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1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season

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The 1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1942, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1943 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 30, 1943, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The Wyoming Cowboys won their first NCAA national championship with a 46–34 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas.

Rule changes

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In overtime, a player can commit a fifth foul before fouling out. Previously, a player fouled out after committing four fouls, regardless of whether the game went into overtime or not.[1]

Season headlines

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  • In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected its national champions for the seasons from 1919–20 through 1941–42. Beginning with the 1942–43 season, it began to pick each season's national champion annually, a practice it continued through the 1981–82 season.[2]
  • Top-ranked Illinois declined to participate in either the NCAA tournament or the National Invitation Tournament after three of its starters were drafted into the United States Army for World War II service.
  • The 1943 NCAA Tournament championship game between Wyoming and Georgetown was the only one in history not filmed for posterity.[3] It had a smaller crowd than expected because of the greater local interest in New York City in the championship run St. John's made in the 1943 National Invitation Tournament.[3] Until at least the mid-1950s, the NIT was the more prestigious of the two tournaments.
  • As a fundraiser for the American Red Cross, the finalists and semifinalists of the NCAA Tournament and NIT took part in the Sportswriters Invitational Playoff, in which the two tournament champions, Wyoming (NCAA) and St. John's (NIT), and the two runners-up, Georgetown (NCAA) and Toledo (NIT), played each other at Madison Square Garden after their tournaments ended, with the games counting in the teams' records for the season. The NCAA Tournament teams prevailed in both games: Wyoming beat St. John's 52–47 with 18,000 fans in attendance, and the Hoyas defeated Toledo 54–40 to close out the season.[3][4][5][6][7] The post-tournament benefit games — touted as the "mythical national championship" between the two tournament winners[7] — would be played again in each of the next two seasons.[7]
  • With a final record of 31–2, Wyoming became the first team to win 30 or more games in a single season.[8]
  • In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Illinois as its top-ranked team for the 1942–43 season.[9]

Conference membership changes

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School Former conference New conference
Hofstra Flying Dutchmen Non-major basketball program Metropolitan New York Conference

Regular season

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Conferences

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Conference winners and tournaments

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Conference Regular
season winner[10]		 Conference
player of the year		 Conference
tournament		 Tournament
venue (City)		 Tournament
winner
Big Six ConferenceKansasNone selectedNo Tournament
Big Ten ConferenceIllinoisNone selectedNo Tournament
Border ConferenceWest Texas StateNone selectedNo Tournament
Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball LeagueDartmouthNone selectedNo Tournament
Metropolitan New York ConferenceSt. John'sNo Tournament
Missouri Valley ConferenceCreightonNone selectedNo Tournament
New England ConferenceRhode Island StateNo Tournament
Pacific Coast ConferenceWashington (North); USC (South)No Tournament;
Washington defeated USC in best-of-three conference championship playoff series
Mountain States (Skyline) ConferenceWyomingNo Tournament
Southeastern ConferenceTennesseeNone selected1943 SEC men's basketball tournamentJefferson County Armory,
(Louisville, Kentucky)		Tennessee
Southern ConferenceDukeNone selected1943 Southern Conference men's basketball tournamentThompson Gym
(Raleigh, North Carolina)		George Washington[11]
Southwest ConferenceRice & TexasNone selectedNo Tournament

