1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season
Encyclopedia
Season headlines
- More than 18,000 fans attended Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
for the final installment of an annual American Red CrossAmerican Red CrossThe American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
benefit game between the NCAA Tournament and NIT champions. Oklahoma A&M, led by Bob KurlandBob KurlandRobert Albert "Bob" Kurland was a basketball center, who played for Henry Iba's Oklahoma A & M Aggies basketball team...
, defeated George MikanGeorge MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
's DePaulDePaul Blue Demons men's basketballThe DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
52–44. Kurland scored 14 points while Mikan scored 9 before fouling out in only 14 minutes of playing time.
Major rule changes
Beginning in 1944–45, the following rules changes were implemented:- Along with the ball on the rim, defensive interference by touching the ball after it had started its downward flight during an opponent's field goal attempt was declared a goal for the shooting team.
- Five personal fouls disqualify a player. An extra foul was not permitted in overtime games.
- Unlimited substitution was permitted.
- It became a violation for an offensive player to remain in the free-throw lane for more than three seconds.
Premo-Poretta power poll
The first official college basketball poll appeared during the 1948–49 season. St. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
accounting professor Patrick M. Premo and computer programmer Phil Poretta researched teams before that year, back to the 1892–93 season. The polls were compiled by reviewing results, opponents and margins of victory.
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Conference winners and tournaments
| Conference | Regular Season Winner |
Conference Player of the Year |
Conference Tournament |
Tournament Venue (City) |
Tournament Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Six Conference Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... |
Iowa State Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Big Ten Conference Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east... |
Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Border Conference Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season... |
New Mexico | None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Eastern Intercollegiate League Ivy League The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group... |
Penn | None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
Oklahoma A&M | None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Mountain States Conference | Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Pacific Coast Conference | Oregon Oregon Ducks men's basketball Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Rocky Mountain Conference | Colorado College Colorado College The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
| Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... & Tennessee Tennessee Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference... |
None Selected | 1945 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament | Louisville Gardens Louisville Gardens Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000 seat arena, in Louisville, Kentucky, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location... (Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... ) |
Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... |
| Southern Conference Southern Conference The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North... |
South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976... |
None Selected | 1945 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament | Thompson Gym Thompson Gym Thompson Gym, built in 1925, was the indoor arena of North Carolina State University until Reynolds Coliseum opened in 1949. The facility hosted mainly basketball games, including the Southern Conference men's basketball tournament from 1933 to 1946... (Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh... ) |
North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history... |
| Southwest Conference | Rice Rice Owls men's basketball The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in Conference USA... |
None Selected | No Tournament | ||
Conference standings
Statistical leaders
- Scoring leader – George MikanGeorge MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
averaged 23.3 points per game and was retroactively declared the "unofficial" season scoring leader. Between 1935–36 and 1946–47, there were no official NCAA scoring champions. The statistics during that era were compiled from the National Basketball Committee Official Basketball Guide, which was not regulated by NCAA authorities. Therefore, those players are included in the annual NCAA men's basketball media guide, but are listed as unofficial season scoring leaders. No other personal statistics were tracked during the 1944–45 basketball season.
