The NCAA Tournament has long been a must-see event dominating the sports world in the month of March. It’s a dazzling event with huge upsets and inspiring stories throughout. But what player holds the record of the highest-scoring game in tournament history?
Meet Austin Carr, the Most Prolific Scorer in March Madness History
When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish met the Ohio Bobcats in the first round of the 1970 NCAA Tournament on March 7, 1970, no one in the stands knew just the type of record-breaking performance they were about to witness.
Austin Carr, a Fighting Irish guard and team captain, had proven himself to be one of the best scorers in college basketball history. That season, he averaged 38.1 ppg and was named a first-team All-American.
He had led Notre Dame to the NCAA Tournament, compiling a 21-8 overall record. The first pitted his team against Ohio — and Carr went to work.
This afternoon, fans watched as Carr scored point after point from the free-throw line, driving to the hoop and making jumpers. Eventually, he ended up with the NCAA Tournament scoring record by amassing 61 points on 25 of 44 shots from the field and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.
Behind the scoring of their star guard, the Fighting Irish defeated the Bobcats 112-82, ensuring their spot in the second round of the tournament. Notre Dame eventually lost in the Regional Semifinal, but Carr’s spot in history had already been cemented.
On that day against Ohio, he passed former Princeton Tiger Bill Bradley for the NCAA Tournament all-time scoring record, surpassing Bradley’s total of 55 points in 1965.
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Along with his leading 61 points, Carr also holds other spots on the list after scoring 52 (twice), 47, and 45 points in other tournament outings. Other names that crowd the list include NBA legends Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, and Bill Walton.
Following his March Madness excellence, Carr was selected with the first overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had a solid 10-year career in the league, but he’ll always be most remembered for that early March day in 1970 when he made NCAA Tournament history.
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