1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season
| 1943–44 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
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 |
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
| School | Former conference | New conference |
|---|---|---|
Bulldogs
|
Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
Beavers
|
Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| Fordham Rams | Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| Georgetown Hoyas | Independent
|
No athletic programs |
| Harvard Crimson | Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League | Independent
|
| Manhattan Jaspers | Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| NYU Violets | Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| Northeastern Huskies | New England Conference | Independent
|
Terriers
|
Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| St. John's Redmen | Metropolitan New York Conference | Independent |
| Yale Bulldogs | Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League | Independent
|
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Statistical leaders
![[icon]](/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
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
Other major awards
Coaching changes
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024) |
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.
- 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