1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season explained
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, New York. The Wyoming Cowboys won their first NCAA national championship with a 46–34 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas.
Rule changes
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
- 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 national champion for the 1942–43 season.[9]
Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conferences
Conference winners and tournaments
| Conference | Regular
season winner[10] | 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 |
| | | No Tournament |
| | None selected | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament |
| | | No Tournament;
Washington defeated USC in best-of-three conference championship playoff series |
| | | No Tournament |
| | None selected | | Jefferson County Armory,
(Louisville, Kentucky) | Tennessee |
| | None selected | | Thompson Gym
(Raleigh, | George Washington[11] |
| | None selected | No Tournament | |
Conference standings
Major independents
A total of 60 college teams played as major independents. (19–2) had the best winning percentage (.905) and (24–3) finished with the most wins.[12]
Informal championships
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 with a 2–2 record, while had record of 1–3.
[13] Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
See main article: 1943 NCAA basketball tournament and 1943 NCAA Basketball Championship Game.
Semifinals and finals
National Invitation tournament
See main article: 1943 National Invitation Tournament.
Semifinals and finals
- Third Place – Washington & Jefferson 39, Fordham 34
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
See main article: 1943 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.
Major player of the year awards
Andy Phillip, Illinois
Other major awards
Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
Notes and References
- http://www.orangehoops.org/NCAA/NCAA%20Rule%20Changes.htm orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
- Web site: Jon. Scott. Nov 9, 2010. The truth behind the Helms Committee. 2015-12-14.
- Web site: The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Believe It...Or Not . 2014-01-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131105043201/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/history/hist13.htm . 2013-11-05 . dead .
- News: Wyoming five wins in overtime, 52 to 47 . Milwaukee Journal . Associated Press . April 2, 1943 . 14, part 2.
- News: Wyoming scores 52-47 victory over St. Johns in hoop tilt . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon) . United Press . April 2, 1943 . 2.
- News: Champ of champs, new Wyoming title . Spokane Daily Chronicle . (Washington) . Associated Press . April 2, 1943 . 11.
- 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
- Web site: Playing Rules History . . . ncaa.org . NCAA . June 25, 2024 . 12.
- 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.
- News: 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section. 2009. NCAA. 2009-02-14.
- 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
- Web site: 1942-43 Men's Independent Season Summary . . August 3, 2024.
- https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/middle-three/men/1943.html 1942–43 Independents standings
