1972 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship

1972 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship

Tournament details
Dates	December 1972
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	UCLA (3rd title)
Runner-up	UC Irvine
Third place	San José State
Fourth place	USC
Tournament statistics
Matches played	13
Goals scored	331 (25.46 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)	Jim Kruse, UCI (31)
Best player	Eric Lindroth, UCLA

The 1972 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the fourth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Armond H. Seidler Natatorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico during December 1972.

UCLA defeated UC Irvine in the final, 10–5, to win their third, and second consecutive, national title.

The leading scorer for the tournament was Jim Kruse from UC Irvine (31 goals). The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Eric Lindroth from UCLA. Additionally, an All-Tournament Team was named for the first time this year.

Qualification

Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship.

Team	Appearance	Previous
Loyola–Chicago	1st	Never
New Mexico	2nd	1971
San José State	3rd	1971
UC Irvine	4th	1971
UC Santa Barbara	3rd	1970
USC	3rd	1970
UCLA	4th	1971
Yale	2nd	1969

Bracket

• Site: Armond H. Seidler Natatorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Championship Bracket

	First round					Championship semifinals					Championship
		UCLA	21
		Yale	3
							UCLA	15
							UC Irvine	10
		UC Irvine (2OT)	16
		UC Santa Barbara	12
												UCLA	10
												San José State	5
		USC	17
		New Mexico	7
							USC	14		Second place
							San José State (2OT)	19
		San José State	21									San José State	12
		Loyola–Chicago	6									UC Irvine	14

Consolation Bracket

• Winner advanced to the Second Place Final against the loser of the Championship.

	Consolation first round					Consolation semifinals					Consolation final
							UC Irvine	23
							New Mexico	9
		New Mexico	17
		Loyola–Chicago	12
												UC Irvine	12
												USC	8
							USC	15
							UC Santa Barbara	10
		Yale	2
		UC Santa Barbara	21

All-tournament teams

First team

• Eric Lindroth, UCLA (Most Outstanding Player)
• Bruce Black, UC Irvine
• Kevin Craig, UCLA
• Jack Dickmann, UC Irvine
• Brad Jackson, San José State
• Jim Kruse, UC Irvine
• Dennis Needleman, USC

Second team

• Garth Bergeson, UCLA
• Curt Caldwell, USC
• Greg Carey, UC Santa Barbara
• Lucky Linder, USC
• Scott Massey, UCLA
• Ed Samuels, San José State
• Steve Spencer, San José State

See also

• NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship