The 2001 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament was the 45th annual
single-elimination
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
to determine the national champion of men's
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division II college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Officially culminating the
2000–01 NCAA Division II men's basketball season, the tournament featured forty-eight teams from around the country.
The Elite Eight, national semifinals, and championship were played, for the first time, at the
Centennial Garden in
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of th ...
.
After losing in the previous year's final,
Kentucky Wesleyan (31–3) defeated
Washburn in the final, 72–63, to win their record eighth Division II national championship. It was additionally their second title in three years and fourth consecutive appearance in the title game.
The Panthers were coached by
Ray Harper. Kentucky Wesleyan's
Lorico Duncan was the Most Outstanding Player.
Regionals
Northeast -
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village located in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 23,272 at the time of the 2020 census.
The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within the Town of Hempstead ...
Location: Woodruff Hall Host:
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York, United States. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. As of 2019, it had ...
South -
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
Location: MacArthur Physical Education Center Host:
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958, part of the campus is waterfront (area), waterfront and beach on Boca Ciega ...
Great Lakes -
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is a Home rule in the United States, home rule-class city in Daviess County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. It is the List of cities in Kentucky, fourth-most populous city in the state. Owensboro is loca ...
Location:
Sportscenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is an American television sports news broadcasting show broadcast by ESPN. Originally anchored by Chris Berman, George Grande, Greg Gumbel, Lee Leonard, Bob Ley, Sal Marchiano and Lou Palmer, it premiered on Septem ...
Host:
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky. Fall 2018 enrollment was 830 students.
History
Kentucky Wesleyan College was founded in 1858 by the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It ...
North Central - St. Cloud, Minnesota
Location:
Halenbeck Hall Host:
St. Cloud State University
South Atlantic -
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
Location: Brayboy Gymnasium Host:
Johnson C. Smith University
South Central -
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 cen ...
Location:
Lee Arena Host:
Washburn University
Washburn University (WU), formally Washburn University of Topeka, is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs as well as professional programs in law and business. The university enroll ...
East -
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Fort Mill, also known as Fort Mill Township, is a town in York County, South Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 24,521. Some businesses and residents in th ...
Location: Hornets Training Facility Host:
Queens College
Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing.
Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...
, with support from the NBA
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
West -
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...
Location: Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium Host:
Western Washington University
Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, s ...
Elite Eight -
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of th ...
Location:
Bakersfield Centennial Garden Host:
California State University, Bakersfield
All-tournament team
* Lorico Duncan,
Kentucky Wesleyan (MOP)
* Marshall Sanders,
Kentucky Wesleyan
* Ewan Auguste,
Washburn
* Ryan Murphy,
Washburn
* Sylvere Bryan,
Washburn
See also
*
2001 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
*
2001 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2001 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball for the 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season ...
*
2001 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
*
2001 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
*
2001 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament
References
NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament Results2001 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament jonfmorse.com
{{NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament navbox
NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
NCAA Division II basketball tournament
NCAA Division II basketball tournament
Sports competitions in Bakersfield, California
College basketball tournaments in California