The 1959 NCAA tournament ended with California winning the national title behind a 71-70 win against West Virginia.
Despite losing in the final, West Virginia star Jerry West earned Most Outstanding Player honors. Along with the Mountaineers and the Golden Bears, Cincinnati and Louisville reached the Final Four — and the national semifinals were played at the Cardinals' Freedom Hall.
1959 NCAA tournament: Bracket
Click or tap here for a closer look at the 1959 March Madness bracket.
1959 NCAA tournament: Scores
- First Round
- East Region
- West Virginia 82, Dartmouth 68
- Boston University 60, UConn 58
- Navy 76, North Carolina 63
- Mideast Region
- Louisville 77, Eastern Kentucky 63
- Marquette 89, Bowling Green 71
- Midwest Region
- DePaul 57, Portland 56
- West Region
- Idaho State 62, New Mexico State 61
- East Region
- Regional Semifinals
- East Region
- West Virginia 95, Saint Joseph's 92
- Boston University 62, Navy 55
- Mideast Region
- Louisville 76, Kentucky 61
- Michigan State 74, Marquette 69
- Midwest Region
- Kansas State 102, DePaul 70
- Cincinnati 73, TCU 73
- West Region
- Saint Mary's 80, Idaho State 71
- California 71, Utah 53
- East Region
- Regional Finals
- East Region
- West Virginia 86, Boston University 82
- Mideast Region
- Louisville 88, Michigan State 81
- Midwest Region
- Cincinnati 85, Kansas State 75
- West Region
- California 66, Saint Mary's 46
- East Region
- Regional Third Place Games
- East Region
- Navy 70, Saint Joseph's 56
- Mideast Region
- Kentucky 98, Marquette 69
- Midwest Region
- TCU 71, DePaul 65
- West Region
- Idaho State 71, Utah 65
- East Region
- Final Four (Louisville, Kentucky)
- National semifinals
- West Virginia 94, Louisville 79
- California 64, Cincinnati 58
- National Third Place Game
- Cincinnati 98, Louisville 85
- National championship
- California 71, West Virginia 70
- National semifinals
1959 NCAA tournament: Stats, records
Individual scoring
- Jerry West, West Virginia (5) — 32.0 points per game
Individual rebounding
- Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (4) — 15.8 rebounds per game)
Tournament facts
- New Mexico State (then New Mexico A&M) hosted at Las Cruces High School Arena, then the Aggies' home arena. This is the last time a high school gym hosted an NCAA tournament game.