1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season explained

Year:	1939
Tourney Start:	March 20
Nc Date:	30, 1940
Champ Stad:	Municipal Auditorium
Champ City:	Kansas City, Missouri
Champ:	Indiana
Helmschamp:	USC (retroactive selection in 1943)
Nit Champ:	Colorado
Helmspoy:	George Glamack, North Carolina (retroactive selection in 1944)

The 1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1939, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1940 NCAA basketball tournament Championship Game on March 30, 1940, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Indiana Hoosiers won their first NCAA national championship with a 60–42 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.

Rule changes

After a foul, teams received the option of either taking a free throw or taking the ball at mid-court.^[1]

Season headlines

• College basketball was televised for the first time when W2XBS broadcast a doubleheader played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 28, 1940. In the first game, Pittsburgh defeated Fordham 50–37, and in the second game New York University defeated Georgetown 50–27.^[2]
• Duquesne became the first school to play in both the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA tournament.^[2] The Dukes finished as runner-up in the NIT and lost in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
• In its second year, the NCAA tournament turned a profit (of $9,500) for the first time.^[3]
• In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected USC as its national champion for the 1939–40 season.^[4]
• In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Indiana as its national champion for the 1939–40 season.^[5]

Conference membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Non-major basketball program
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Metropolitan New York Conference	See note
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Independent
	Missouri Valley Conference	Non-major basketball program
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Northern California Conference	Non-major basketball program
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Independent
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Independent
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Metropolitan New York Conference	Independent
	Northern California Conference	Independent
	Northern California Conference	Independent
	Northern California Conference	Non-major basketball program
	Northern California Conference	Independent
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Independent
	Eastern Intercollegiate Conference	Independent

NOTE: Columbia left the Metropolitan New York Conference while retaining membership in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League. It was a member of both from 1933 until 1939.

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season winner^[6]	Conference player of the year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament winner
		None selected	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
		None selected	No Tournament
	Did not play as conference
		None selected	No Tournament
			No Tournament
			No Tournament
			No Tournament; USC defeated in best-of-three conference championship playoff series
		None selected		Alumni Memorial Gym (Knoxville, Tennessee)	Kentucky
		None selected		Thompson Gym (Raleigh,	North Carolina^[7]
		None selected	No Tournament

Conference standings

Major independents

A total of 66 college teams played as major independents. (19–0) was undefeated, and (26–3) finished with the most wins.^[8]

Statistical leaders

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

See main article: 1940 NCAA basketball tournament and 1940 NCAA Basketball Championship Game.

Semifinals & finals

National Invitation tournament

See main article: 1940 National Invitation Tournament.

Semifinals & finals

• Third Place – Oklahoma A&M 23, DePaul 22

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

See main article: 1940 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.

Consensus First Team

Player	Class	Team
Gus Broberg	Junior	Dartmouth
John Dick	Senior	Oregon
George Glamack	Junior	North Carolina
Bill Hapac	Senior	Illinois
Ralph Vaughn	Senior	USC

Consensus Second Team

Player	Class	Team
Jack Harvey	Senior	Colorado
Marv Huffman	Senior	Indiana
Jimmy McNatt	Senior	Oklahoma
Jesse Renick	Senior	Oklahoma A&M

Major player of the year awards

• Helms Player of the Year: George Glamack, North Carolina (retroactive selection in 1944)

Other major awards

• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Ben Auerbach, NYU

Notes and References

1. http://www.orangehoops.org/NCAA/NCAA%20Rule%20Changes.htm orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
2. Web site: Playing Rules History . . . ncaa.org . NCAA . June 25, 2024 . 12.
3. https://www.sportshistoryweekly.com/stories/march-madness-ncaa-nit-college-basketball,697 Anonymous, "How the NCAA Overtook Its Rival, the NIT," Sport History Weekly, March 24, 2019 Accessed May 4, 2021
4. Web site: Jon. Scott. Nov 9, 2010. The truth behind the Helms Committee. 2015-12-14.
5. Book: ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. ESPN. ESPN Books. New York, NY. 2009. 526, 529–587. 978-0-345-51392-2.
6. News: 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section. 2009. NCAA. 2009-02-14.
7. http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section
8. Web site: 1939-40 Men's Independent Season Summary . . August 2, 2024.