 As the senior captain of the 1960–1961 Michigan basketball team, Tidwell suffered a mid-season slump in February 1961, but still finished the season with 441 points and an average 19.2 points per game.On March 4, 1961, he broke his own single game scoring record with 43 points against the University of Minnesota.Two days later, on March 6, 1961, Tidwell scored 24 points against Illinois in his final home game for Michigan.