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 City, New York. The Utah Redskins won their first NCAA national championship with a 42–40 victory over the Dartmouth Indians.
Season headlines The Metropolitan New York Conference and the Mountain States (or Skyline) Conference did not compete during the season. Their members played as independents. Two teams from the same conference took part in the NCAA tournament for the first time, when Iowa State and Missouri, both of the Big Six Conference, participated in the Western regionals of the 1944 NCAA tournament. Arkansas was selected for the 1944 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. 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. Arnie Ferrin of Utah became the first freshman named NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player. 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 top-ranked team for the 1943–44 season.
Conference membership changes
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Independent No athletic programs Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Independent Metropolitan New York Conference Non-major basketball program New England Conference Independent Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Independent
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerBig Six Conference & Oklahoma None selected No TournamentBig Ten Conference Ohio State None selected No TournamentBorder Conference & None selected No TournamentEastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Dartmouth None selected No TournamentMetropolitan New York Conference Did not play as conferenceMissouri Valley Conference Oklahoma A&M None selected No TournamentNew England Conference Connecticut No TournamentPacific Coast Conference ; No TournamentMountain States (Skyline) Conference Did not play as conferenceSoutheastern Conference Kentucky None selected 1944 SEC men's basketball tournament Jefferson County Armory,(Louisville, Kentucky) KentuckySouthern Conference North Carolina None selected 1944 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Thompson Gym(Raleigh, Duke2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southwest Conference Arkansas & Rice None selected No Tournament Conference standings
Major independents A total of 61 college teams played as major independents. Army (15–0) was undefeated. (22–4), (22–4), (22–4), and Utah (22–4) finished with the most wins.
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Semifinals & final
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team 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
+ Consensus Second Team 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. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonCincinnatiRobert ReussRay FarnhamThe CitadelBen ClemonsErnest WehmanDartmouthEarl BrownOsborne Cowles Cowles returned from World War II.DelawareEdmund PrinceWilliam MurrayDenverArt QuinlanCliff RockDrakeBill EastonVee FreenGonzagaCharles HenryEugene WoznyKansas StateCliff RockFitz Knorr Rock left to coach at Denver.LouisvilleHarold Church & Walter CaseyBernard HickmanLoyola (Md.)Lefty ReitzAlbert BarthelmeLSUDale MoreyJesse FatherreeMaineSamuel SezakWilliam C. KenyonMinnesotaCarl NordlyWeston MitchellMontanaEd BuzzettiGeorge DahlbergNew MexicoGeorge WhiteWoody ClementsNorth CarolinaBill LangeBen CarnevaleNotre DameMoose KrauseClem CroweOregonHoward HobsonJohn A. WarrenSaint Mary'sJames PhelanClarence AndersonSMUJames StewartRoy BaccusSouth CarolinaHenry FindleyJohn D. McMillanToledoBurl FriddleRollie BoldtTulsaWoody WestPaul AlyeaUSCErnie HolbrookBobby MuthVanderbiltSmokey HarperGarland MorrowVirginia TechHerbert McEverGeorge S. ProctorWest VirginiaHarry LothesJohn Brickles
References