The 1917–18 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1917, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1918.
Season headlines
The Pacific Coast Conference did not play as a basketball conference during the 1917–18 season. Its members competed as independents. In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Syracuse as its national champion for the 1917–18 season. In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Syracuse as its top-ranked team for the 1917–18 season.
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer ConferenceNew Conference No basketball program Big Ten Conference Independent Southwest Conference Pacific Coast Conference Independent Pacific Coast Conference Independent
Regular season Conferences Conference winners
ConferenceRegular Season WinnerConference Player of the YearConference TournamentTournament Venue (City)Tournament WinnerBig Ten Conference Wisconsin None selected No TournamentEastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Penn None selected No TournamentMissouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association Missouri None selected No TournamentPacific Coast Conference Did not play as conferenceRocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colorado No TournamentSouthwest Conference Rice None selected No Tournament
Conference standings
Independents A total of 127 college teams played as major independents. Among independents that played at least 10 games, (14–0), (10–0), (15–0), (15–0), (15–0), the (14–0), and (14–0) were undefeated, and Syracuse (16–1) finished with the most wins.
Awards
Helms College Basketball All-Americans
The practice of selecting a Consensus All-American Team did not begin until the 1928–29 season. The Helms Athletic Foundation later retroactively selected a list of All-Americans for the 1917–18 season.The Association for Professional Basketball Research "NCAA All-American Teams, 1919–20 to 1998–99"
Player Team Earl Anderson Illinois Bill Chandler Wisconsin Harold Gillen Minnesota Hubert Peck Penn Craig Ruby Missouri Joseph Schwarzer Syracuse Eber Simpson Wisconsin Alfred Sorenson Washington State George Sweeney Penn Gene Vidal Army
Major player of the year awards
Helms Player of the Year: Bill Chandler, Wisconsin (retroactive selection in 1944)
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReason Alabama B. L. Noojin Yancey Goodall Bradley Fred Brown Harold Olsen Bucknell Malcolm Musser Haps Benfer Butler G. Cullen Thomas Joe Mullane California Walter Christie Bill Hollander Cincinnati Whitelaw Morrison Boyd Chambers The Citadel Harry J. O'Brien C. F. Myers Colorado Bob Evans Enoch J. Mills Evans left to coach Stanford. Columbia John Murray Fred Dawson Delaware William McAvoy Burton Shipley Denver John Fike Charles Wingender Drake S. W. Hobbs M. B. Banks Georgia Alfred Scott Earl Ford Kentucky Stanley A. Boles Thomas Andrew Gill Louisiana State Charles C. Stroud R. E. Edmonds Missouri Walter Meanwell John F. Miller Navy James Colliflower Billy Lush NC State Harry Hartsell Tal Stafford North Dakota Thomas Andrew Gill Harry Caldwell Gill left to coach at Kentucky North Dakota Agricultural Paul J. Davis Curly Movold Northwestern J. Norman Elliott Tom Robinson Ohio M. B. Banks Frank Gullum Banks left to coach Drake. Oregon Bill Hayward Dean Walker Oregon Agricultural Howard Ray Homer Woodson Hargiss Purdue J. J. Maloney Ward Lambert Rhode Island State James A. Baldwin Mysterious Walker Walker also took on the athletic director role from Baldwin. Richmond Dave E. Satterfield Jr. Robert C. Marshall Saint Mary's (Calif.) Otto Rittler Percival Ritchie Santa Clara Terry Desmond Norbert Keefe Southern California Dean Cromwell Motts Blair Stanford Russell T. Wilson Bob Evans Toledo Darrell Fox Sam Monetta Trinity (N.C.) Charles Doak Henry Cole Tulane Clark Shaughnessy M. A. Moenck Vanderbilt Ralph Palmer Ray Morrison Wake Forest E. T. MacDonnell Irving E. Carlyle
References