1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season
Men's collegiate basketball season
| 1943–44 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Tournament | 1944 |
| Tournament dates | March 24 – 28, 1944 |
| National Championship | Madison Square Garden New York, New York |
| NCAA Champions | Utah |
| Helms National Champions | Army |
| Other champions | St. John's (NIT) |
| Player of the Year (Helms) | George Mikan, DePaul |
← 1942–43 1944–45 → | |
The 1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1943, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1944 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 28, 1944, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Utah Redskins won their first NCAA national championship with a 42–40 victory over the Dartmouth Big Green.
Season headlines
- The Metropolitan New York Conference and the Skyline Conference did not compete during the season. Their members played as independents.
- Arkansas was selected for the NCAA tournament but was forced to withdraw after a March 1944 automobile accident injured two Razorbacks starters and killed a physical education teacher who traveled with the team as a coaching assistant.[1][2]
- Utah replaced Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament and became the first team to play in both the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA tournament in the same season.
- Army went undefeated (15–0), and the Helms Athletic Foundation selected Army rather than 1944 NCAA Tournament winner Utah as its national champion. It was the third time in history that the Helms champion differed from the NCAA champion.
- In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Army as its national champion for the 1943–44 season.[3]
Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Semifinals & finals
| National semifinals | National Finals | ||||||||
| Dartmouth | 60 | ||||||||
| Ohio State | 53 | ||||||||
| Dartmouth | 40 | ||||||||
| Utah | 42 | ||||||||
| Iowa State | 31 | ||||||||
| Utah | 40 | ||||||||
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| Oklahoma A&M | 38 | ||||||||
| DePaul | 41 | ||||||||
| DePaul | 39 | ||||||||
| St. John's | 47 | ||||||||
| Kentucky | 45 | ||||||||
| St. John's | 48 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Kentucky 45, Oklahoma A&M 29
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Brannum | C | Sophomore | Kentucky |
| Audley Brindley | F | Sophomore | Dartmouth |
| Otto Graham | F | Senior | Northwestern |
| Leo Klier | F | Junior | Notre Dame |
| Bob Kurland | C | Sophomore | Oklahoma A&M |
| George Mikan | C | Sophomore | DePaul |
| Allie Paine | G | Junior | Oklahoma |
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Dille | F | Sophomore | Valparaiso |
| Arnie Ferrin | F | Freshman | Utah |
| Don Grate | G | Junior | Ohio State |
| Dale Hall | F | Junior | Army |
| Bill Henry | C | Junior | Rice |
| Dick Triptow | G | Senior | DePaul |
Major player of the year awards
- Helms Player of the Year: George Mikan, DePaul
- Sporting News Player of the Year: Dale Hall, Army
Other major awards
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Dick McGuire, St. John's
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Bill Lange | Ben Carnevale |
References
- ^ Chipman, Kit (April 30, 2010). "University of Utah 1944 NCAA Basketball Championship". Utah Communication History Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Reed, William F. (April 1994). A Barn Raising. Sports Illustrated. p. 8.
- ^ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. pp. 526, 529–587. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
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