| Year: | 1943 |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Finalfourarena: | Madison Square Garden |
| Finalfourcity: | New York City |
| Champions: | Wyoming Cowboys |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Champffcount: | 1st |
| Champgamecount: | 1st |
| Runnerup: | Georgetown Hoyas |
| Gamecount: | 1st |
| Runnerffcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal1: | DePaul Blue Demons |
| Finalfourcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal2: | Texas Longhorns |
| Finalfourcount2: | 1st |
| Coach: | Everett Shelton |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
| Mop: | Ken Sailors |
| Mopteam: | Wyoming |
| Attendance: | 56,876 |
| Topscorer: | John Hargis |
| Topscorerteam: | Texas |
| Points: | 59 |
The 1943 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 24, 1943, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New York City. A total of nine games were played, including a third place game in each region. Top-ranked Illinois declined to participate in the NCAA tournament or NIT after three of its starters were drafted into the Army.
Wyoming, coached by Everett Shelton, won the national title with a 46–34 victory in the final game over Georgetown, coached by Elmer Ripley.[1] [2] [3] Ken Sailors of Wyoming was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The Cowboys were the first team in the 5-year history of the tournament to win after making a previous appearance in the tournament, having appeared in the 1941 tournament.
Only two venues hosted the 1943 tournament:
| East Regional - New York City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | Coach | Conference | Record | |
| Osborne Cowles | EIBL | 19–2 | ||
| DePaul | Ray Meyer | Independent | 18–4 | |
| Georgetown | Elmer Ripley | Independent | 20–4 | |
| Howard Cann | Metropolitan New York | 16–4 | ||
| West Regional - Kansas City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | Coach | Conference | Record | |
| Bruce Drake | Big Six | 17–8 | ||
| Texas | Bully Gilstrap | Southwest | 18–6 | |
| Washington | Hec Edmundson | Pacific Coast | 24–5 | |
| Wyoming | Everett Shelton | Mountain States | 28–2 | |