1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
The 1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 11, and ended with the championship game on Saturday, March 22, in Louisville, Kentucky. A total of 28 games were played, including a third-place game in each region and a national third-place game.
| Season | 1957–58 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 24 | ||||
| Finals site | Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky | ||||
| Champions | Kentucky Wildcats (4th title, 4th title game, 5th Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Seattle Chieftains (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
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| Winning coach | Adolph Rupp (4th title) | ||||
| MOP | Elgin Baylor (Seattle) | ||||
| Attendance | 176,878 | ||||
| Top scorer | Elgin Baylor (Seattle) (135 points) | ||||
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Led by head coach Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky Wildcats won the national title with an 84–72 victory in the final game over Seattle, coached by John Castellani. The Chieftains led by 39–36 at the half, but star forward Elgin Baylor picked up his fourth personal foul with over sixteen minutes remaining. The Chieftains were outscored by fifteen in the second half, and Baylor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.