1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season

Men's university basketball season August 2023 March 2026 1953 Indiana HoosiersESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 625 March 8 20, 1954 Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri La Salle Explorers Kentucky WildcatsApril 1, 1954 Helms Bypasses La Salle — Kentucky Named Top Team https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-ocollegian-helms-bypasses-la/137404056/ The Daily O'Collegian December 25, 2023 Although La Salle won the NCAA title, and Holy Cross the National Invitational crown, Helms Athletic foundation has elected to hand the national championship honors for the 1954 season to the University of Kentucky's undefeated in 25 games Wildcats. Holy Cross Crusaders Tom Gola, La Salle Explorers The 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1953, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 20, 1954, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The La Salle Explorers won their first NCAA national championship with a 92–76 victory over the Bradley Braves. Season headlines The Atlantic Coast Conference began play, with eight original members. Frank Selvy of Furman scored 100 points in a 149–95 victory over Newberry in Greenville, South Carolina, on February 13, 1954, becoming the first player to score 100 or more points in a game.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 13 Selvy finished the season with 1,209 points for the year, the first player to score 1,000 or more points in a single season. He also averaged 41.7 points per game for the season, the first player to average 40 or more points per game in a season, and finished his career (1952–1954) averaging 32.5 points a game, the first player to average 30 or more points per game during a collegiate career. The NCAA tournament expanded from 22 to 24 teams. Kentucky went undefeated, finishing with a 25–0 record. The Helms Athletic Foundation awarded its national championship to Kentucky rather than to the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament champion, La Salle. It was the fourth and final time that the NCAA champion and the Helms champion differed. In the final AP Poll, taken after the completion of the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament and the then-prestigious National Invitation Tournament, Kentucky was ranked No. 1 ahead of No. 2 La Salle (NCAA tournament champion) and No. 3 Holy Cross (1954 National Invitation Tournament champion).Fullerton, Jr. Hugh Associated Press March 23, 1954 Kentucky Beats Out Tourney Winners in Final Cage Poll https://www.newspapers.com/article/abilene-reporter-news-kentucky-beats-out/137404460/ Abilene Reporter-News New York Abilene, Texas December 25, 2023 Kentucky's unbeaten basketball team, which refrained from tournament competition this year, came out ahead of the two national tournament winners, La Salle and Holy Cross, in the final Associated Press ranking poll of the 1953–54 season today. The NCAA tournament's Final Four games were played on Friday and Saturday for the first time.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf Playing Rules History ncaa.org NCAA June 25, 2024 11 The NCAA tournament's championship game was televised nationally for the first time. The broadcast rights fee was $7,500. Season outlook Pre-season polls 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia 978-0-345-51392-2 Random House 2009 836 Associated PressRankingTeam1Indiana2Kentucky3Duquesne4Oklahoma A&M5Kansas6La Salle7NC State8Kansas State9Illinois10LSU11Western Kentucky State12Minnesota13Oregon State14Wyoming15Dayton16Santa Clara17California18Saint Louis19(tie)Holy CrossOklahoma City UP CoachesRankingTeam1Indiana2Kentucky3Duquesne4Kansas5Oklahoma A&M6La Salle7LSU8NC State9Minnesota10California11Illinois12Kansas State13Saint Louis14Holy Cross15Oregon State16Dayton17Wyoming18Santa Clara19Notre Dame20UCLA Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Arizona State College Arizona State College-Flagstaff Lumberjacks Border Conference Non-major basketball program Bowling Green State Bowling Green State Falcons Independent Mid-American Conference Brown Brown Bears Independent Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League City College of New York CCNY Beavers Metropolitan New York Conference Non-major basketball program Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats Mid-American Conference Independent Clemson Clemson Tigers Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Duke Duke Blue Devils Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Marshall Marshall Thundering Herd Independent Mid-American Conference Maryland Maryland Terrapins Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference North Carolina State North Carolina State