1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

Men's university basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1957 None March 11, 1958 March 22, 1958 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky Wildcats Xavier Musketeers Elgin Baylor, Seattle Chieftains The 1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in December 1957, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament championship game on March 22, 1958, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Wildcats won their fourth NCAA national championship with an 84–72 victory over the Seattle Chieftains. Season headlines The NCAA University Division grew to 179 teams,Coach Wilson Is Named To NCAA Rating Board Owensboro Messenger and Inquirer December 18, 1957 8A https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52833169/coach-wilson-is-named/ Newspapers.com an increase from 156 the previous season.NCAA Group Opens Talks On Money Aid To Players Kingsport Times August 20, 1956 7 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52832085/ncaa-group-opens-talks-on-money-aid-to/ Newspapers.com Adolph Rupp won his fourth championship as he led the Kentucky Wildcats to an 84–72 win over the Seattle Chieftains and their star, Elgin Baylor. The starting unit was nicknamed the "Fiddlin' Five," after a quip by Rupp that his team were fiddlers when he really needed violinists. The Wildcats fought back from two 11-point deficits to gain the victory.'58 The Fiddlin' Five Make Sweet Music Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson became the first player to lead the nation is scoring in his first varsity season. The sophomore (freshmen were ineligible) averaged 35.1 points per game for the Bearcats. He also became the first player to score 50 or more points in an NCAA tournament game when he scored 56 against Arkansas in a regional third-place game on March 15, 1958.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 11 Dom Flora, a senior point guard at Washington and Lee University, finished his college career with 2,310 points and 696 free throws made, both of which were ranked fifth in their respective categories in college basketball history at the end of the 1957–58 season. Dominick A. (Dom) Flora '58 Washington and Lee University http://www.wlu.edu/x2301.xml 2 June 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100602210356/http://www.wlu.edu/x2301.xml 2 June 2010 live Future Hall of Fame coach Howard Cann of NYU retired at the conclusion of the season, after 35 years at the helm. The NCAA championship game saw the first use of an orange basketball. Previously, the NCAA had used brown basketballs. The Western New York Little Three Conference disbanded at the end of the season. Major rule changes Beginning in 1957–58, the following rules changes were implemented: Offensive goaltending was banned so that no player from either team could touch the ball or basket when the ball was on the basket's rim or above the cylinder. The only exception was the shooter in the original act of shooting. One free throw for each common foul was taken for the first six personal fouls by one team in each half, and the one-and-one was used thereafter. On uniforms, the single-digit numbers "1" and "2" and any digit greater than "5" in player numbers were prohibited as a means of simplifying referees' hand signals to the scorer's table when calling a foul. A failure to comply resulted in the assessment of a technical foul against the offending team.Garich Ed March 25, 1957 Cage Rules Group Still in Session https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star/126112111/ Kansas City Star Kansas City, Missouri June 25, 2024http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 4, 8https://defector.com/college-basketball-players-can-wear-digits-above-5-again College Basketball Players Can Wear Digits Above ‘5’ Again McQuade Dan June 9, 2023 defector.com Defector June 25, 2024 The single-digit numbers "1" and "2" were not permitted again until the 1999–2000 seasonhttp://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 5, 8 and digits greater than 5 were not permitted again until the 2023–24 season. A ball that passes over the backboard – either front-to-back or back-to-front — was considered out of bounds.2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Records Book – Playing-Rules History section, NCAA, retrieved 2009-05-09. Archived 2009-05-13. Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Air Force Air Force Falcons non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Boston University Boston University Terriers non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats NCAA University Division independent Missouri Valley Conference Delaware Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Detroit Detroit Titans Missouri Valley Conference NCAA University Division independent East Tennessee State East Tennessee State Buccaneers non-NCAA University Division Ohio Valley Conference Frenso State Fresno State Bulldogs West Coast Athletic Conference NCAA University Division independent Montana State Montana State Bobcats non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent North Texas North Texas State Mean Green non-NCAA University Division Missouri Valley Conference Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Cowboys Missouri Valley Conference NCAA University Division independent Providence Providence Friars non-NCAA University Division NCAA University Division independent Texas Tech Texas Tech Red Raiders NCAA University Division independent Southwest Conference Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments ConferenceRegular season winnerhttp://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2009/Standings.pdf 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section 2009 NCAA 2009-02-14Conference player of the yearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAtlantic Coast Conference Duke Pete Brennan, North Carolina2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192652/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/09mbkguide083112.pdf 2016-03-03 , retrieved 2009-02-14 1958 ACC men's basketball tournament Reynolds Coliseum(Raleigh, North Carolina) MarylandBig Eight Conference Kansas State Bob Boozer, Kansas StateKansas State Athletic Site – Wildcat Honor Roll, Kansas State University, retrieved 2009-05-17 No TournamentBig Ten Conference Indiana None Selected No TournamentBorder Conference Arizona State None Selected No TournamentIvy League Dartmouth None Selected No TournamentMetropolitan New York Conference St. John's None Selected No TournamentMid-American Conference Toledo None Selected No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Cincinnati None Selected No TournamentMountain States (Skyline) Conference Idaho State None Selected No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Tennessee Tech None Selected No TournamentPacific Coast Conference California & Oregon State None Selected No TournamentCalifornia defeated Oregon State in a single-game conference playoffSoutheastern Conference Kentucky None Selected No TournamentSouthern Conference West Virginia Dom Flora, Washington and Lee2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110723151437/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 July 23, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09 1958 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Richmond Arena(Richmond, Virginia) West Virginia2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section https://web.archive.org/web/20110930163611/http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 September 30, 2011 , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09Southwest Conference Arkansas & SMU Rick Herrscher, SMU (awarded by Coach magazine) No TournamentWest Coast Athletic Conference San Francisco Mike Farmer, San Francisco, & Leroy Wright, Pacific2008–09 WCC Men's Basketball Media Guide https://web.archive.org/web/20110523143240/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/west/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2008-09mbbrecordbook.pdf 2011-05-23 , West Coast Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 No TournamentWestern New York Little Three Conference St. Bonaventure No TournamentYankee Conference Connecticut None selected No Tournament Conference standings University Division independents A total of 50 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Temple (27–3) finished with both the best winning percentage (.900) and the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1958.html Sports Reference 1957-58 Men's Independent Season Summary August 10, 2024 Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Temple Guy Rodgers, Temple Temple finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. Statistical leaders Points per game Rebound Percentage Field goal percentage Free throw percentage Player School PPG Player School REB% Player School FG% Player School FT% Oscar Robertson Cincinnati 35.1 Boo Ellis Niagara .262 Ralph Crosthwaite W. Kentucky State 61.0 Semi Mintz Davidson 88.2 Elgin Baylor Seattle 32.5 Al Inniss St. Francis (NY) .248 Oscar Robertson Cincinnati 57.1 Gerald Myers Texas Tech 87.0 Wilt Chamberlain Kansas 30.1 Elgin Baylor Seattle .235 Pete Brunone Manhattan 56.2 Arlen Clark Oklahoma State 86.5 Bailey Howell Mississippi State 27.8 Wilt Chamberlain Kansas .216 Bob Goodall Tulsa 55.7 Joe Hobbs Florida 86.0 Red Murrell Drake 26.7 Joe Cincebox Syracuse .206 Hal Greer Marshall 54.6 Hub Reed Oklahoma City 85.1 Polls 1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings The final top 20 from the AP and Coaches Polls.http://www.databasesports.com/ncaab/tourney.htm?yr=1958 RotoWire Fantasy Football, Baseball, Basketball and More Associated PressRankingTeam1 West Virginia2 Cincinnati3 Kansas State4 San Francisco5 Temple6 Maryland7 Kansas8 Notre Dame9 