. McFarlan passed to Smith, who was open underneath the basket. Smith's layup with two seconds left enabled the Hawks of coach Jim Lynam to stun the Blue Demons of Ray Meyer, 49–48.

Later in the afternoon in Austin, Texas, Arkansas coach Eddie Sutton called timeout with 5 seconds left after falling behind Louisville in the Midwest Region, 73–72 on a jumper by guard Derek Smith. Sutton told his team to get the ball to U.S. Reed. The Razorbacks' guard dribbled to near half court, then launched a 49-foot shot that beat the buzzer and swished through the net, as Arkansas dethroned the defending national champion Cardinals of Denny Crum, 74–73. Sutton told the media, "Champions die hard."

Only moments after the Razorbacks' upset, the season ended for another #1 seed in the West Region in Los Angeles. Oregon State led Kansas State by as much as 11 points in the second half. Coach Ralph Miller and center Steve Johnson had led the Beavers to a two-year record of 52–4. Then Rolando Blackman led the Wildcats back with a 16-6 run to tie the game, 48–48 with 3:23 left. Johnson then fouled out, and both teams stalled with the ball until Oregon State missed the front end of a one-and-one from the foul line. K-State then held for the last shot. With two seconds left, Blackman, double-teamed, drilled a fall-away 17 footer from the right baseline for a 50–48 upset by the Wildcats of Jack Hartman.

In another second round Mideast Region upset, UAB defeated Kentucky 69–62. A semifinal in the East Region saw Danny Ainge dribble the length of the court and drive all the way in for a layup and another buzzer-beating winner, lifting BYU over Notre Dame 51–50.

Greg Johnson of ncaa.com, in a March 9, 2011 article, indicated that March 14, 1981 was a date which defined March Madness.[1][2]

Locations

Charlotte
Austin
El Paso
Dayton
Los Angeles
Providence
Tuscaloosa
Wichita
1981 sites for first and second round games
Atlanta
New Orleans
Bloomington
Salt Lake City
Philadelphia
1981 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red)

First and Second rounds

Later rounds

Region Site
East Atlanta, Georgia (Omni Coliseum)
Mideast Bloomington, Indiana (Assembly Hall)
Midwest New Orleans, Louisiana (Louisiana Superdome)
West Salt Lake City, Utah (Special Events Center)
Finals Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (The Spectrum)

Teams

Region Seed Team Coach Finished Final Opponent Score
East
East 1 Virginia Terry Holland Third Place1 LSUW 78–74
East 2 Notre Dame Digger Phelps Sweet Sixteen6 BYUL 51–50
East 3 UCLA Larry Brown Round of 326 BYUL 78–55
East 4 Tennessee Don DeVoe Sweet Sixteen1 VirginiaL 62–48
East 5 VCU J. D. Barnett Round of 324 TennesseeL 58–56
East 6 BYU Frank Arnold Regional Runner-up1 VirginiaL 74–60
East 7 Georgetown John Thompson Round of 4810 James MadisonL 61–55
East 8 Houston Guy Lewis Round of 489 VillanovaL 90–72
East 9 Villanova Rollie Massimino Round of 321 VirginiaL 54–50
East 10 James Madison Lou Campanelli Round of 322 Notre DameL 54–45
East 11 Princeton Pete Carril Round of 486 BYUL 60–51
East 12 Long Island Paul Lizzo Round of 485 VCUL 85–69
Mideast
Mideast 1 DePaul Ray Meyer Round of 329 Saint Joseph'sL 49–48
Mideast 2 Kentucky Joe B. Hall Round of 327 UABL 69–62
Mideast 3 Indiana Bob Knight Champion2 North CarolinaW 63–50
Mideast 4 Wake Forest Carl Tacy Round of 325 Boston CollegeL 67–64
Mideast 5 Boston College Tom Davis Sweet Sixteen9 Saint Joseph'sL 42–41
Mideast 6 Maryland Lefty Driesell Round of 323 IndianaL 99–64
Mideast 7 UAB Gene Bartow Sweet Sixteen3 IndianaL 87–72
Mideast 8 Creighton Tom Apke Round of 489 Saint Joseph'sL 59–57
Mideast 9 Saint Joseph's Jim Lynam Regional Runner-up3 IndianaL 78–46
Mideast 10 Western Kentucky Clem Haskins Round of 487 UABL 93–68
Mideast 11 Chattanooga Murray Arnold Round of 486 MarylandL 81–69
Mideast 12 Ball State Steve Yoder Round of 485 Boston CollegeL 93–90
Midwest
Midwest 1 LSU Dale Brown Fourth Place1 VirginiaL 78–74
Midwest 2 Arizona State Ned Wulk Round of 327 Kansas L 88–71
Midwest 3 Iowa Lute Olson Round of 326 Wichita StateL 60–56
Midwest 4 Louisville Denny Crum Round of 325 Arkansas L 74–73
Midwest 5 Arkansas Eddie Sutton Sweet Sixteen1 LSUL 72–56
Midwest 6 Wichita State Gene Smithson Regional Runner-up1 LSUL 96–85
Midwest 7 Kansas Ted Owens Sweet Sixteen6 Wichita StateL 66–65
Midwest 8 Lamar Pat Foster Round of 321 LSUL 100–78
Midwest 9 Missouri Norm Stewart Round of 488 LamarL 71–67
Midwest 10 Ole Miss Bob Weltlich Round of 487 KansasL 69–66
Midwest 11 Southern Carl Stewart Round of 486 Wichita StateL 95–70
Midwest 12 Mercer Bill Bibb Round of 485 ArkansasL 73–67
West
West 1 Oregon State Ralph Miller Round of 328 Kansas State L 50–48
West 2 North Carolina Dean Smith Runner Up3 IndianaL 63–50
West 3 Utah Jerry Pimm Sweet Sixteen2 North CarolinaL 61–56
West 4 Illinois Lou Henson Sweet Sixteen8 Kansas StateL 57–52
West 5 Wyoming Jim Brandenburg Round of 324 IllinoisL 67–65
West 6 Fresno State Boyd Grant Round of 4811 NortheasternL 55–53
West 7 Idaho Don Monson Round of 4810 PittsburghL 70–69
West 8 Kansas State Jack Hartman Regional Runner-up2 North CarolinaL 82–68
West 9 San Francisco Peter Barry Round of 488 Kansas StateL 64–60
West 10 Pittsburgh Roy Chipman Round of 322 North CarolinaL 74–57
West 11 Northeastern Jim Calhoun Round of 323 UtahL 94–69
West 12 Howard A.B. Williamson Round of 485 WyomingL 78–43

