Until 2019, when Virginia defeated Texas Tech, it was the last tournament in which neither school had previously appeared in any national championship game at any level.

David Thompson of North Carolina State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

UCLA scored on its first three possessions, with Bill Walton's four points on two free throws and a turnaround jumper, and Keith Wilkes' layin, which became a three-point play, off a perfect bounce feed from Tommy Curtis.

But State's pesky, diminutive point guard, Monte Towe, began to create havoc, and with it started a wave of momentum which swung in the direction of the Pack, along with a supportive Greensboro crowd.

With his usual style of not bouncing the ball at the line, Towe converted both shots, a quick start of a rally for his team.

The Wolfpack tightened the backcourt pressure and Curtis threw it back to Greg Lee who, trapped, made an errant throw past half court which was lost by Dave Meyers out of bounds.

Then State's towering 7'4" center, Tom Burleson, rose high above and behind Walton for a rebound putback, and UCLA's lead was two.

The future major league baseball pitcher and World Series winner was disconsolate on the bench, but his teammates would respond.

The Wolfpack became the fifth team in history to win the national championship playing in its home state.

This was the last Sweet Sixteen appearance for Creighton and Oral Roberts until the 2021 tournament, when both teams returned for the first time in 47 years.