Kentucky10 Duke11 Dayton12 Indiana13 North Carolina14 Bradley15 Mississippi State16 Auburn17 Michigan State18 Seattle19 Oklahoma State20 NC State CoachesRankingTeam1 West Virginia2 Cincinnati3 San Francisco4 Kansas State5 Temple6 Maryland 7 Notre Dame8 Kansas9 Dayton10 Indiana11 Bradley12 North Carolina13 Duke14 Kentucky15 Oklahoma State 16 Oregon State NC State18 St. Bonaventure 19 Seattle Michigan State Wyoming Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1958 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats won their fourth National championship by defeating the Seattle Chieftains 84–72 on March 22 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. Seattle's Elgin Baylor led all tournament scorers and was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player. Final Four National semifinals National championship game Third place 25 130 M2 Kentucky 61 W1 Temple 60 S1 Seattle 73 E3 Kansas State 51 2 Seattle 72 1 Kentucky 84 3 Temple 67 4 Kansas State 57 National Invitation tournament 1958 National Invitation Tournament The Xavier Musketeers entered the National Invitation Tournament with a 15–11 record, but surprised the field, defeating fellow Ohio school Dayton 78–74 to win the NIT.http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason-results-1950s.html National Invitation Tournament - History - Tournament Result (1950s) 2022-04-10 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100326191327/http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason-results-1950s.html 2010-03-26 The Musketeers' Hank Stein was named tournament MVP. NIT Semifinals and Final Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City Semifinals Final Third place 1 St. John’s 56 3 Dayton 80 2 St. Bonaventure 53 2 Xavier 72 3 Dayton 74 2 Xavier 78 1 St. John's 69 2 St. Bonaventure 84 Award winners Consensus All-American teams 1958 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Elgin Baylor F Junior Seattle Bob Boozer F Junior Kansas State Wilt Chamberlain C Junior Kansas Don Hennon G Junior Pittsburgh Oscar Robertson G Sophomore Cincinnati Guy Rodgers G Senior Temple + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Pete Brennan F Senior North Carolina Archie Dees F/C Senior Indiana Mike Farmer F Senior San Francisco Dave Gambee F Senior Oregon State Bailey Howell F Junior Mississippi State Major player of the year awards Helms Foundation Player of the Year: Elgin Baylor, Seattle UPI Player of the Year: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Sporting News Player of the Year: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Major coach of the year awards UPI Coach of the Year: Tex Winter, Kansas State Other major awards Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Guy Rodgers, Temple NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC): Jim Cunningham, Fordham Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonArmyOrvis SiglerGeorge Hunter ColumbiaLou RossiniArchie OldhamDrakeJohn E. BeningtonMaury JohnDuquesneDudey MooreRed ManningIowaBucky O'ConnorSharm ScheuermanO'Connor died in an automobile accident on April 22, 1958.http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/19670402/SPORTS11/50705015/Frank-Bucky-O-Connor-Monroe-1967 Frank "Bucky" O'Connor, Monroe, 1967 July 5, 2005 DesMoinesRegister.com April 10, 2022 dead https://archive.today/20120729073004/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/19670402/SPORTS11/50705015/Frank-Bucky-O-Connor-Monroe-1967 July 29, 2012La SalleJim PollardDudey MooreLoyola (LA)Jim HardingHank Kuzma MaineHarold WoodburyBrian McCall MarquetteJack NagleEddie HickeyMemphis StateEugene LambertBob VanattaMurray StateRex AlexanderCal Luther New MexicoBill StocktonBob SweeneyNYUHoward CannLou RossiniOhio StateFloyd StahlFred TaylorSaint LouisEddie HickeyJohn E. BeningtonSeattleJohn CastellaniVincent CazzettaAfter taking the Chieftains to the NCAA title game, Castellani resigned amid recruiting violations that resulted in a two-year post-season ban for the university.http://www.seattlepi.com/cbasketball/309276_where28.html Where Are They Now? John Castellani, Seattle U basketball coach Dan Raley SeattlePi.com March 27, 2017 April 10, 2022 live https://web.archive.org/web/20180717124740/https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Where-Are-They-Now-John-Castellani-Seattle-U-1232494.php July 17, 2018South CarolinaFrank JohnsonWalt HambrickValparaisoKen SuesensPaul Meadows VanderbiltBob Polk Roy Skinner (interim)Assistant coach Skinner served as interim coach for the season after Polk suffered a heart attack in the fall of 1957.https://vucommodores.com/bob-polk-vandy-coaching-legend/ Bob Polk: Vandy Coaching Legend January 3, 2007 April 10, 2022 live https://web.archive.org/web/20220410164532/https://vucommodores.com/bob-polk-vandy-coaching-legend/ April 10, 2022VMIJack NullWeenie Miller Washington StateJack Friel Marv HarshmanWestern MichiganJoe Hoy Don Boven References 2