Remember When... The Cougars Won the 1951 NIT Championship?

In 1951, the Cougars defeated Dayton in the championship of the National Invitational Tournament. After the win, BYU accepted an invitation to the NCAA Tournament, which at the time was not yet recognized as the decisive tournament for the country’s best team.

As the nation’s champions, the Cougars finished 28-9 with the most wins in BYU basketball history (broken in 2009-10 with 30 victories). Not only is it impressive that BYU won the national title and so many games, but it is even more amazing that they did so without a home court.

With the Smith Fieldhouse under construction, BYU split its “home games” between Springville High’s gymnasium and the University of Utah. Head coach Stan Watts guided the Cougars to the national title in only his second year at the helm.

Watts had the help of Mel Hutchins, who became the first Cougar to be named a first-team All-America and went on to win Rookie of the Year in the NBA in the 1952-53 season.

CLICK HERE for more on the 1951 team in the BYU Cougar Club Hall of Fame.

Remember When... Series

Every weekday from Oct. 15 to Nov. 11, BYUCougars.com will remember some of the great moments, players and events in BYU basketball history. A new installment to the series will be posted every weekday until the 2010-11 men’s basketball season opener against Fresno State on Nov. 12.