Global Information1956 NCAA basketball tournament information
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| Season | 1955–56 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 25 | ||||
| Finals site | McGaw Hall Evanston, Illinois | ||||
| Champions | San Francisco Dons (2nd title, 2nd title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Iowa Hawkeyes (1st title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
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| Winning coach | Phil Woolpert (2nd title) | ||||
| MOP | Hal Lear (Temple) | ||||
| Attendance | 132,513 | ||||
| Top scorer | Hal Lear (Temple) (160 points) | ||||
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The 1956 NCAA basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA college basketball. It began on March 12, 1956, and ended with the championship game on March 24 on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois. A total of 29 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game.
The 1955–56 season was the last in which only one NCAA Tournament was held. Effective in 1956–57, the NCAA divided its membership into two competitive levels. The larger and more competitive athletic programs were placed in the University Division, and smaller programs in the College Division. Accordingly, that season would see separate tournaments contested in the University and College Divisions. In 1973, the University Division would be renamed NCAA Division I, while the College Division would be split into today's Divisions II and III.
This was the first NCAA tournament in which the four regionals were given distinct names, although the concept of four regional winners advancing to a single site for the "Final Four" had been introduced in 1952.
San Francisco, coached by Phil Woolpert, won the national title with an 83–71 victory in the final game over Iowa, coached by Bucky O'Connor. Hal Lear of Temple was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.