Wolfpack Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Wake Forest Wake Forest Demon Deacons Southern Conference Atlantic Coast Conference Virginia Virginia Cavaliers Independent Atlantic Coast 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 Dickie Hemric, Wake Forest2008–09 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 1954 ACC men's basketball tournament Reynolds Coliseum(Raleigh, North Carolina) NC StateBig Seven Conference Colorado & Kansas None selected No TournamentBig Ten Conference Indiana None selected No TournamentBorder Conference Texas Tech No TournamentCalifornia Basketball Association Santa Clara None selected No TournamentEastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Cornell None selected No TournamentMetropolitan New York Conference St. Francis (NY) No TournamentMid-American Conference Toledo None selected No TournamentMissouri Valley Conference Oklahoma A&M None selected No TournamentMountain States (Skyline) Conference Colorado A&M No TournamentOhio Valley Conference Western Kentucky State None selected 1954 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Jefferson County Armory (Louisville, Kentucky) Western Kentucky StatePacific Coast Conference Oregon State (North); USC (South) No Tournament;USC defeated Oregon State in best-of-three conference championship playoff seriesSoutheastern Conference Kentucky & LSU None selected No TournamentSouthern Conference George Washington Frank Selvy, Furman2008–09 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 1954 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament WVU Fieldhouse(Morgantown, West Virginia) George Washington2008–09 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 Rice & Texas None selected No TournamentWestern New York Little Three Conference Niagara No TournamentYankee Conference Connecticut None selected No Tournament Conference standings Major independents A total of 42 college teams played as major independents. Among them, 1953 College of the Holy Cross Holy Cross Crusaders Holy Cross (26–2) and 1953 Seattle University Seattle Redhawks Seattle (26–2) had the best winning percentage (.929), and Holy Cross, Seattle, 1953 Duquesne University Duquesne Dukes Duquesne (26–3), and La Salle (26–4) finished with the most wins.https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/independent/men/1954.html Sports Reference 1953-54 Men's Independent Season Summary August 8, 2024 Post-season tournaments NCAA tournament 1954 NCAA basketball tournament Final Four no National semifinals National finals Third place Penn State 54 La Salle 69 Bradley 74 USC 72 La Salle 92 Bradley 76 Penn State 70 USC 61 National Invitation tournament 1954 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals & finals no Semifinals Finals Third place   Western Kentucky State 69   Holy Cross 75   Duquesne 66   Niagara 51   Holy Cross 71   Duquesne 62   Western Kentucky State 66   Niagara 71 Awards Consensus All-American teams 1954 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans + Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Tom Gola F Junior La Salle Cliff Hagan F Senior Kentucky Bob Pettit C Senior Louisiana State Don Schlundt C Junior Indiana Frank Selvy G Senior Furman + Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Bobby Leonard G Senior Indiana Tom Marshall F Senior Western Kentucky State Bob Mattick C Senior Oklahoma A&M Frank Ramsey G/F Senior Kentucky Dick Ricketts F/C Junior Duquesne Major player of the year awards Helms Player of the Year: Tom Gola, La Salle Other major awards NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Ed Conlin, Fordham Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonArmyBob VanattaOrvis Sigler Vanatta left to coach Bradley.BradleyForddy AndersonBob Vanatta Anderson left to coach Michigan State.BrownRobert MorrisL. Stanley WardCaliforniaNibs PricePete NewellThe CitadelLeo ZackJim BrowningColorado A&MBill StranniganJim Williams Strannigan left to coach Iowa State.HarvardNorman ShepardFloyd WilsonIdahoCharles FinleyHarlan HodgesIowa StateClay SutherlandBill StranniganJohn CarrollFred GeorgeSilvio Cornachione2021 John Carroll Blue Streaks men's basketball history & records guide, page 28 https://s3.amazonaws.com/jcusports.com/documents/2021/1/28/Men_s_Basketball_Media_Guide.pdf May 9, 2021 John Carroll Blue Streaks MaineRome RankinRussell DeVetteMiamiDave WikeBruce HaleMichigan StatePete NewellForddy Anderson Newell left to Coach California.Montana StateBrick BreedenWally LemmMurray StateHarlan HodgesRex AlexanderNebraskaHarry GoodJerry BushPennsylvaniaHowie DallmarRay Stanley Dallmar left to coach Stanford.Penn StateElmer GrossJohn EgliPortlandMush TorsonArt McLarneyStanfordBob BurnettHowie DallmarToledoJerry BushEd MelvinBush left to coach Nebraska.West VirginiaRed BrownFred Schaus References 2