Conference standings

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1942–43 Big Six Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Kansas10–0 1.00022–6  .786
Missouri7–3 .70018–9  .667
Oklahoma5–5 .5007–10  .412
Nebraska5–5 .5006–10  .375
Iowa State2–8 .2007–9  .438
Kansas State1–9 .1006–14  .300
1942–43 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Illinois12–0 1.00017–1  .944
Indiana11–2 .84618–2  .900
Northwestern7–5 .5838–9  .471
Wisconsin6–6 .50012–9  .571
Purdue6–6 .5009–11  .450
Minnesota5–7 .4178–9  .471
Ohio State5–7 .4178–9  .471
Michigan4–8 .33310–8  .556
Iowa3–9 .2507–10  .412
Chicago0–9 .0000–21  .000
1942–43 Border Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
West Texas State10–0 1.00015–7  .682
Arizona11–1 .91722–2  .917
Texas Tech7–5 .58313–11  .542
Texas State M&M4–4 .50011–6  .647
Arizona State–Tempe6–6 .50010–9  .526
Arizona State–Flagstaff1–7 .1254–8  .333
New Mexico1–11 .0833–17  .150
Hardin–Simmons0–6 .0001–9  .100
1942–43 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Dartmouth11–1 .91720–3  .870
Princeton9–3 .75014–6  .700
Pennsylvania6–6 .50014–7  .667
Cornell6–6 .5007–15  .318
Columbia5–7 .4178–8  .500
Harvard4–8 .33312–14  .462
Yale1–11 .0836–17  .261
1942–43 Metropolitan New York Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
St. John's6–1 .85721–3  .875
Manhattan5–2 .71418–3  .857
Fordham4–2 .66716–6  .727
NYU3–2 .60016–6  .727
Hofstra3–2 .60015–6  .714
CCNY2–5 .2868–10  .444
St. Francis (NY)1–5 .16713–7  .650
Brooklyn0–5 .0006–11  .353
1942–43 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Creighton10–0 1.00019–2  .905
Oklahoma A&M7–3 .70014–10  .583
Washington University7–3 .7009–10  .474
Saint Louis3–7 .30011–10  .524
Drake3–7 .3008–9  .471
Tulsa0–10 .0000–10  .000
1942–43 Mountain States Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Wyoming4–0 1.00031–2  .939
BYU7–1 .87515–7  .682
Utah State4–4 .50014–7  .667
Utah1–7 .12510–12  .455
Colorado State0–4 .0007–9  .438
1942–43 New England Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Rhode Island State 7–1 .87516–3  .842
Connecticut 5–3 .6258–7  .533
Maine 4–4 .5009–6  .600
Northeastern 2–6 .2507–12  .368
New Hampshire 2–6 .2504–14  .222
1942–43 Pacific Coast Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
North
Washington †12–4 .75024–7  .774
Oregon10–6 .62519–10  .655
Washington State9–7 .56319–11  .633
Oregon State8–8 .50019–9  .679
Idaho1–15 .06314–20  .412
South
USC7–1 .87523–5  .821
UCLA4–4 .50014–7  .667
Stanford4–4 .50010–11  .476
California1–7 .1259–15  .375
† Conference playoff series winner
1942–43 Rocky Mountain Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Colorado State–Greeley5–3 .6258–8  .500
Colorado College4–4 .50011–7  .611
Colorado Mines3–5 .3756–12  .333
1942–43 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Kentucky8–1 .88917–6  .739
LSU11–2 .84618–4  .818
Tennessee †6–3 .66714–4  .778
Mississippi State13–7 .65014–8  .636
Georgia Tech7–4 .63611–5  .688
Vanderbilt9–7 .56310–8  .556
Alabama9–9 .50010–10  .500
Ole Miss6–8 .4298–10  .444
Tulane4–8 .3334–9  .308
Georgia1–8 .1114–13  .235
Auburn1–12 .0771–14  .067
Florida0–6 .0008–7  .533
† Regular-season championship and SEC Tournament winner
1942–43 Southern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Duke12–1 .92320–6  .769
George Washington †8–2 .80017–6  .739
South Carolina6–3 .66713–6  .684
Davidson7–4 .63618–6  .750
The Citadel5–3 .6258–5  .615
William & Mary6–4 .60011–10  .524
VMI7–5 .5838–8  .500
North Carolina State7–5 .5837–9  .438
Maryland5–5 .5008–8  .500
Richmond4–4 .50011–5  .688
North Carolina8–9 .47112–10  .545
Virginia Tech3–6 .3337–7  .500
Washington and Lee2–10 .1677–12  .368
Wake Forest1–10 .0911–10  .091
Clemson0–10 .0003–13  .188
† Southern Conference Tournament winner
1942–43 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Texas9–3 .75019–7  .731
Rice9–3 .75017–9  .654
Arkansas8–4 .66719–7  .731
TCU5–7 .41718–9  .667
SMU4–8 .33310–8  .556
Texas A&M4–8 .33311–11  .500
Baylor3–9 .2506–14  .300

Major independents

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A total of 60 college teams played as major independents. Villanova (19–2) had the best winning percentage (.905) and Western Kentucky State (24–3) finished with the most wins.[12]

1942–43 NCAA men's basketball independents standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Villanova– –19–2  .905
Notre Dame– –18–2  .900
Seton Hall– –16–2  .889
Western Kentucky State– –24–3  .889
Akron– –18–3  .857
Rochester (N.Y.)– –12–2  .857
Toledo– –22–4  .846
St. Joseph's– –18–4  .818
Georgetown– –22–5  .815
DePaul– –19–5  .792
Penn State– –15–4  .789
Western Michigan– –15–4  .789
Bowling Green State– –18–5  .783
Washington & Jefferson– –18–5  .783
Nevada– –14–4  .778
Montana State– –17–5  .773
Valparaiso– –17–5  .773
Niagara– –20–6  .769
Indiana State– –13–4  .765
Detroit– –15–5  .750
Denver– –19–8  .704
Miami (Ohio)– –11–5  .688
LIU– –13–6  .684
Siena– –13–6  .684
Pittsburgh– –10–5  .667
West Virginia– –14–7  .667
Duquesne– –12–7  .632
Wichita Municipal– –12–7  .632
Montana– –15–9  .625
Muhlenberg– –13–8  .619
Ohio– –11–7  .611
San Francisco– –13–9  .591
Marshall– –10–7  .588
Saint Mary's– –12–9  .571
La Salle– –13–10  .565
Canisius– –11–9  .550
Loyola (Ill.)– –12–10  .545
Lafayette– –7–6  .538
Dayton– –9–8  .529
Santa Clara– –10–9  .526
Kent State– –12–12  .500
Temple– –11–11  .500
Cincinnati– –9–10  .474
Marquette– –9–10  .474
St. Bonaventure– –8–9  .471
Brown– –9–11  .450
Syracuse– –8–10  .444
Rutgers– –7–9  .438
Geneva– –9–12  .429
Navy– –6–8  .429
Bradley– –8–11  .421
Colgate– –5–7  .417
Bucknell– –5–8  .385
Virginia– –8–13  .381
Xavier– –6–10  .375
Army– –5–10  .333
Lehigh– –5–10  .333
Loyola (Md.)– –7–14  .333
Butler– –4–9  .308
Boston University– –3–10  .231
Loyola (Calif.)– –3–10  .231
Holy Cross– –1–5  .167
Michigan State– –2–14  .125