Consensus All-American teams
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnie Ferrin Arnie Ferrin C. Arnold Ferrin Jr. is a retired American basketball player in college and the BAA and NBA.Ferrin attended high school in Ogden, Utah. In college with the University of Utah, he won the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player award in 1944 when they won the championship over Dartmouth... |
F | Sophomore | Utah Utah Utes men's basketball The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind... |
| Wyndol Gray Wyndol Gray Wyndol Woodrow Gray was an American professional basketball player in the 1940s.Gray played at Akron South High School in Akron, Ohio and went on to play collegiately at Bowling Green State University in 1942. At the time, freshmen were allowed to play to compensate for a shortage of college-age... |
F | Junior | Bowling Green Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball The Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1968... |
| William Hassett Billy Hassett William Joseph Hassett was an American professional basketball player.A 5'11" guard from the University of Notre Dame, Hassett played two seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, Minneapolis Lakers, and Baltimore Bullets... |
G | Junior | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... |
| Bill Henry Bill Henry (basketball) William Gambrell "Bill" Henry was an American professional basketball player. Henry played for one season with the Fort Wayne Pistons in the Basketball Association of America before splitting the following season with the Pistons and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball... |
C | Senior | Rice Rice Owls men's basketball The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in Conference USA... |
| Walt Kirk Walt Kirk Walton "Walt" Kirk, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. In four NBL/BAA/NBA seasons, Kirk played for five different teams: the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Jets, Anderson Packers, Tri-Cities Blackhawks and Milwaukee Hawks... |
G/F | Junior | Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign.... |
| Bob Kurland Bob Kurland Robert Albert "Bob" Kurland was a basketball center, who played for Henry Iba's Oklahoma A & M Aggies basketball team... |
C | Junior | Oklahoma A&M Oklahoma State Cowboys men's basketball The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.Since 1938, the team has played its home games in Gallagher-Iba Arena... |
| George Mikan George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association... |
C | Junior | DePaul DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois... |
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howie Dallmar | F | Junior | Pennsylvania |
| Don Grate Don Grate Donald "Buckeye" Grate is a former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and a small forward/shooting guard for the Sheboygan Redskins of the NBA... |
G | Senior | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
| Dale Hall Dale Hall -External links:*... |
F | Senior | Army Army Black Knights men's basketball The Army Black Knights men's basketball team represents the United States Military Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball. Army currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and plays its home games at Christl Arena in West Point, New York.Army is... |
| Vince Hanson Vince Hanson Vincent Garnett "Vince" Hanson was an NCAA All-American basketball player at Washington State University in 1944–45. Hanson was a three-sport star at WSU, playing for the basketball, baseball and track and field teams between 1942–43 and 1947–48. His best season came during his sophomore... |
C | Sophomore | Washington State Washington State Cougars men's basketball The Washington State Cougars Men's Basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I... |
| Dick Ives Dick Ives Richard C. "Dick" Ives was an American basketball player for the University of Iowa from 1943–44 to 1946–47. A native of Diagonal, Iowa, Ives passed up the opportunity to play college basketball at Drake University on a full athletic scholarship so that he could play at Iowa under coach "Pops"... |
F | Sophomore | Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and... |
| Max Morris Max Morris Glen Max Morris was a professional American football and basketball player. He was a consensus All-American in both sports for Northwestern University and later played professional football for the Chicago Rockets and Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Football Conference... |
F | Senior | Northwestern Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference. Men's basketball was first introduced at Northwestern in 1901... |
| Herb Wilkinson Herb Wilkinson Herbert Leroy "Herb" Wilkinson was an American college basketball player who won the 1944 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as a freshman while playing for Utah, then transferred to Iowa as a sophomore and became a three-time All-American.-Early life:Wilkinson was born in Salt Lake City,... |
G | Sophomore | Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and... |
Major player of the year awards
- Helms Foundation Player of the YearHelms Foundation Player of the YearThe Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year was an annual basketball award given to the most outstanding intercollegiate men's basketball player in the United States. The award was first given following the 1904–05 season and ceased being awarded after the 1978–79 season...
: George MikanGeorge MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
, DePaulDePaul Blue Demons men's basketballThe DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois... - Sporting News Player of the YearSporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the YearThe Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the best men's basketball player in NCAA Division I competition...
: George MikanGeorge MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
, DePaulDePaul Blue Demons men's basketballThe DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
Other major awards
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC area): Bill KotsoresBill KotsoresWilliam "Bill" Kotsores was an American basketball player best known for his collegiate career at St. John's University in the 1940s. He played on the school's team during the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons...
, St. John'sSt. John's Red Storm men's basketballThe St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010...