1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season
Men's university basketball season
| 1954–55 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| Preseason AP No. 1 | None |
| NCAA Tournament | 1955 |
| Tournament dates | March 8 – 19, 1955 |
| National Championship | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
| NCAA Champions | San Francisco |
| Helms National Champions | San Francisco |
| Other champions | Duquesne (NIT) |
| Player of the Year (Helms) | Bill Russell, San Francisco |
← 1953–54 1955–56 → | |
The 1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1954, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1955 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 19, 1955, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The San Francisco Dons won their first NCAA national championship with a 77–63 victory over the La Salle Explorers.
Rule changes
- The "one-and-one" free throw was introduced, allowing a player to attempt a second free throw after a foul if he made the first free throw. Previously, a player shot only one free throw after a foul.[1]
- Games once again are divided into two 20-minute halves, as had been the practice through the 1950–51 season. From the 1951–52 season though the 1953–54 season, games had been divided into four 10-minute quarters.[1]
Season headlines
- The Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League was disbanded at the end of the season. Its teams, history, and heritage were absorbed into the Ivy League the following season.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[2][3]
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Arenas
- Kansas began playing at Allen Fieldhouse late in the season on March 1. The arena was named for their coach at the time Phog Allen. Allen Fieldhouse would eventually become one of the top college basketball home court advantages in the country.[4]
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
| National semifinals | National finals | ||||||||
| Iowa | 73 | ||||||||
| La Salle | 76 | ||||||||
| La Salle | 63 | ||||||||
| San Francisco | 77 | ||||||||
| Colorado | 50 | ||||||||
| San Francisco | 62 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Colorado 75, Iowa 54
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| Duquesne | 65 | ||||||||
| Cincinnati | 61 | ||||||||
| Duquesne | 70 | ||||||||
| Dayton | 58 | ||||||||
| St. Francis (Pa.) | 73 | ||||||||
| Dayton | 79 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Cincinnati 96, St. Francis (Pa.) 91
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Garmaker | G | Senior | Minnesota |
| Tom Gola | F | Senior | La Salle |
| Sihugo Green | G | Junior | Duquesne |
| Dick Ricketts | F/C | Senior | Duquesne |
| Bill Russell | C | Junior | San Francisco |
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darrell Floyd | G | Junior | Furman |
| Robin Freeman | G | Junior | Ohio State |
| Dickie Hemric | C | Senior | Wake Forest |
| Don Schlundt | C | Senior | Indiana |
| Ronnie Shavlik | F/C | Junior | North Carolina State |
Major player of the year awards
Major coach of the year awards
Other major awards
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Ed Conlin, Fordham
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle | Ken Loeffler | Jim Pollard | ||
| Oklahoma | Bruce Drake | Doyle Parrack | ||
| Oklahoma City | Doyle Parrack | Abe Lemons | ||
| Texas A&M | John Floyd | Ken Loeffler |
References
- ^ a b orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
- ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. p. 836. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "King's Court: Home sweet home". ESPN.com. January 16, 2013.
- ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ 2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2009-02-14
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
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