Informal championships

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Conference Regular
season winner		 Conference
tournament		 Tournament
venue (City)		 Tournament
winner
Middle Three ConferenceRutgersNo Tournament

NOTE: Despite its name, the Middle Three Conference was an informal scheduling alliance rather than a true conference, and its members played as independents. In play among the three member schools in 1942–43, Rutgers finished with a 3–1 record and Lafayette with a 2–2 record, while Lehigh had record of 1–3.[13]

Post-season tournaments

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NCAA tournament

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Semifinals and final

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National semifinals National Final
      
Georgetown 53
DePaul 49
Georgetown 34
Wyoming 46
Texas 54
Wyoming 58

National Invitation tournament

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Semifinals and finals

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Semifinals Finals
    
St. John's 69
Fordham 43
St. John's 48
Toledo 27
Toledo 46
Washington & Jefferson 39 Third place
Fordham 34
Washington & Jefferson 39

Awards

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Consensus All-American teams

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Consensus First Team
Player Class Team
Ed Beisser Senior Creighton
Charles B. Black Sophomore Kansas
Harry Boykoff Sophomore St. John's
Bill Closs Senior Rice
Andy Phillip Junior Illinois
Kenny Sailors Junior Wyoming
George Senesky Senior Saint Joseph's


Consensus Second Team
Player Class Team
Gale Bishop Junior Washington State
Otto Graham Junior Northwestern
John Kotz Senior Wisconsin
Robert Rensberger Senior Notre Dame
Gene Rock Junior Southern California
Gerry Tucker Junior Oklahoma

Major player of the year awards

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Other major awards

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Coaching changes

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A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team Former
Coach		 Interim
Coach		 New
Coach		 Reason
Army Valentine Lentz Ed Kelleher
Baylor Bill Henderson Van Sweet
Bucknell John Sitarsky J. Ellwood Ludwig
The Citadel Bo Sherman Ben Clemons
Columbia Cliff Battles Elmer Ripley
Dartmouth Osborne Cowles Earl Brown
Denver Ellison Ketchum Mark Duncan Art Quinlan
Drake Evan O. Williams Bill Easton
Georgetown Elmer Ripley None After the end of the season, Georgetown suspended all athletic programs for the duration of World War II Ripley moved to the head coaching position at Columbia.
Georgia Tech Roy Mundorff Dwight Keith
Harvard Earl Brown Floyd Stahl
Indiana Branch McCracken Harry Good
Kansas State Chili Cochrane Cliff Rock
La Salle Obie O'Brien Joseph Meehan
Lehigh James Gordon Leo Prendergast
Montana Clyde Carpenter & Ed Chinske Ed Buzzetti
New Mexico Willis Barnes George White
Notre Dame George Keogan Moose Krause
Penn Lon Jourdet Red Kellett
Princeton Franklin Cappon William Logan
South Carolina Rex Enright Henry Findley
Tulsa Mike Milligan Woody West
Vanderbilt Norm Cooper Smokey Harper
VMI Allison Hubert Joe Daher
West Virginia Rudy Baric Harry Lothes
William & Mary Dwight Stuessy Rube McCray

References

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  1. ↑ orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
  2. ↑ Scott, Jon (November 9, 2010). "The truth behind the Helms Committee". Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Believe It...Or Not". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Wyoming five wins in overtime, 52 to 47". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. April 2, 1943. p. 14, part 2.
  5. ↑ "Wyoming scores 52-47 victory over St. Johns in hoop tilt". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. United Press. April 2, 1943. p. 2.
  6. ↑ "Champ of champs, new Wyoming title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. April 2, 1943. p. 11.
  7. 1 2 3 Anonymous, "How the NCAA Overtook Its Rival, the NIT," Sport History Weekly, March 24, 2019 Accessed May 4, 2021
  8. ↑ "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  11. ↑ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section Archived September 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
  12. ↑ "1942-43 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ 1942–43 Independents standings @ sports-reference.com
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