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

East region

  First round Second round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
                                     
8 Houston 72  
9 Villanova 90  
  9 Villanova 50  
    1 Virginia 54  
     
       
  1 Virginia 62  
  4 Tennessee 48  
       
       
  4 Tennessee 58
    5 VCU 56*  
5 VCU 85
12 Long Island 69  
  1 Virginia 74
  6 BYU 60
6 BYU 60  
11 Princeton 51  
  6 BYU 78
    3 UCLA 55  
     
       
  6 BYU 51
  2 Notre Dame 50  
       
       
  2 Notre Dame 54
    10 James Madison 45  
7 Georgetown 55
10 James Madison 61  

West region

  First round Second round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
                                     
8 Kansas State 64  
9 San Francisco 60  
  8 Kansas State 50  
    1 Oregon State 48  
     
       
  8 Kansas State 57  
  4 Illinois 52  
       
       
  4 Illinois 67
    5 Wyoming 65  
5 Wyoming 78
12 Howard 43  
  8 Kansas State 68
  2 North Carolina 82
6 Fresno State 53  
11 Northeastern 55  
  11 Northeastern 69
    3 Utah 94  
     
       
  3 Utah 56
  2 North Carolina 61  
       
       
  2 North Carolina 74
    10 Pittsburgh 57  
7 Idaho 69*
10 Pittsburgh 70  

Mideast region

  First round Second round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
                                     
8 Creighton 57  
9 Saint Joseph's 59  
  9 Saint Joseph's 49  
    1 DePaul 48  
     
       
  9 Saint Joseph's 42  
  5 Boston College 41  
       
       
  4 Wake Forest 64
    5 Boston College 67  
5 Boston College 93
12 Ball State 90  
  9 Saint Joseph's 46
  3 Indiana 78
6 Maryland 81  
11 Chattanooga 69  
  6 Maryland 64
    3 Indiana 99  
     
       
  3 Indiana 87
  7 UAB 72  
       
       
  2 Kentucky 62
    7 UAB 69  
7 UAB 93
10 Western Kentucky 68  

Midwest region

  First round Second round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
                                     
8 Lamar 71  
9 Missouri 67  
  8 Lamar 78  
    1 LSU 100  
     
       
  1 LSU 72  
  5 Arkansas 56  
       
       
  4 Louisville 73
    5 Arkansas 74  
5 Arkansas 73
12 Mercer 67  
  1 LSU 96
  6 Wichita State 85
6 Wichita State 95  
11 Southern 70  
  6 Wichita State 60
    3 Iowa 56  
     
       
  6 Wichita State 66
  7 Kansas 65  
       
       
  2 Arizona State 71
    7 Kansas 88  
7 Kansas 69
10 Ole Miss 66  

Final Four

  National Semifinals     National Finals
                 
  E1 Virginia 65  
  W2 North Carolina 78    
      W2 North Carolina 50
      ME3 Indiana 63
  ME3 Indiana 67    
  MW1 LSU 49   National Third Place Game
 
E1 Virginia 78
  MW1 LSU 74

NOTES: 1. This was the last tournament that a third place game was staged prior to the national championship.

NBC announcers

See also

References

  1. ↑ "March Madness defining moment?". ncaa.com. March 9, 2011.
  2. ↑ "The myth of three consecutive buzzer beaters in the 1981 NCAA tournament".
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